Non-Lethal Weapons Program

Prevailing without Gunsmoke,By Colonel Wendell B. Leimbach, U.S. Marine Corps, and Lieutenant Colonel Eric Duckworth, U.S. Army (Retired)

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Irregular Warfare in Joint Professional Military Education Newsletter

The September edition of the newsletter contains an article on Intermediate Force Capabilities JPME Elective sponsored by the Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office.

The Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office (JIFCO) - DoD's focal point for non-lethal weapon matters - sponsors a Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) elective at intermediate/ senior service colleges and distance learning (DL) programs. Specifically, Intermediate Force Capabilities (IFC): Supporting the Joint Force across the Competition Continuum presents IFC relevance for contemporary operations - including irregular warfare (IW). This elective is among the most popular within the Naval War College DL Course's IW program, and stresses intermediate force options to enable operational/ strategic goals for selected scenarios. The elective - and shorter IFC seminars, faculty briefs and lectures of opportunity - are available to all DoD JPME venues and are 'adjustable' to align with curricula and elective requirements.

See the Full Newsletter HERE.

JIFCO Awards $48 Million Dollar Contract For Research and Development

Applied Research Associates, Inc., Littleton, Colorado, is awarded a $48,000,000.00 cost-plusfixed-
fee contract for research and development resulting in delivery of data, hardware, software,
equipment and documentation across the scope of the non-lethal weapons technology areas. This
contract provides all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials,
supervision, and other items and services necessary to perform Research and Technology
Development Support Services work and will be performed at the contractor’s facility, with an
expected completion date of Aug. 22, 2027. The maximum dollar value, for the duration of the
five ordering periods, is $48,000,000.00. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation
(Navy) funds in the amount of $399,596.54 are being obligated at time of award. Contract funds
$399,596.54 will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a competitively
procured via the System Award Management online website, with three proposals received. The
Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (M67854-22-D-
7209)
MARCORSYSCOM contract with Applied Research Associates, Inc., for $48,000,000.00
MARCORSYSCOM POC: Michael Jackson, (443) 654-0968
Applied Research Associates, Inc., POC: Rachel Cavallaro, (571) 480-5285

Marine Bangs Drum for Investing in Nonlethal Weapons

Enhancing “lethality” has become a buzzword at the Pentagon and a mantra among force modernizers as the U.S. military gears up for great power competition. But the Defense Department needs to invest more in nonlethal capabilities to expand the range of options for commanders and troops when killing people isn’t the best course of action, the director of the Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office said Oct. 20. Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE.

MARFORPAC Force Protection Newsletter Includes Pre-Emplaced Vehicle Stopper (PEVS) Article

The Marine Forces Pacific Quarterly Newsletter for 4th quarter 2021 included an article on PEVS. See the full newsletter HERE. The article appears on p.3.

NSWC IHD Wargaming Event Ushers In a New Phase of Warfighting

Marine Col. Wendell Leimbach, Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office director, stressed innovation in his brief on intermediate force capabilities (IFC): strategic risk mitigation investments that provide warfighters tools to seize initiative while competing below the level of armed conflict. Examples of IFCs are dazzling lasers and acoustic hailing devices, active denial systems, and counter unmanned aerial systems. Airports already employ a minor version of IFC technology in airport terminal safety screenings. Teams were asked to incorporate IFCs into their final concepts.

“We have to think differently about war because the nature of war has moved on. Our traditional deterrent effect is no longer effective,” said Leimbach. “IFCs enable you to push back. It’s a minor investment that can enable our entire force. This technology is a safe, effective way to deter.”

“IFCs enable the warfighter to compete across the competition continuum without losing in the information space,” continued Leimbach. “The goal is to avoid unnecessary destruction that initiates or prolongs expensive hostilities.”

Read the full article HERE.

Brutecast, S2 E14: Col Wendell Leimbach, “Intermediate Force Capabilities”

Col Wendell Leimbach, Jr.; JIFCO director, joined the U.S. Marine Corps University’s #BruteCast webcast to discuss some of the IFCs becoming available to Marines as they position themselves as the stand-in force for strategic competition. See his presentation on YouTube at: IFC BRUTECAST LINK

Beyond Bean Bags and Rubber Bullets: Intermediate Force Capabilities Across the Competition Continuum

Nonlethal weapons technological advancements could provide a variety of counter personnel and countermateriel effects without destruction. Could this new generation of capabilities provide senior leaders and operational commanders intermediate force options that support the full spectrum of military objectives? If so, how do they fit in the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) focus on increased lethality? Read the full article HERE.

Deter in Competition, Deescalate in Crisis, and Defeat in Conflict

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), both located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are two distinct commands, bound together and united in a common purpose—charged with the resolute mission of defending North America. NORAD defends the United States and Canada against threats in the air domain and provides aerospace and maritime warning. Founded in 2002 in the wake of 9/11, USNORTHCOM defends the United States against threats across all domains, conducts cooperative defense activities with our allies and partners in North America, and, when required, supports Federal, state, and local agencies with unique military capabilities to conduct defense support of civil authorities. Read the full article by General VanHerck HERE.

