The objective was the “non-lethal weaponization of ultra-short pulse (pico-femtosecond) laser systems to produce extended high repetition rate laser induced plasma detonations (LIPD) in air or on material targets in close proximity to targeted humans and on targeted material with no civilian casualties and (scalable) non-lethal counter-personnel and counter-materiel effect with little to no collateral damage.”

Below are the results of a November 2020 request for, “ALL reports, status reports, updates on the Laser Induced Plasma Effect program which is part of the Joint Non-lethal Weapons Directorate program,” which included a request for, “all mission statements or stated objectives of the Laser Induced Plasma Effect program along with the Joint Non-lethal Weapons Directorate program.”

Below is what I received from the US Marine Corps, which includes the FOIA release letter, video, and documents.

FOIA Response Letter

Video Archive

Document Archive

The following is a copy of the DVD that came in with the files. They are dumped here for easy downloading, along with a .zip option.

[ .zip File – 62.7MB ]

      12OCT18_NewScientist_LIPE_USWantsLaserWpn.pdf                                618K  
      14NOV_PopMech_The Secret History of Plasma Weapons_Hambling.pdf              618K  
      20JUL19_PNTSciMakingPlasmaBalls_MilTimes_South_Law.pdf                       127K  
      AlsoRan_BullofAtomicScientists_25JUL19_the-pentagons-getting-closer-to.pdf   657K  
      AlsoRan_NavyTImes_talking-lasers-and-e.pdf                                   187K  
      AlsoRan_iHLS_PlasmaLaserBalls_JUL19.pdf                                      120K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_ADS_TheDrive_Trevithick_23Mar18_DefOneMilTimesrefs.pdf            1.8M  
      DE2DC_LIPE_DailyStar_Harper_DefOneref.pdf                                    606K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_DigitalTrends_Dormehl_DefOneref.pdf                               485K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_Discover_Sigfusson_DefOneref.pdf                                  350K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_Eng&Tech_StaffReport_DefOneref.pdf                                362K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_Futurism_Houser_DefOneref.pdf                                     541K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_GovExec_DefOne_Tucker_reprint.pdf                                 785K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_IBTimes_Sharma_DefOneref.pdf                                      1.1M  
      DE2DC_LIPE_IntEngineering_Nicholson_DefOneref.pdf                            517K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_Newsdotcom_Whigham_DefOneref.pdf                                  548K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_Newsweek_Hignett.pdf                                              627K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_OuterPlaces_Kesh_DefOne_Tucker_reprint.pdf                        616K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_PopMechanics_Mizokami_DefOne_Tucker_reprint.pdf                   429K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_ScienceAlert_Futurismreprint_23Mar18.pdf                          393K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_SpecOpsMag_Myers_DefOneref.pdf                                    469K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_ThinkBig_Ratner_DefOneref.pdf                                     1.0M  
      DE2DC_LIPE_TrueNews_StaffReport_DefOneref.pdf                                346K  
      DE2DC_LIPE_i-hls_StaffReports_NewsAU_DefOnerefs_29Mar18.pdf                  359K  
      FOXNEWS_LIPE_pentagon-talking-lasers-that-beam_1AUG19.pdf                     84K  
      JNLWD BAA 14-008.pdf                                                         2.5M  
      LIPE 2018 DE2DC Poster _dl reference 3.pptx                                  875K  
      LIPE Article_DefenseOne_Tucker_21Mar18.pdf                                   417K  
      LIPE Article_MilTimes_South_22Mar18.pdf                                      849K  
      NYPost_TalkingLasers_5AUG19.pdf                                              131K  
      SyFyWire_MessagestoPplsHeads_2AUG19.pdf                                      140K  
      Table 8 New LIPE Video 2019 DE2DC Video Final.avi                             50M  
      UKSun_PentagonBeamsMsgs.pdf                                                  217K  
      USMC SBIR Topic N113_171_Long Range Laser Induced Plasma.docx                 15K  
      USMC SCUPLS SBIR Topic.docx                                                   16K

The post Laser Induced Plasma Effect Program, Released February 2021 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This Final Report summarizes the biological effects research conducted by Veridian Engineering personnel under contract F41624-96-C-9009 in support of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Radio Frequency Radiation Branch from April 1997 to April 2002. Biological effects research and consultation were provided in five major areas Active Denial System also known as Vehicle Mounted Active Denial System, radio frequency radiation RFR health and safety, non-lethal weapon biological effects research, the newly formed Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Human Effects Center of Excellence, and Biotechnology. The report is organized by research efforts within the major research areas, providing title, objective, a brief description, relevance to the AF or DoD, funding, and products.

