The U.S. will test an ADS system that causes severe pain by heating the skin

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has received approval to conduct a seven-month trial of the Active Denial System (ADS), which causes a sensation of unbearable heat on the skin. The device emits invisible millimeter waves that rapidly heat the skin’s surface and cause severe pain. The potential use of the system against people at the border with Mexico has raised concerns about safety and human rights.

 

CNN reported on the authorization, citing a memorandum signed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hagsett in September 2026. The document authorizes the temporary transfer of one Active Denial System (ADS) unit to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for seven months for testing and developing procedures for its potential use on the southern border. This does not mean the system is already being used against migrants.

The Active Denial System is a directed-energy weapon, but it is neither a laser nor a flamethrower. The device emits electromagnetic waves at a frequency of approximately 95 gigahertz. These waves are absorbed by the upper layer of the skin, which is only about 0.4 millimeters thick, rapidly raising its temperature and activating pain receptors.

The U.S. military compares the sensation to a blast of hot air that suddenly burns the face when opening a preheated oven—only much more intense. A person instinctively tries to move away from the beam, and once the exposure stops, the intense sensation of heat usually subsides. According to published military specifications, certain ADS configurations can operate at a range of up to approximately one kilometer.

Unlike the American Morfius X-Rotor, which Military 24 previously wrote about, the ADS is not designed to disable drone electronics. Morfius uses high-energy microwave radiation against equipment, whereas the ADS was designed to affect people by heating the surface of their skin.

The Pentagon positions the ADS as a non-lethal device intended to restrain people without the use of firearms. However, the term “non-lethal” does not mean that the equipment is completely safe.

During a laboratory accident in 1999 and training exercises in 2007, burns were reported following exposure to the device. U.S. media outlets have highlighted these incidents amid plans to transfer the ADS to border patrol agencies. Risks may increase with prolonged exposure or in situations where a person is unable to quickly leave the area of effect.

By comparison, the Ukrainian “Trizub” laser system, which Military 24 reported on, is designed to physically damage aerial targets. The ADS, on the other hand, is intended to alter human behavior through pain. Both systems fall under the broader category of directed-energy weapons, but their effects and purposes differ.

In an annex to the 2023 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, millimeter-wave weapons—including the ADS—were included in the list of equipment that the rapporteur considers unacceptable for law enforcement use. Among the reasons cited are severe pain, the risk of injury, and the potential for panic among people who cannot see or hear the source of the impact.

It is important to distinguish between this list and an internationally legally binding ban: the position of the UN Special Rapporteur is not, in and of itself, a treaty that automatically prohibits ADS in all states. At the same time, UN human rights guidelines emphasize that directed-energy weapons capable of causing serious injury should not be used in law enforcement.

According to CNN, the memorandum provides for the transfer of one ADS unit from the military to the DHS for seven months, beginning in September 2026. It will not be operated by Department of Defense personnel; instead, responsibility for testing and developing procedures rests with DHS. After this period ends, the agency may submit a new request to use the system during border operations.

The report does not specify the exact test locations and does not confirm that the ADS has already been directed at people near the border. Representatives of the U.S. Border Patrol stated that they are constantly evaluating new technologies that could improve border security and save lives.

The idea of using ADS for crowd control has been raised in the U.S. before. The system was even transported to Afghanistan, but there has been no publicly confirmed combat use. The main question today is not whether it is technically possible to induce an unbearable sensation of heat, but whether the use of such a device against civilians is compatible with legal norms and safety requirements.

Previously, the U.S. tested Ukrainian Magura maritime drones for launching unmanned aerial vehicles.

As a reminder, the American company ReconCraft and the Ukrainian company Uforce signed a memorandum of understanding on the joint production of Magura maritime drones in the U.S. The companies plan to establish facilities in Oregon and South Carolina, marking the first instance of localizing the production of Ukrainian strike drones on U.S. soil.

U.S. special forces used Ukrainian Magura maritime drones for the first time during exercises in the Philippines. During the tests, the drone successfully struck and sank a target vessel.

Romania reported that Ukraine had lost control of four maritime drones.