Air Force chief: Test weapons on testy U.S. mobs
POSTED: 7:56 p.m. EDT, September 12, 2006
SOURCE:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/09/12/usaf.weapons.ap/index.html
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should
be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before being used on
the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.
The object is basically public relations. Domestic use would make it easier to
avoid questions from others about possible safety considerations, said Secretary
Michael Wynne.
"If we're not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should
not be willing to use it in a wartime situation," said Wynne. "(Because) if I
hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a
way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press."
The Air Force has paid for research into nonlethal weapons, but he said the
service is unlikely to spend more money on development until injury problems are
reviewed by medical experts and resolved.
Nonlethal weapons generally can weaken people if they are hit with the beam.
Some of the weapons can emit short, intense energy pulses that also can be
effective in disabling some electronic devices.
On another subject, Wynne said he expects to choose a new contractor for the
next generation aerial refueling tankers by next summer. He said a draft request
for bids will be put out next month, and there are two qualified bidders: the
Boeing Co. and a team of Northrop Grumman Corp. and European Aeronautic Defence
and Space Co., the majority owner of European jet maker Airbus SAS.
The contract is expected to be worth at least $20 billion (€15.75 billion).
Chicago, Illinois-based Boeing lost the tanker deal in 2004 amid revelations
that it had hired a top Air Force acquisitions official who had given the
company preferential treatment.
Wynne also said the Air Force, which is already chopping 40,000 active duty,
civilian and reserves jobs, is now struggling to find new ways to slash about
$1.8 billion (€1.4 billion) from its budget to cover costs from the latest round
of base closings.
He said he can't cut more people, and it would not be wise to take funding from
military programs that are needed to protect the country. But he said he also
incurs resistance when he tries to save money on operations and maintenance by
retiring aging aircraft.
"We're finding out that those are, unfortunately, prized possessions of some
congressional districts," said Wynne, adding that the Air Force will have to
"take some appetite suppressant pills." He said he has asked employees to look
for efficiencies in their offices.
The base closings initially were expected to create savings by reducing Air
Force infrastructure by 24 percent.