Document Archive

Biological Effects of Directed Energy, November 2002 [60 Pages, 3.5MB]

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The post Biological Effects of Directed Energy, November 2002 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The GAM-63 RASCAL is a supersonic Air-to-surface missile that was developed by the Bell Aircraft Company. The RASCAL was the United States Air Force’s first nuclear armed standoff missile. The RASCAL was initially designated the ASM-A-2, then re-designated the B-63 in 1951 and finally re-designated the GAM-63 in 1955.

The name RASCAL was the acronym for RAdar SCAnning Link, the missile’s guidance system. The RASCAL project was cancelled in September 1958.

Document Archive

Historical Study on Aircraft and Weapon Systems Tested at the Air Force Missile Development Center  [359 Pages, 84.2MB]

GAM-63 Missile Development Program [39 Pages, 11.22MB]

HQ USAF Logistics Concept, GAM-63 Weapon System [20 Pages, 600kb]

The History of the RASCAL Missile, 1952-1958 [158 pages, 58MB]

Missile Logistics, Volume 1: Text (Historical Study No. 328). 1952-1958 [115 pages, 5.7mb]

Project RASCAL / Project Shrike, 31 March 1953 [88 Pages, 14.5MB]

R&D Information Report, Missile Logistics, 1951-1959 [18 Pages, 1.71MB]

RASCAL (Project MX-776), September 30, 1968 [76 Pages, 12.49MB]

RASCAL (MX-776B) [130 Pages, 51MB]

RASCAL: Air to Ground Guided Missile [94 Pages, 35.45MB]

RASCAL Weapon System (Project MX-776) [80 Pages, 11.65MB]

RASCAL Weekly Test Reports [220 Pages, 44.15MB]

System 112A

System 112A – Rascal Missile System, 1 May 1959 [96 Pages, 36MB]

System 112A – Flight Test Summary – 1 July 1958 [63 Pages, 13.3MB]

System 112A – Quarterly Progress Report, 31 March 1957 [80 Pages, 41MB]

System 112A – Quarterly Progress Report, 30 June 1957 [70 Pages, 10.5MB]

The post The GAM-63 RASCAL Missile first appeared on The Black Vault.

According to the document:

In a recent lecture period, Dr. Welmers discussed the methods employed in an operational analysis. These analysis techniques are particularly valuable when conducting a study program to define a system possessing optimum characteristics for accomplishing a certain job, since the factors used in the analysis can be applied uniformly to each of several desirable systems in an expeditious and economic manner to determine the relative merits of each system.

Today I would like to consider this application of operational analysis; a study program designed to define an optimum weapon system. As a specific example I will take a study program recently completed by Bell Aircraft.

This report was written by my Grandfather, R.E. Greenewald. I had searched for records that contained by Grandfather’s name for many years, and this was the first I found. I gave it as a gift to my father one year for Christmas.

Document Archive

Preliminary Design Approach. Air-To-Surface Missile Strategic Weapon System, May 13, 1955 by R.E. Greenewald [63 Pages, 2.5MB]

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The post Preliminary Design Approach. Air-To-Surface Missile Strategic Weapon System, May 13, 1955 by R.E. Greenewald first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Projecting Electronic Ray appears to have been an invention first created around 1936. It was a contract by the U.S. Army and an inventor by the name of William Marchant / Marchant Associates, Inc. Apparently, the inventory could not fulfill his part of the contract, so it was terminated. In December of 1950, the Director of the CIA, Walter Smith, ordered an evaluation of the invention.

The “ray” was supposed to ultimately be capable of delivering powerful electronic energy to a distance in excess of a few hundred yards to cut trees, minerals and metals, and to destroy life by conversation of a sharply tuned electronic ray into heat.

Below, you will find all the records received under the FOIA.

Document Archive

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

 The Projecting Electronic Ray Documents [25 Pages, 3.4MB]

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The post The Projecting Electronic Ray Weapon, 1930s – 1950s first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Navy Bumblebee program was created at the end of WW-II to develop a defense against the Japanese kamikaze threat. The program was to develop a jet propelled, guided anti-aircraft missile. The result was the Navy’s 3-T Missiles – Talos, Terrier and Tartar.

