Last month the self-anointed “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth signed a memo to authorize a “temporary loan” of a non-lethal, but military-grade “heat ray” weapon to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for testing and potential use on the US southern border, according to CNN. The memo makes no attempt to explain how the weapon could legally be used against civilians, and makes clear that the DHS will be solely responsible for the system’s “employment, use and development of tactics, techniques and procedures.” It also states that no Department of Defense personnel shall operate it.

The large weapons system, called the “Active Denial System,” is designed to be mounted on top of a military-style vehicle and can deliver an invisible beam of 95 GHz millimeter-wave energy with a range of over half a mile. It creates a burning sensation on the skin compelling the target to jump out of its path. According to Military.com, this weapon system was tested in 2007 on an airman from the 820th Security Forces Group at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, causing second-degree burns and requiring hospitalization. In 2010, the weapon system was deployed to Afghanistan, but was never used in any operations. The Pentagon has since “shelved” the system without ever firing it outside of testing. It is unclear what changes or “improvements” may have been made since 2007.