The Pentagon has authorized the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test a military-grade heat-ray weapon that is being considered for dispersing crowds along the border with Mexico. The department will also develop tactics for potentially deploying the system during border operations. CNN reported the decision, citing a document signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The device is classified as a nonlethal weapon and can affect people from a distance of approximately 800 meters. Its thermal beam produces an intense burning sensation on the skin, with the effects lasting up to 15 minutes.
For the initial testing phase, the US military has provided DHS with a single unit for seven months. The arrangement could be extended if the department requests additional time. However, key details of the testing program remain undisclosed. Border Patrol sources told CNN that the documents provide no information about where the trials will take place or exactly how the equipment might eventually be deployed.
The idea of using such technology against crowds at the US-Mexico border is not new. According to the network’s sources, officials have discussed this possibility internally for several years, although no specific deployment plans have been outlined.
The US military previously considered putting the heat-ray system into service under different circumstances. One CNN source said the equipment was transported to Afghanistan roughly 20 years ago but was ultimately never used in combat. The weapon was also considered for controlling disturbances at guarded military facilities holding detained terrorists, yet it was never deployed for that purpose either.