Editor's corner.

The expansion of U.S. military participation in peacekeeping, peace-enforcement and crowd-control missions has fueled the Defense Department's interest in non-lethal weapons in recent years. These weapons are a relatively new addition to the military arsenal, but have been used by police forces and corrections departments for decades.

Spearheading efforts to develop and field non-lethal weapons is a joint program office led by Marine Col. George Fenton. In an interview at his Quantico, Va., office, Fenton outlines the top priorities for the years ahead and lists the most promising technologies currently in development. Our cover story begins on page 26.

A recognized expert in this field, John B. Alexander, explains the pros and cons of non-lethal weapons. He also analyzes the political realities that often make these weapons controversial and a target of criticism. His perspectives on this topic appear on page 30.

Rounding out our non-lethal weapons editorial package are reports on recent developments in acoustic-energy research and a program update on the Mobility Denial System, which is being tested by the Marine Corps for future applications in crowd-control and physical security for U.S. embassies. See page 28.

This month, we also bring you an informative series on chemical and biological defense. Defense Department officials discuss key programs in a report from the Army Pine Bluff Arsenal, in Arkansas. See page 18.

Spending trends in the chem-bio market can be found on...