Pentagon Authorizes DHS Loan of Border Heat-Ray System

The Pentagon has authorized the Department of Homeland Security to borrow and evaluate a military Active Denial System for potential use along the southern U.S. border, but the approval does not establish that the device has been tested or deployed there. A memorandum signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth permits DHS to borrow one system for seven months beginning in September. DHS is responsible for operating it and developing procedures for its use; Department of War personnel are barred from operating the device. At the end of the loan, DHS may request continued access for border operations, a defense official said. The authorization does not identify a testing location or describe how the system might be used. No deployment at the southern border has been announced. The Active Denial System, commonly called a heat ray, is designed to direct an invisible beam of electromagnetic energy at people, rapidly heating the skin’s surface and prompting them to move away. Military officials compare the sensation to opening a hot oven. The reported tingling can last 10 to 15 minutes. Customs and Border Protection said it continually evaluates new technologies to improve operational...