While initial efforts were concentrated on developing the Talos ram-jet engine, a solid rocket propelled test vehicle to develop missile steering designs was recognized as capable of providing a simpler interim weapon for smaller ships, resulting in the Terrier two stage missile and the later single stage Tartar with solid fuel dual thrust rocket motor.

The Talos was first tested at White Sands in 1951 while Terrier and Tartar testing was relocated from China Lake CA in the early 1960s.+

Declassified Documents

SemiAnnual Report of Bumblebee Project, July-December 1949 [54 Pages, 2.83MB] – The end of 1949 marks the completion of the first five years of the BUMBLEBEE program. It is gratifying to note that the objectives originally scheduled for this five-year period have come reasonably close to realization.

Survey of Bumblebee Activities, July 1952 [52 Pages, 3.25MB] – The general objective of the BUMBLEBEE project, initiated in 1945, has been the developmentof a radar-guided, ramjet-propelled, supersonic missile (Talos). Originally limited to antiaircraftapplication, BUMBLEBEE has been extended to include a long-range, ship-launched, guided bom.bardment missile (Triton) as well as a short-range, solid-rocket-propelled antiaircraft missile(Terrier). These missile objectives have been the outgrowth of a research and development programin basic fields of science related to a guided missile technology.

The post The Bumblebee Program first appeared on The Black Vault.

According to the document:

The “Electro-ring” concept of using electron rings in space for energy storage originated with the author during Rand studies of radiation (laser, particle beam) weapon systems in space. The requirement for large energy sources in space to support military radiation systems is evident from this work, as reported in R-1802-ARPA, Electron Rings in space for Energy Storage (U), and other Rand studies on space-based weapon systems.

The space systems considered here have been examined on an exploratory basis only. The research has focused on applications, under the tacit assumption that the formulated electron beam (e-beam) concepts will be feasible. The author identifies various concepts and discusses their potential mechanization on a broad basis. The level of effort was not sufficient for a rigorous pursuit of the physics and engineering of the systems.

Known physical effects have been factored in as performance constraints: however, many unknowns exist, particularly in the area of electron beam stability. Additional effort is required to resolve technical questions more precisely; project support to date has not permitted such in-depth resolution. Both theoretical investigations and in-orbit experimentation will be needed to determine the future prospects of electron beam weapons and Electro-ring energy storage devices.

Document Archive

 Electron Beam Systems in Space, June 1977 [70 Pages, 9.9MB]

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The post Electron Beam Systems in Space, June 1977 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This document (without a title when I learned of it) appears in the DTIC Classified Document list. It was dated 1939, and did not think it would be this hard to get it declassified.

I was forced to appeal the decision to entirely withhold the document, and after my appeal was processed, I received the record partially redacted.

Hard to believe that this record could be so classified, as it was written when Adolf Hitler was still in power of Nazi Germany.

Declassified Document

 Report on Test of Bombs, Chemical, 100-LB, T6E1, Lots E-3685-127 and E-3685-128, December 15, 1939 [52 Pages, 11.3MB]

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The post Report on Test of Bombs, Chemical, 100-LB, T6E1, Lots E-3685-127 and E-3685-128, December 15, 1939 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This is the first annual report of Aerospace Corporation covering its technical programs performed under contract AF 04(647)-594 for the period July 1, 1960 through June 30, 1961. Before discussing in detail these technical activities, it appears appropriate, by way of an introduction, to summarize the creation, build-up and background of Aerospace Corporation during its first operating year.

The mission of The Aerospace Corporation is to aid the United States Air Force in applying the full resources of modern science and technology to the problem of achieving those continuing advances, ballistic missiles and military space systems which are basic to national security. The Aerospace Corporation is responsible for providing the Air Force missile and space efforts with an organization which is objective, possessing high technical competence and is characterized by permanence and stability. The Aerospace Corporation will provide a vital link between the Air Force and the scientific and industrial organizations in the country with a capability and an interest in the ballistic missile and space field. The Corporation, through its unique role, will help to insure that the full technical resources of the nation are properly applied and that the potential advances in the missile and space field are realized in the shortest possible time.

