Laser weapon in UK

Originally developed for use by the Royal Marines against pirates in Somalia, the UK police are beginning to experiment with a type of laser weapon that will temporarily blind its victims:

Blinding Laser Weapon

The weapon is of relatively recent vintage and, therefore, research is continuing on any possible side-effects. However, several British police agencies are considering its use in crowd management situtations.

The device produces a "wall of light" that disorients individuals. This may be compared to the long-range acoutical device (LRAD) which produces a "wall of sound" that deafens people within its sweep. Both, of course, are less-lethal options.

SMU-100