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UK to deploy sonic weapon for Olympics

MAY 14, 2012

BBC : Although the London police will be providing most of the security for the London Olympics this summer, the UK’s armed forces will be providing some support. The US-made Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) is among the weapons being deployed. The device can be used to send verbal warnings over a long distance or to emit a beam of pain-inducing tones. The equipment was spotted fixed to a landing craft on the Thames river at Westminster this week, reports the BBC. The manufacturer denies it is a weapon, and the Ministry of Defence said it would be used “primarily in the loud hailer mode.” The LRAD has been used in Iraq and aboard ships to repel Somali pirates.

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Paul Guinnessy, pguinnes@aip.org

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