The Aerospace Corporation is responsible under over -all Air Force program management for advanced systems analysis and planning, research, experimentation, initial systems engineering, initial technical direction and general technical supervision in the complete field of Air Force ballistic missile and space systems. The Aerospace Corporation will work closely with the Air Force in long range planning, systems analyses and systems comparisons studies. It is intended that it will review ideas and concepts generated throughout industry and Government and help insure the proper interaction between military requirements and technical capability. This detailed analysis, together with appropriate supporting experimentation, will provide the soundest possible basis for the initial engineering specifications of a system, including the subsystem requirements, specifications, interactions and interfaces. This initial systems engineering work will provide the basis for Requests for Proposals to the industry.

After a development program has been initiated, the Corporation by virtue of its relationship with the Air Force and its technical capabilities, will have the responsibility, through technical review, monitoring and steering, to insure that technical deficiencies and weaknesses are isolated, that the impact of new data, new developments and modified requirements on total system concepts is properly assessed, and that accordingly appropriate changes are introduced promptly.
Accordingly, although it is intended that the detailed development systems engineering and detailed technical direction will be the responsibility of normal private industry, special cases may, of course, arise where assumption of detailed systems engineering and detailed technical direction functions by the new corporation may be required by the Air Force. This, however, would be an exception to the normal responsibilities which the Corporation would have in the Air Force missile and space programs. Decisions relative to such exceptions would be made on an individual basis by the Secretary of the Air Force.

In order to properly execute its responsibilities, the Aerospace Corporation must attract and retain personnel of high technical capability.

Document Archive

 Annual Progress Report, 1 July 1960 – 30 June 1961, Aerospace Corporation [165 Pages, 30.2MB]

The post Annual Progress Report, 1 July 1960 – 30 June 1961, Aerospace Corporation first appeared on The Black Vault.

This document had been classified since 1939, and has never seen the light of day. In fact, at the time of requesting, even the title was classified, and was unknown.  In essence, when I filed the Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request to the Department of Defense (DOD), I had no idea what I was going to find.

The MDR was a success, and the document was released.

Declassified Document

 Report of the Coast Artillery Board on Project No. 1153, Heavy Antiaircraft Gun, March 9, 1939 [74 Pages, 10.9MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/ADC955131.pdf

The post Report of the Coast Artillery Board on Project No. 1153, Heavy Antiaircraft Gun, March 9, 1939 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Abstract:

The proposal herein outlined sets forth the exact method for control of an aircraft bomb, classified as Barrage Type, intended to be remotely flown, thence unerringly guided from a ground control position to its ultimate target. It is suggested to also consider it as an artillery supplement in the laying down of a barrage.  In several different ways it is better for long-range intensive barrage than the huge rifles of artillery. It is contemplated to employ that part of the radio spectrum between 70 and 200 megacycles or thereabouts.

This document, from 1940, was listed with no title, and has remained classified until December of 2016. I filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) for it’s release, and it was fully granted.

Declassified Document

 A Proposal to the War Department for a Radio Control System for Aircraft Type Bomb (Barrage), January 1940 [47 Pages, 6.7MB]

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The post A Proposal to the War Department for a Radio Control System for Aircraft Type Bomb (Barrage), January 1940 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Background

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an unpiloted aircraft. UAVs come in two varieties: some are controlled from a remote location, and others fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans using more complex dynamic automation systems.

Currently, UAVs perform reconnaissance as well as attack missions. They are also used in a small but growing number of civil applications, such as firefighting. UAVs are often preferred for missions that are too “dull, dirty, or dangerous” for manned aircraft.

Declassified Documents

Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office (DARO) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), April 1994[170 Pages, 19.2MB]

Counter UAV Optical Detection, Location, and Negation Feasibility Study, 24 March 2004 [63 Pages, 7.5MB] – The BAE Systems approach identifies the key DARPA hard technology development required in order to realize the Counter UA V mission vision. This Concept Development study developed several CONOPS and engagement scenarios that serve to define the preliminary systems requirements analysis. From this analysis, we developed several simulations to help analyze system concept approaches and performance issues. We then performed technology trades to determine the applicability and maturity of current sensor technologies to the problem. A field test was performed where actual data was collected and analyzed. Finally, directed energy countermeasures were investigated as a means to defeat these threats at standoff ranges.

The Development of a Hands-On Unmanned Aerial Vehicle/Remotely Piloted Vehicle Flight Test and Evaluation, November 2004 [9 Pages, 0.8 MB] – The United States Air Force (USAF) Test Pilot School, the Engineering Directorate, and the 452nd Flight Test Squadron all within the 412th Test Wing of the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, have teamed together to develop an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight test training course. This paper briefly describes the development of the course and presents the major elements of the course.

