What is the ‘heat ray’ weapon? Pete Hegseth reportedly authorises DHS to test it at US-Mexico border

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly signed a memo last month authorising the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test a non-lethal ‘heat ray’ for potential use along the US southern border. Known as the Active Denial System, the ‘heat ray’ is a military-grade weapon that fires an energy beam, causing a sensation of intense heat on the surface of the skin, according to a 2009 National Defense University case study. The sensation creates an intolerable sensation and reflexive movement such as ducking or running.

According to a memo first obtained by CNN, Hegseth authorised a ‘temporary loan’ of the Active Denial System to the DHS for seven months starting in September. The department can request additional use of the Pentagon system if required. A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement that the agency was continually evaluating new technology, especially technology that can save lives while simultaneously enhancing national security effectiveness. It remains unclear how the DHS intends to use the Active Denial System. However, the memo allows the department to consider deploying it in potential operations along the US-Mexico border.

Also Read: 'This is despicable': Amy Acton hits back at Vivek Ramaswamy over Ohio campaign ad featuring her estranged mother

What is a heat ray weapon?

The US military first took the system to Afghanistan nearly 20 years ago, but it was returned to the United States shortly afterwards without being used, according to The Washington Post. CBP officials had reportedly considered using the Active Denial System in areas experiencing high numbers of illegal border crossings or for crowd dispersal. However, the system was never deployed. The Active Denial System produces an invisible beam of 95 gigahertz that penetrates approximately 1/64th of an inch into the skin, creating a burning sensation.

Technically, the system is not a ‘heat ray’ because it uses millimeter waves rather than infrared radiation, Forbes reported in 2020. According to CNN, Pentagon officials have compared the sensation to a blast of heat experienced when opening a hot oven. The effect is temporary and lasts between 10 and 15 minutes. In 2012, the Marine Corps announced that the system complied with the United States' international legal obligations. Officials also said they felt comfortable that it was safe.

During President Donald Trump's first administration, officials explored using the Active Denial System on multiple occasions. In 2018, the administration considered deploying it to stop migrants from crossing the US border, The New York Times reported. Later, in 2020, officials also sought to use the system to control protests in Washington DC following the killing of George Floyd, according to The Washington Post.

Pete Hegseth’s staff damage priceless Eisenhower globe in botched Pentagon move

A priceless globe dating back to before the Second World War, which US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted for his Pentagon office, was damaged during a botched relocation attempt by his staff, army officials have acknowledged.

Photographs published by The Washington Post on Thursday show the shattered 30-inch Eisenhower globe, which was reportedly used by Dwight D Eisenhower, the 34th US president, while planning the D-Day landings in his role as Allied supreme commander.

According to The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the February incident, Hegseth’s aides chose not to hire specialist movers. Instead, they decided to transport the fragile item themselves, but dropped it during the attempt. In an email to the newspaper, a US Army spokesperson confirmed that the damage occurred during ‘an attempted move’.

“The spherical portion of the globe was detached from the metal mounting that allows it to rotate,” the spokesperson said. One photograph shows broken fragments of the globe scattered beneath its wooden frame on a blue hallway carpet. Another reveals a gash several inches wide at the bottom of the globe, with its base punched through.