LETTER TO/FROM (DELETED) RE USE OF PYROTECHNIC MATERIAL TO BRING ABOUT VISUAL INCAPACITATION WITH ENCLOSURE

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00173606
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 21, 2025
• Document Release Date: January 15, 1983
• Publication Date: November 2, 1970

OR,
1,
2 t!oliember 1970
Dear-1
. Attached is a follow-on proposal from .
concerning the use of pyrotechnic material to bring about visual
incapacitation. Under a prior effort
developed two pyrotechnic packages designed to produce flash
blindnesu.with by risk of permanent retinal damage. A copy '
of this final report is attached. They had intended to establish
e safety criteriau and utilize in-house personnel for test and
evaluation of the flash cartridges. Their management decided
(justifiably so) that the risk uas too great for human experi-
mentation. As a consequence, the present proposal is intended
to provide simulation methods by which one could predict the
degree of indapIcitationnlhich-woeldIre-Teeduced-brieterlmpre
techaic cartridges developed.
I would appreciate your evaluation of this proposal. I
don't wish to prejudice your opinion, but I'M not sure that
one could extrapolate from the simulation data to predict
incapacitation resulting from higher light levels. Although
I would like to consider your response as evidence of effort
under the new contract, please do not feel obligated to under-
take, at this time; a complete evaluation. of the retinal
damage problem on the basis of this proposal.
Furthermore, there is an obligation to respond to this
proposal La the immediate future. Your personal opinion or
the consensus of your colleagues will be sufficient at this
time. Any alternative suggestions will be appreciated. Also
included in this package are some DOD reports relevant to the
problem. / would appreciate return of the material when it
has served its purpose.
Sincerely,
Enclosures
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Unclassified�_. Classi-- .11o. of
Description .fication copies pages in
each
N223400 Progress Rpt. C 1 228
I/23399 Induced effects in the human
eye by intense visible rad. (U) C 1 51
43402 State-of-the-art study on
balance disruption (U) S 1 74
-V23394 NL Per. Incap. S. C 1- 17
/
4.23391 An infrasonic system (U) C 1 19
V23390 The feasibility of using acoustic
energy for military appl. (U) C 1 15
lez3AN Proposal_for_ the Devel,,Lab....
and Del. of flash b. Cart.
and field support for tests U 1 24
1,
-23393 Memo: Per. Inc. S 1 40
1(3389 Analytical methods for anal.
signals in optical imp.
experiments (U) C 1 77
i."23398 Optically induced impair.
of vision. (U) C 1 127
le(3395 Pro, for exp. & analytical
study for P.I. C 1 10
-23396 For eval. and Del. of v.
m. for P.I. C 1
W/ attcs. from Callery and
MSA
11(.3564 Assesserient of the second-
gen. scimitar at striking
vel. of 400 84 700 ft.per(U) C 1 45
K,3388 S.G. QUO 1
j/23392 Devi. of means for n. l.
i. of an i. C 1
113401 Nonlethal agents in crime 84
C 1 29
Report Bibliography S 1
-2 403 riot control (U)
tr
-23489 Organ-s. anal: a rational
app. for devel. n1 c wf agent 1
/ fTT)
48 �
31
5
410 ���
176