Global Hawk Accident Report, 1999 [510 Pages, 17MB]

Iraqi L-29 UAV Conversion, 23 January 2001 [82 Pages, 1.52MB]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle End-to-End Support Considerations, 2005 [141 Pages, 1.01 MB] – Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used in combat operations since the mid-1900s (Office of the Secretary of Defense, 2002). More recently, both Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom have employed UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as time-critical targeting. These successes have confirmed the military utility of UAVs and portend that a greater number of such vehicles may become part of the DoD’s future force posture. However, because of the acquisition strategy employed to field UAVs as quickly as possible, the implications for their long-term support needs are unclear.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight Test Approval Process and Its Implications: A Methodological Approach to Capture and Evaluate Hidden Costs and Value in the Overall Process, 22 Mar 2012 [115 Pages, 3.67 MB] – The advancement in small unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV) technology has brought a new revolution in the military domain. Their uses have become more synonymous with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Concerns over their flight test safety and accountability have been addressed in multiple policies to mitigate mishaps and increase proper accountability. However, current DoD and FAA mandated regulations and policies concerning UAV flight tests are sometimes considered slow and time-consuming, which may lead to delays in UAV research and development. This study explores the quantitative and qualitative measure of benefits associated with an abbreviated flight test process for SUAVs. Specifically, it examines the current agreement between two major USAF research centers regarding the SUAV flight test approval process. This research utilized high-level multidisciplinary approaches and techniques including qualitative costbenefit analysis, interviews, value stream mapping (VSM) analysis, and heuristic risk analysis to evaluate the current-state process. The findings conclude that there is a slight economic cost and schedule savings in an abbreviated process. Additionally, this research finds no correlation between SUAV flight mishaps and system maturity. This research proposes using a streamlined process for additional safety reviews to eliminate non-value added process steps considered unnecessary due to the nature of the SUAV complexity. Furthermore, this study recommends using a decision rule matrix based on the total cost of the SUAV and its weight and energy at impact for choosing an abbreviated flight test safety review process.

U.S. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Combat, 1991-2003, 09 Jun 2003 [19 Pages, 150 kb] – Between 1991 and 2003, the United States used a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in combat operations. These included the Pioneer, the Pointer, the Hunter, the Predator, the Global Hawk, the Dragon Eye, the Desert Hawk, and the Shadow. During those 13 years the role of UAVs expanded from mere reconnaissance to target designation and attack. Advantages of UAVs over manned aircraft systems include eliminating pilot risk, saving money, providing long-term real-time video reconnaissance, and reducing the time between target identification and destruction. UAVs are especially useful for extremely long reconnaissance missions and for missions in areas of extreme danger. The percentage of unmanned aircraft sorties should continue to grow as UAV capabilities increase. This paper elaborates on the lessons the military has learned about UAVs over the last 13 years, the advantages of UAVs, and their vulnerabilities. The lessons learned are as follows: (1) UAV flights should be carefully synchronized with each other and with the flights of other systems; (2) UAVs should be improved to reduce their vulnerability to weather, enemy air defenses, and mechanical and communication failures; (3) UAVs should be specialized and used for a greater variety of missions; and (4) the Air Force should develop countermeasures to enemy UAVs.

The post Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) first appeared on The Black Vault.

A guided missile is a self-propelled projectile used as a weapon. Missiles are typically propelled by rockets or jet engines. Missiles generally have one or more explosive warheads, although other weapon types may also be used.

Below are relevant documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

Declassified Documents

 Archie to Sam. A Short Operational history of Ground-Based Air Defense [308 Pages, 5.46MB] – Dr. Kenneth Werrell’s history of ground-based air defense performs an important service both to scholarship and, more importantly, to the defense of our nation’s freedom. It is perhaps human nature that we tend over time to lose sight of the lessons of the past, especially when they do not conform to certain cherished preconceptions of ours. That such myopia can be dangerous, if not downright disastrous, Dr. Werrell’s study richly illustrates. Without sentimentalism, he chronicles a pattern of lessons learned and too quickly forgotten as the marvel of air power was reminded again and again of its limitations and vulnerability. In Korea and in Vietnam, the American people were stripped of their illusions of national and technical omnipotence. The unhappy outcome of those two conflicts was doubly lamentable because the lessons of World War II were—or should have been—fresh in our minds. In that world war, as Dr. Werrell shows, relatively cheap ground-based air defense did make a difference: at Ploesti, at Antwerp, and at the Rhine bridges.

