Veiling-glare laser
The veiling-glare laser is a proposed laser dazzler, a non-lethal weapon which would use light in the ultraviolet range. The intended effect would be to cause fluorescence in the lens of the eye, producing intense glare and making clear vision impossible. In September 2002, the Joint Nonlethal Weapons Directorate announced the proposal was under development.
It is intended to have three key advantages over previous laser dazzlers which operate in visible wavelengths:
- the power levels used can be lower, so there is in theory less risk of eye damage;
- the location of the laser is not apparent to the target; and
- it has a wide angle of effectiveness.
In addition Professor Stark questioned whether the idea could work at all: "My experience suggests that such fluorescence does not cause significant amounts of glare."