Economic Times on the 'pain beam': a nonlethal label is no safety guarantee, and border crowds include children

October 23, 2026 (EMFS)

Oct 21, 2026 (original)

Source: The Economic Times

Source category: Press

The Economic Times, an Indian business daily, walks through the Pentagon memo that lends the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) one Active Denial System for seven months, reported by CNN the day before, and asks what border use of the weapon would mean. The system fires an invisible beam of electromagnetic energy that produces a burning sensation on the skin from up to half a mile, with an effect the military says lasts 10 to 15 minutes. The paper notes that a nonlethal label is no guarantee of safety, since outcomes depend on handling, duration and conditions, and that border crowds include families, children and people with limited ability to move away. Nothing is deployed yet, and the piece argues any use would demand clear rules, oversight and scrutiny of the risks.

Quotes

"The classification of a weapon as a non-lethal one does not automatically make it safe in all possible conditions. The results will be a function of how the weapon is handled, its duration of usage, and the conditions under which it will be employed."

— The Economic Times

"Crowds can include families, children and people who may have limited ability to move quickly away from an affected area. Questions would also arise over how officers distinguish between individuals posing an immediate threat and people who are simply present in a crowd."

— The Economic Times

"A beam that causes people to flee without bullets may be presented as a less lethal option, but its use would still demand clear rules, effective oversight and careful scrutiny of the risks."

— The Economic Times

Location

📍 United States

Economic Times on the 'pain beam': a nonlethal label is no safety guarantee, and border crowds include children

Source

Related coverage

More on this topic