Ballistic Missiles

Air University Quarterly Review, The Air Force Ballistic Missile, vol. IX, No 3, 1957 [72 Pages, 32mb]

Ballistic Missile Defense Glossary v3.0 [323 Pages]

Preliminary Design Approach. Air-to-Surface Missile Strategic Weapon System [51 Pages, 2.48 MB] – After years of research, I found a document written by my grandfather, R.E. Greenewald.  Forever will his legacy be preserved now on the internet!

Foreign Missile Intelligence

Missiles Against Missiles, by Tomasz Hypki – 24 October 2001 [43 Pages, 1.6MB] – Excerpt: As a result of the simulated nuclear missile attack conducted during the command staff exercises entitled Decisive Strike carried out in the early 1970’s in the USSR, there was destruction of 90% of the American armed forces, 70% of its industrial potential and loss of 80 – 90 million residents of the United States. This result exceeded the anticipation of Soviet leaders who had structured entire maps on the development of nuclear weapons. The rivalry with the United States which had started in this manner had reached the point where, by the early 1980’s, each side had at its disposal 10 thousand nuclear warheads mounted on delivery vehicles with strategic ranges capable of reaching enemy territory.

The Weapon of Victory [11 Pages, 2.1MB]

Guided Missiles

UNGUIDED ROCKET BALLISTICS METEOROLOGY CONFERENCE, 31 OCTOBER-2 NOVEMBER 1967  [640 Pages, 23.7MB] – This publication contains some of the papers to be presented at the Unguided Rocket Ballistics Meteorology Co, ference. Those not included here were not received by the Conference Chairman, E. J. Trawle, in time for publication. All papers are printed as received from the authors.

Missile Defense

 Integrated Missile Warning/Mission Defense Advanced Concept Demonstration, 06/14/2004 [239 Pages, 0.6MB] – This document is nearly entirely redacted – but they sent nearly every page whited out citing FOIA exemption (b)(3).

The post Missiles and Missile Defense first appeared on The Black Vault.

This document was discovered as a reference in another government records. I then filed a FOIA request for the report, and it took more than 5 years to track down the office that had it. It has now been reviewed and released to The Black Vault. You can download it below.

Excerpt

The objective of this analysis is to define and assess the vulnerabilities that might exist in prospective Soviet Charged Particle Beam Weapon (CPBW) systems.

This analysts will then establish the technological base required before countermeasure efforts can be pursued to negate such new weapon systems. Of primary concern in this effort is the vulnerabilities of an atmosphere Particle Beam Weapon systems; hence, only Charged Particle Beam Weapon systems will be addressed, not space-based Neutral Particle Beam Weapon systems.

A secondary objective of this effort is to provide US designers and builders of such weapon systems with an insight into vulnerabilities that might exist in our own systems – thereby to facilitate the incorporation of counter-countermeasure techniques in our systems to probably “hardened” them against attack from early generation Soviet CPBW countermeasures.

Declassified Document

 Vulnerability Assessment of Charged Particle Beam Weapons, September 1979 [45 Pages, 2.1MB]

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The post Vulnerability Assessment of Charged Particle Beam Weapons, September 1979 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This Final Report was prepared by Ion Physics Corporation under Air Force Contract AF08(635)-2795, “Directed Energy Weapons Test Facility”. The work was administered under the direction of Weapons Laboratory (ASQWR) Detachment 4, ASD.

The studies began on May 1, 1962 and ended on December 31, 1962.

Dr. A. S. Denholm was overall program manager with R. Britton acting as project engineer on that part of the studies concerned with the ultra high voltage facilities for the study of vacuum insulation, the studies required many talents.

This report concludes work under the contract and is the only report. It was classified SECRET (though redactions remain after it was released) because of the data it contains related to directed energy weapons technology.

