What are less lethal weapons?
Less lethal systems – also known as non-lethal weapons or intermediate force capabilities (IFCs) to name just a few – are intended to neutralise without causing severe or permanent injury whilst maintaining a safe standoff distance, and importantly, to avoid having to use lethal force.
Used mostly by police and law enforcement, less lethal systems form part of the continuum of force which seeks to apply a reaction that is proportionate to the threat. They are used if the situation cannot be resolved without a weapon but when the use of lethal force can be avoided.
Typical cases of employment are: an unarmed person violently resisting arrest; an aggressive person or group not armed with firearms; and individuals or crowds involved in civil disorder. Ranges are generally from point blank to about 30m.
“The greatest difficulty for any less lethal system is to be sufficiently
effective while minimising the risk of severe injury.”
The greatest difficulty for any less lethal system is to be sufficiently effective while minimising the risk of severe injury. Keeping between these two limits is made even more complex by variations between people. Size and strength, age, physical and mental health condition, alcohol, drugs and many other factors mean that people react very differently to less lethal force. Intervention range influences the effect or limits the use of a system, and specific user training on the equipment is required. These difficulties will vary depending on the type of less lethal system.
Types of less lethal weapons
There are several categories of less lethal systems with different effects.
Kinetic energy or impact systems have a similar effect to a baton, and impact on the body to cause pain to gain compliance. The difference – and advantage – is that they can be used at longer distances to keep the user out of range of hand-thrown projectiles, knives, or blunt trauma weapons. The similarity – and main challenge – with this type of system is to avoid an impact to the head, which is particularly vulnerable, especially from traditional ‘bean bag’ rounds fired from shotguns, ‘rubber bullets’ or 37/38 or 40mm baton rounds fired from launchers.
Chemical agents, meanwhile, include tear gas used for riot control, and sprays used against small groups or individuals. Tear gas is widely used to disperse crowds, but it is not selective, so everyone is affected, including bystanders and peaceful protesters. If the wind blows the wrong way it can come back on the law enforcement officer. Although generally safe, some people are very resistant to its effect while others have had severe reactions, and a direct impact from a tear gas grenade is potentially lethal. Sprays are for very close range.
Tear gas compounds remain on the suspect’s clothing and can be transferred, so if they are arrested it is often necessary to decontaminate the suspects, and perhaps the arresting officer’s clothing, vehicle used for transport, and holding cells, which creates a major logistical problem.
Conducted energy devices (CEDs, or generically known as stun guns or electroshock weapons) are intended to temporarily paralyse the suspect. They are effective up to only 10m so the user is more at risk, and the effect is binary; if it works it is usually very effective, if the darts carrying the wires do not hit correctly, are too close to each other or are stopped by clothing etc., little to nothing happens. Although generally safe, they can be fatal for people with certain medical conditions, especially cardiac issues. Most police departments require that a person who has been the target of CEDs must be given a medical check-up.
The uncontrolled fall caused by CED paralysis during police use has led to severe and even lethal injuries. Between 2010 and 2021 approximately 500 people died following use of this type of system by police in the US.
FN Herstal’s innovative less lethal solutions
Two decades ago, FN Herstal developed the innovative FN 303® less lethal launcher, a kinetic energy system with a range of specially designed less lethal projectiles. Some projectiles have an added secondary capability such as marking or PAVA irritant. The projectiles transfer relatively high energy, giving an effective impact at ranges up to 30m while maintaining a proportionate level of force.
“The projectiles transfer relatively high energy, giving an effective
impact at ranges up to 30m while maintaining a proportionate level of force.”
The 18mm projectile delivers similar energy per surface area, hence a similar neutralisation effect to a 40mm less lethal projectile, but with less overall energy.
The safety of employment shown by several independent studies is confirmed by years of real-life deployments and comes from several features. The projectile breaks upon impact and the bismuth powder disperses to avoid penetration into the body.
The FN 303®’s extreme accuracy means the user can reliably target areas of the body that will not suffer severe injuries. Its effective range allows engagement out of range of hand-thrown projectiles, increasing safety for the user. The 15-round magazine and semi-auto mechanism combined with an absence of recoil allows rapid, multiple, accurate shots. The launcher itself is robust and remains reliable despite rough handling, impacts and drops.
The launcher is operated without pyrotechnics, using compressed air. An air bottle is clipped to the side, the connector hose attached, and the air valve opened. The system is pressured up and ready to shoot as soon as a magazine is inserted. The air bottle has the capacity to launch 45 (small bottle) or 90 (large bottle) projectiles. When pressure level is low it can be easily removed and replaced in a few seconds.
Further technological improvements
In addition to its well-proven FN 303®, deployed in a variety of law enforcement and some military applications and in service on all continents, FN Herstal recently unveiled its latest development in less lethal: the FN Smart ProtectoR®-303T, which gives an additional layer of safety by using several integrated cutting-edge technologies. This makes it one of the best less lethal weapons available in the world.
It helps the user avoid unintentional headshots which may occur in high-stress, confused and dynamic situations. An advanced camera captures images of the situation in front of the launcher which are scanned by software. If the software detects that the launcher is aligned with a human head, it gives visual and audible warnings and instantly locks the trigger mechanism until there is no longer a risk. The images are also recorded for after-action review or to aid judicial investigations. The system also enables measurable training prior to deployment.
Although it is not possible to cover all situations with one system, the FN 303® family, with its class-leading range, 15-round magazine and semi-auto mechanism, simple handling and rugged construction, but especially its proven effectiveness and safety (further enhanced with the FN Smart ProtectoR®-303T), is a logical choice for most less lethal missions.
