Acoustic or sonic weapons (also known as long-range acoustic devices, sound cannons, hailing devices, sonic bullets and noise bazookas) are devices that deliver very loud sound over long distances. They can be designed to deliver painful audible or inaudible sound waves, or to act more like very loud voice amplifiers to deliver voice messages or other sounds.
A different form of acoustic weapon emits very high pitched sounds that are audible and painful to younger people (usually teenagers and those in their twenties), while leaving older people (30 and older) unaffected. This ultrasonic device, sometimes branded the Mosquito, is used in several countries, primarily in private security settings, despite ongoing litigation. It has been used as a deterrent device by the British police to disperse unruly underage crowds with a shrill sound, and by civilians for personal use since 2008. As marketing of these devices is unregulated, they have the potential to expand their market share rapidly.
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1990s
This technology has been used for crowd-control purposes since the early 1990s.
It was originally developed by the LRAD (Long-Range Acoustic Device) Corporation.
Today
Several other companies, including HyperSpike, now sell the weapons as well.
According to Genasys, LRAD® systems are in service in more than 100 countries around the world.
Acoustic weapons are indiscriminate, causing harm or pain to protesters, bystanders, and law enforcement, despite the narrow beam in which sound is concentrated. Abuse or lack of operator knowledge about the health effects can easily lead to incorrect use of the weapon and exacerbate injuries.
Health effects
Sound cannons are used to emit painful, loud sounds that have the potential to cause significant harm to the eardrums and delicate organs of the ears and/or hearing loss. Use of earplugs or firmly blocking the ears with hands can decrease the sound by 20–30 dB, but this may not be enough to avoid significant injury. In addition to auditory effects, acoustic weapons may also injure internal membranes (infrasonic devices).
There is little medical literature on the effects of acoustic weapons on people. Some literature notes that acoustic weapons were first developed by the military and that any early evaluations of their health effects are biased and, in some cases, have unclear findings.
The weapons are indiscriminate, causing harm or pain to protesters, bystanders and law enforcement, despite the narrow beam in which sound is concentrated. Serious questions remain about the safety and efficacy of acoustic weapons in crowd-control contexts.
Case studies
What has changed?
Since 2016, there has been rapid expansion in the manufacture and sale of LRAD and other acoustic weapons.
Sonic weapons have been widely deployed in places including Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the USA, prompting warnings from professional associations such as Audiology Australia and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
