Citation

McNab RM, Scott RL. Small Wars Insurg. 2009; 20(1): 141-159.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/09592310802573566

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper examines whether non-lethal weapons (NLWs) enhance the capability of the US armed forces to conduct irregular warfare (IW) operations. With expectations that the operational environment will only continue to become more complex in the future, NLWs may reduce the level of violence received, as well as dispensed, by US forces while performing tasks in the IW spectrum. We argue that NLWs increase the ability of US forces to address the long tail of warfare and their deployment should be increased in the near term.