Pentagon clears DHS to test 'heat ray' at southern border

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(TNND) — The Pentagon has authorized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test a military-grade heat ray and develop tactics for its potential use at the southern U.S. border, according to a memo signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and obtained by CNN.

Officially known as the Active Denial System (ADS), the system projects an invisible beam of millimeter waves that can reach a little more than half a mile, according to the military. The beam causes an intense burning sensation on the skin, which Pentagon officials have compared to the feeling of opening a hot oven. The tingling can last 10 to 15 minutes and creates an “instinctive and irresistible urge to run from the effect,” military officials have said.

The DHS request did not specify where or how the system would be tested or how it might eventually be used. The system has never been deployed at the U.S. border, though current and former Customs and Border Protection officials told CNN they have discussed using it to disperse crowds in areas with high numbers of crossings.

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The memo authorizes a “temporary loan” of one ADS system for seven months, starting in September. It says the system “shall not be operated by Department of War personnel” and makes DHS solely responsible for its use and for developing tactics and procedures. After the loan period, DHS can request further use of the system for border operations, a defense official told CNN.

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