[Infowarrior] - Air Force chief: Test weapons on testy U.S. Mobs

[Richard Forno]

Air Force chief: Test weapons on testy U.S. mobs
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 (&euro15.75
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 (&euro1.4 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.

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