Challenges persist with nonlethal technology.

• Author: Parsons, Dan

MARINE CORPS BASE QUAN - TICO, Va.--Even for rough-and-tumble Marines, killing the enemy is not always the most prudent plan of action. Shooting the wrong person could compromise trust among local populations and in certain cases lethal force has landed troops behind bars.

Military operations over the past decades have underscored the need for weapons that don't kill, which give troops options in tense situations other than firing live rounds. In 1996, the Defense Department gave the Marine Corps the order to spearhead development of nonlethal weapons. But the program has faced hurdles tailoring existing technology to the modern battle-field.

Once effective nonlethal gear can be deployed without weighing troops down, military officials are convinced the technology will be embraced.

"Marines realize, like all of our forces do; that killing innocent civilians is going to hinder their current mission, not help it," said Marine Col. Tracy Tafolla, director of the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate. Tafolla is tasked with studying available nonlethal technologies, developing tactics, techniques and procedures for their use and passing the information on to the services. The directorate's main purpose is to give troops options so they can better decide what level of force is appropriate for the situation at hand.

"Sometimes it's just an uncertain situation where our forces don't know if there's hostile intent there or not," Tafolla said. "If you have some nonlethal means--when they do have to go to that lethal force--they've done more than just shout at someone."

The nonlethal options are tested at Quantico in various scenarios troops could face in combat. One common problem is a vehicle approaching a checkpoint at high speed. Currently, most troops can only attempt to communicate with the driver by shouting and using hand signals. If the vehicle doesn't stop, there's no option other than opening fire.

Officials at the directorate want to give troops more time before they pull triggers. It is better to identify credible threats than gun down civilians only to find out they harbored no hostile intent.

The need for nonlethal weapons has been highlighted by current conflicts, where combatants hide among civilian populations. Initiatives to bring them to the battlefield began in the 1990s in response to the U.S. military's experience covering the withdrawal of UN forces in Somalia, Tafolla said.

The directorate is a small line item in the Pentagon's budget. In...