Tech & Biz

Stink Attack: Chemical Crowd Control

by Jordan Yerman | September 21, 2008 at 06:40 am

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Apparently stank-powered crowd-control was developed a few years ago, but only recently was it put into real-world action.

Isreali security forces brought the non-lethal fluid to bear on protestors at the Ni'in security fence on Friday. The mixture is less harmful than tear gas, and isn't potentially lethal like rubber bullets, and militaries beyond the Middle East are showing a keen interest.

The weapon, nicknamed "The Skunk," is a foul-smelling liquid which is sprayed on the protesters, compelling them to leave the scene to escape the smell.

Security officials told Channel 10 that "The Skunk was developed as part of police's efforts to develop non-lethal means and…avoid irreversible physical damage." They added that it was less harmful than tear gas or rubber bullets.

This may signal a shift towards classifying so-called malodorants as "riot control agents." There is a whole legal dance around the use of non-lethal chemicals, and the US Army has shown a strong interest in deploying them. The new 155mm XM1063 non-lethal artillery round is filled with an unknown chemical agent, and many suspect that this is a malodorant. It is set to go into production – if it is approved – in the next year.