Il segretario Michael Wynne sostiene che le armi non letali dovrebbero essere testate sui civili americani prima di essere usate sul campo di battaglia.

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Il capo dell'Air Force: Testare le armi sulle folle americane

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Armi non letali come congegni a microonde ad alta potenza dovrebbero essere usate sui cittadini americani in situazioni di controllo della folla prima di essere usate sul campo di battaglia, ha dichiarato martedì il segretario dell'Air Force.

Lo scopo sono fondamentalmente le publiche relazioni. Un utilizzo 'domestico' [interno] renderebbe più facile evitare domande esterne riguardo a possibili considerazioni di sicurezza, ha detto il segretario Michael Wynne.

"Se non intendiamo usarle qui contro i nostri concittadini, allora non dovremmo pensare di usarle in una situazione di guerra," ha detto Wynne. "(Poichè) se colpisco qualcuno con un'arma non letale, e loro dicono di essere stati feriti in una maniera che non era stata da noi stabilita, penso che sarei disprezzato dalla stampa mondiale."

L'Air Force ha pagato per la ricerca sulle armi non letali, ma Wynne ha detto che il servizio non ha intenzione di spendere altro denaro per ulteriori sviluppi fino a quando i problemi delle lesioni non saranno stati studiati e risolti da medici ed esperti.

Le armi non letali in genere possono indebolire le persone che sono colpite dal raggio. Alcune di queste armi sono in grado di emettere brevi, intensi impulsi di energia che possono anche riuscire a disabilitare congegni elettronici.

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Air Force chief: Test weapons on testy U.S. mobs
POSTED: 2356 GMT (0756 HKT), September 12, 2006

Secretary Michael Wynne says nonlethal weapons should be tested on U.S. civilians before being used on the battlefield.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before being used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.

The object is basically public relations. Domestic use would make it easier to avoid questions from others about possible safety considerations, said Secretary Michael Wynne.

"If we're not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation," said Wynne. "(Because) if I hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press."

The Air Force has paid for research into nonlethal weapons, but he said the service is unlikely to spend more money on development until injury problems are reviewed by medical experts and resolved.

Nonlethal weapons generally can weaken people if they are hit with the beam. Some of the weapons can emit short, intense energy pulses that also can be effective in disabling some electronic devices.

On another subject, Wynne said he expects to choose a new contractor for the next generation aerial refueling tankers by next summer. He said a draft request for bids will be put out next month, and there are two qualified bidders: the Boeing Co. and a team of Northrop Grumman Corp. and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the majority owner of European jet maker Airbus SAS.

The contract is expected to be worth at least $20 billion (€15.75 billion).

Chicago, Illinois-based Boeing lost the tanker deal in 2004 amid revelations that it had hired a top Air Force acquisitions official who had given the company preferential treatment.

Wynne also said the Air Force, which is already chopping 40,000 active duty, civilian and reserves jobs, is now struggling to find new ways to slash about $1.8 billion (€1.4 billion) from its budget to cover costs from the latest round of base closings.

He said he can't cut more people, and it would not be wise to take funding from military programs that are needed to protect the country. But he said he also incurs resistance when he tries to save money on operations and maintenance by retiring aging aircraft.

"We're finding out that those are, unfortunately, prized possessions of some congressional districts," said Wynne, adding that the Air Force will have to "take some appetite suppressant pills." He said he has asked employees to look for efficiencies in their offices.

The base closings initially were expected to create savings by reducing Air Force infrastructure by 24 percent.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/09/12/usaf.weapons.ap/index.html