The Pentagon’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program has been working on a laser weapon program that would allow it to create a ball of plasma capable of producing light and noise. According to the Defense One website, the weapon consists of two parts: a femtosecond laser, which makes it possible to rip the electrons from air molecules and create a ball of plasma due to shooting a burst of focused light for some 15 seconds. Then the scientists manipulate the air with a second nano-laser so that it can produce light, noise, and ultimately even heat.
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The video, shared by Defense One, shows the weapon in “action;” the sound it produces may seem quite annoying and even terrifying to some.
The development of the plasma effects weapon is expected to be complete by the year 2021.