Document Archive

 Directed Energy Weapons Test Facility, August 1963 [199 Pages, 9.2MB]

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The post Directed Energy Weapons Test Facility, August 1963 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Non-lethal weapons, also called less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than conventional weapons. It is often understood that accidental, incidental, and correlative casualties are risked wherever force is applied, but non-lethal weapons try to minimize the risk as much as possible. Non-lethal weapons are used in combat situations to limit the escalation of conflict where employment of lethal force is prohibited or undesirable, where rules of engagement require minimum casualties, or where policy restricts the use of conventional force. Non-lethal weapons may be used by conventional military in a range of missions across the force continuum.

They may also be used by military police, by United Nations forces, and by occupation forces for peacekeeping and stability operations. Non-lethal weapons may also be used to channelize a battlefield, control the movement of civilian populations, or to limit civilian access to restricted areas (as they were utilized by the USMC’s 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Somalia in 1995). When used by police forces domestically, similar weapons, tactics, techniques and procedures are often called “less lethal” or “less than lethal” and are employed in riot control, prisoner control, crowd control, refugee control, and self-defense.

Below are various documents and reports released under the FOIA regarding non-lethal weapons.

Declassified Documents

 Nonlethal Weapons: Terms and References, 1 July 1997 [97 Pages, 4.5MB] – The purpose of this paper is to promote an understanding of and research into a new category of weapons, designated nonlethal by military services, and less than lethal or less lethal by law enforcement agencies. The intent is to create an initial term and reference listing to help support joint force and dual use initiatives focused on identifying the potential drawbacks of integrating nonlethal weapons into our military services and law enforcement agencies. The paper is split into two sections: a list of terms that describes nonlethal weapons along with the concepts both surrounding and inhibiting their use, and a comprehensive listing of references to facilitate further research. Nonlethal weapons are listed under the categories of acoustics, opticals, antilethals, antiplant agents, barriers, batons, biotechnicals, electricals, electromagnetics, entanglers, holograins, markers, obscurants, projectiles, reactants, and riot control agents. Nonlethal weapons concepts are divided by the following categories: ethical, functional, operational, physiological, and theoretical.

The post Non-Lethal Weapons first appeared on The Black Vault.

Browning Machine Gun Caliber .50 Field Manual [244 Pages]

Can the U.S. Air Force Weaponize Space? [46 Pages]

Deep Attack Weapons Mix Study (DAWMS) [30 Pages]

Environmental Assessment of the BMDO Cooperative-Engagement-Capability/PATRIOT Interoperability Test [88 Pages]

High Energy Laser Weapons Systems Applications [232 Pages]

Improving Fuel Efficiency of Weapon Platforms [130 Pages]

Investigations of Pulsed-Train Plasmoid Weapons [52 Pages]

Laser Technology (Selected Articles) [49 Pages]

Small-Caliber Ammunition ID Guide Volume 1 – Small Arms Cartridges up to 15mm [445 Pages]

Small-Caliber Ammunition ID Guide Volume 2

Space Based Laser Support [509 Pages]

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Clearance, Active Range UXO Clearance, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Programs [47 Pages]

The post Various Documents and Reports on Weapons first appeared on The Black Vault.

The following document was requested in June of 1999, and took approximately 8 years to obtain.

It was listed in a DTIC bibliography, with no report title, and no information.  So, intrigued, I requested the report number, and this is what came up.

What is interesting, is that the document, now more than 45 years old, is still heavily classified.

Document Archive

Weapons Classification Guide [63 Pages, 3.64MB]

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The post Weapons Classification Guide – April 5, 1960 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Further Comments on the Feasibility of Airlaunched Anti-Satellite Weapon Systems [15 Pages, 2.23mb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/weapons/ad311800.pdf

The post Anti-Satellite Weapons first appeared on The Black Vault.

In 1951 the US Army Chemical Corps and Ordnance Corps initiated a joint program to develop a 115mm chemical rocket. The US Army Ordnance Corps designed the 115mm T238 and launcher in 1957 to provide the army a means to attack large area targets with chemical agents.

Artillery and mortars are for small area targets; and due to different spin stabilities weapons intended for explosives are not ideal for chemical delivery. The 115mm rocket was subsequently accepted as the M55 rocket with M91 launcher.

Produced from 1959–1965, the M55s were manufactured at Newport Army Ammunition Plant and tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

The Army produced unitary warheads filled with Sarin (GB) and VX nerve agents for the M55.

Declassified Documents

A Evaluation of the Duration of Fly Through Obtained When Tracking with the Speed Ring Sight on the M-55 Weapon [27 Pages, 5.5MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/weapons/ADB951717.pdf

The post M55 rocket first appeared on The Black Vault.

