Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 21, 1995 TAG: 9509210070
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Defense Secretary William Perry on Sept. 1 formally prohibited the use of lasers that are specifically designed to cause permanent blindness. The weapon has never been used in combat.
George Grimes, a spokesman for the Special Operations Command, said the decision not to make the Dazer laser gun available to special operations forces was made before Perry's announcement. He said he did not know why the move was made but that it was not a direct result of Perry's policy announcement.
The future of the Dazer is on hold ``pending further guidance'' from the Pentagon, Grimes said.
The Army, which is developing similar laser weapons with the potential of blinding enemy soldiers, said Wednesday its plans for producing at least 20 of the weapons, called the Laser Countermeasure System, are not affected by Perry's policy.
``The system is not designed to blind individuals,'' said Capt. Paul Fitzpatrick, a spokesman at the Army Communications and Electronics Command, and therefore does not fall in the category of lasers banned by Perry's policy.
The Army laser gun is a portable, shoulder-fired system mounted on an M-16 rifle. Fitzpatrick said it uses a low-energy reflecting laser to scan the horizon and locate optics, such as gun sights or night-vision goggles, pointed in its direction. If fired, the weapon disables the targeted optical device.
Fitzpatrick said the Army laser system ``is capable of causing eye damage, including blindness'' to someone looking through the optical device being targeted. But its design purpose is to disable optics, not harm human eyes, he said.
by CNB