Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: jch@GS48.SP.CS.CMU.EDU (Jonathan Hardwick) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Offensive use of Sound possible? Message-ID: <1991Jan22.021722.22184@cbnews.att.com> Date: 22 Jan 91 02:17:22 GMT References: <1991Jan21.041118.5204@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Carnegie Mellon University Lines: 16 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Jonathan Hardwick This was investigated by the Germans towards the end of the Second World War, as part of their effort to knock allied bombers out of the sky. One prototype used a fuel-air mixture that was burnt (at great pressure) in the middle of a weird system of baffles, reflectors, etc, the aim being to achieve a beam of sound energy that could literally rip aircraft apart. They didn't get very far (hundreds of feet, I think), and I doubt if physics would allow current technology to be any improvement. Basically, the sound energy dissipates far too quickly to be useful -- you need some sort of "laser" effect to keep the beam collimated. Of course, other offensive uses of sound are possible, the most noteworthy recent example being the loud rock music played outside the Papal Nunciate (sp?) in an attempt to force Manuel Noriega out...