Active Denial Technology Computational Human Effects End-to-End Hypermodel (ADT CHEETEH)

The ADT CHEETEH is a computational model simulating the response of a human target to Active Denial Technology (ADT). ADT is a counterpersonnel, nonlethal weapon system developed for military use. ADT subjects a target to pulses of focused 95-GHz electromagnetic energy. This diffuses approximately 400 microns into the target’s skin, producing no skin damage (within a known range of doses) while still causing a burning sensation strong enough to repel the target. ADT CHEETEH estimates the physical output of the ADT system and its effect on the target’s physiology, cognition, and behavior. Each model run completes in a few minutes on a standard laptop computer and quantifies the ADT system’s main measure of effectiveness (repel or not) as well as its intermediate measures of performance (dose on target, temperature and damage in skin, perceived pain level, etc.).

You can view a video of the webinar HERE.

Directed Energy Intermediate Force Capabilities: Relevant Across the Range of Military Operations

Directed energy weapons are key to addressing the Joint Force’s capability gaps. The Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office (JIFCO), located at Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA, develops IFCs between presence and lethal effects in support of the Joint Force. JIFCO provides programmatic recommendations and facilitates joint non-lethal weapons procurement by ensuring that funding supports the development of highly relevant, next-generation IFCs that the U.S. Department of Defense or combatant commands have identified as needs.

To view a PDF of the Webinar, click HERE. Click HERE for link to the DSIAC page where the webinar can be viewed on video.

Welcome to the new Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office (JIFCO)!

The Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) as you know it, is no longer.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps’ 2020 Executive Agent’s Planning Guidance outlines the mission and vision for the new Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office (JIFCO). This milestone in the DOD NLW Program’s history ensures that the Department of Defense mainstreams the use of the vital and relevant tools known as Intermediate Force Capabilities (IFCs). IFCs, which exist between presence and lethal effects, enable U.S. and allied forces to deliver accurate, tailorable, and compelling effects in complex and ambiguous scenarios while preventing unintended escalation of hostilities, unnecessary loss of life, or destruction of critical infrastructure.

Team JIFCO looks forward to serving the Joint Force and its strategic partners. [Click on the image to read the full planning guidance]

Service-Related Non-Lethal Weapons Information

U.S. Navy Seal

National
Guard Bureau

U.S. Coast Guard

FOR POINTS OF CONTACT FOR EACH SERVICE REGARDING INTERMEDIATE FORCE CAPABILITIES, CLICK THE LINKS ABOVE OR CLICK THE CONTACT TAB AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

Intermediate Force Activities

Intermediate Force Capabilities Weapons Training	Intermediate Force Capabilities Education	Unified Combatant Commands
Intermediate Force Capabilities and Requirements	Non-Lethal Human Effects	NATO Engagement

In the News

US-Taiwan-Japan Maritime Safety Working Group Report

Nov. 14, 2022 - The United States, Taiwan, and Japan all consider a stable maritime environment critical for security and prosperity. For each of them, maritime stability in the East and South China Seas – and more broadly across the Indo-Pacific region – represents their respective national interests in preserving open sea lanes for transit and trade, reinforcing international norms and rule of law, and reducing the potential for conflict in sovereign and international waters. In recent years, however, all three parties have become increasingly alarmed by the deteriorating maritime safety environment in the Indo-Pacific region, in the East and South China Seas in particular. Especially in the waters surrounding the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and the Taiwan Strait, Taipei, Tokyo, and Washington have all intensified their sense of urgency in exploring ways to preserve a safe maritime environment. The U.S.-Taiwan-Japan Maritime Safety Working Group was convened based on such concerns.

Combating the Gray Zone: Enhancing America’s Arctic Force Posture

Nov. 11, 2022 - After almost a decade, the White House has released an updated 2022 version of the National Strategy for the Arctic Region. The document establishes four pillars for advancing America’s interests: security, climate change and environmental protection, sustainable economic development, and international cooperation and governance. Though the strategy focuses on transnational threats such as climate change, it emphasizes the danger Russia poses to Arctic security, considering its invasion of Ukraine and its increased Arctic military presence. The updated Arctic strategy complements strategies set forth by the Department of Defense (DOD) and each of the military services by highlighting the impact of climate change and the future role of strategic competition in the region.

How The U.S. Navy Can Compete With China In The Gray-Zone

Nov. 6, 2022 - The latest entry in the U.S. Naval Institute’s Maritime Counterinsurgency Project, titled “Winning without Gunsmoke in the South China Sea,” comes from Wendell Leimbach and Eric Duckworth of the Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office, a directorate overseen by the U.S. Marine Corps commandant. The office is doing crucial work. Gaming and analysis have revealed that the United States and its allies and partners have no palatable way to defeat China’s “gray-zone” strategy in the China seas.

ADS Fast Facts

Click on the Image or the link below for the latest information about ADS.

Active Denial System "Fast Facts" Sheet

Why Intermediate Force Capabilities?

Intermediate Force Capabilities (IFCs) deliver discriminate and reversible effects without causing unnecessary destruction or loss of life. Skilled application of IFCs supports mission objectives by complementing lethal force without unintentionally initiating, escalating, or prolonging extensive (and expensive) hostilities.
Mission, Vision, Definition