The term electromagnetic pulse (sometimes abbreviated EMP) is a burst of electromagnetic radiation that results from an explosion (usually from the detonation of a nuclear weapon) and/or a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field. The resulting rapidly changing electric fields or magnetic fields may couple with electrical/electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges.

In military terminology, a nuclear bomb detonated hundreds of kilometers above the Earth’s surface is known as a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) device. Nuclear electromagnetic pulse has three distinct time components that result from different physical phenomena. Effects of a HEMP device depend on a very large number of factors, including the altitude of the detonation, energy yield, gamma ray output, interactions with the Earth’s magnetic field, and electromagnetic shielding of targets.

Document Archive

Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack: Critical National Infrastructures [208 Pages, 7 MB]  – This report presents the Commission’s assessment of the effects of a high altitude electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on our critical national infrastructures. An earlier report, Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP), Volume 1: Executive Report (2004), provided an overview. When a nuclear explosion occurs at high altitude, the EMP signal it produces will cover a wide geographic region within the line of sight of the detonation. Because of the dependence of U.S. society on the electrical power system, its vulnerability to an EMP attack, coupled with the EMP’s particular damage mechanisms, creates the possibility of long-term, catastrophic consequences. The consequences of an EMP event should be prepared for and protected against to the extent reasonably possible. Cold War-style deterrence is not likely to be an effective threat against potential protagonists that are either failing states or trans-national groups. Therefore, making preparations to manage the effects of an EMP attack is critical to reducing the consequences, and thus probability, of attack. The appropriate national-level approach should balance prevention, protection, and recovery. This volume focuses on a description of the potential vulnerabilities of our critical national infrastructures; the chapters in this document deal individually with the EMP threat to each critical infrastructure separately. It is also important to understand that not only mutual interdependence may be enabled by technology advances, but also technologies that have facilitated this growing interdependence may be common across the many individual infrastructures. In particular, the Commission thought it important to single out the growth and common infrastructural infiltration of one particular transformative technology, the development of automated monitoring and control systems known as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.

The post Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Weapons first appeared on The Black Vault.

Hopi was an air-to-surface missile developed by the United States Navy’s Naval Ordnance Test Station. Intended to provide a medium-range nuclear capability for carrier aircraft, the missile reached the flight test stage during 1958, but the project was cancelled following testing and no production was undertaken.

Developed by the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) at China Lake, California during the mid-to-late 1950s, the Hopi missile was an improved development of the earlier BOAR (Bombardment Aircraft Rocket). BOAR had been developed at China Lake as an unguided, nuclear-armed rocket for use by carrier-based aircraft, seeing limited service in the fleet between 1957 and 1963.

In its essentials simply an enlarged version of BOAR, which it was intended to replace in service, Hopi was designed as a medium-range weapon capable of being carried by a wide variety of carrier-based fighter and attack aircraft. The rocket-powered missile was capable of being fitted with a W50 nuclear warhead capable of producing a yield between 60 and 400 kilotons; however, no details of the planned guidance system for the missile, or if there even was intended to be guidance at all, have survived.  (Source: Wikipedia)

 Declassified Documents

 STATIC STABILITY AND DRAG OF THE HOPI WEAPON [77 Pages, 2.41MB]

The post The Hopi Missile first appeared on The Black Vault.

On 4 January 1955 the USAF issued Systems Requirement SR-12 for the Weapons System WS-118P high-speed reconnaissance vehicle.

Range was to be over 5000 km, altitude over 30 km. Bell provided a proposal on 1 December 1955, calling for a three-phase program using a glider designed to be boosted by a two-stage rocket to Mach 15 at 50 km altitude (Phase I would produce an 8,000 km range vehicle; Phase II a 16,000 km range vehicle; and Phase III an orbital vehicle).

Below are some of the documents released on this program.

Declassified Documents

Aircraft Configuration Survey for Weapon System 118P [62 Pages, 2.33mb]

Phase 3 Preliminary Development Plan [12 Pages, 1.17mb]

Reconnaissance System 118P Phase 3 [114 Pages, 5.29mb]

Standard Aircraft Characteristics, Phase 2 1/2, Weapon System 118P HIGH-ALTITUDE RECONNAISSANCE [20 Pages, 701k]

The post Weapon System 118P first appeared on The Black Vault.