DOW’s JOINT NON-LETHAL WEAPONS PROGRAM aka Marines’ Joint Intermediate Force Capabilities Office
DOW NON-LETHAL WEAPONS PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT (2026)
The DoW Non-Lethal Weapons Program develops and fields Intermediate Force Capabilities between presence and lethal effects in support of the Joint Force.
DOW NON-LETHAL WEAPONS PROGRAM VISION STATEMENT
Transform the National Security Enterprise by mainstreaming the planning and employment of Intermediate Force Capabilities to arm the Joint Force with the fullest range of capabilities in support of National Security objectives.
DOW DEFINITION OF NON-LETHAL WEAPONS
According to DoW Directive 3000.03E, DoD Executive Agent for Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW), and NLW Policy, the Department of Wefense defines non-lethal weapons as weapons, devices, and munitions that are explicitly designed and primarily employed to incapacitate targeted personnel or materiel immediately, while minimizing fatalities, permanent injury to personnel, and undesired damage to property in the target area or environment. Non-lethal weapons are intended to have reversible effects on personnel and materiel.
EXECUTIVE AGENT’S PLANNING GUIDANCE
The Department of War Non-Lethal Weapons Program Executive Agent’s Planning Guidance provides vision, guidance, goals and tasks commensurate with the program’s contemporary relevance. Its contents are directive for the DOW Non-Lethal Weapons Program and information for Service-unique non-lethal weapons programs–all of which comprise the Department of War Non-Lethal Weapons Program
Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Technology Development (2026)
DoD’s Joint Non-Lethal Programs (pdf)
DOD’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program copy
DoD’s Non-Lethal Weapons Program (2016 pdf)
DoD’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (everydayconcerned.net)
The Commandant’s Guidance for the DOD Non-Lethal Weapons Program (2020)
A. Mission Description and Budget Item Justification
The DOD’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (JNLWP) was established by the Secretary of Defense, who assigned centralized responsibility for DoD joint research and development of non-lethal technology to the Commandant of the Marine Corps as the Executive Agent. The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics provides direct oversight of the JNLWP.
The efforts described in this Program Element (PE) reflect science and technology (S&T) investment decisions provided by the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Integrated Product Team, a multi-service flag level corporate board that executes the JNLWP for the Commandant of the Marine Corps. This direction is based on the needs and capabilities of the Services, the Special Operations Command, and the Coast Guard, as identified in the DoD’s Non-Lethal Weapons Joint Capabilities Based Assessment Document. This coordinated joint S&T development approach addresses mutual capability gaps and assures the best non-lethal technologies and equipment are provided to the operating forces while eliminating duplicative service S&T investment.
This program funds the applied research, study, assessment, and demonstration of technologies that could provide a non-lethal capability or target effect. Investment areas include applied research related to:
1) non-lethal directed energy weapons (lasers, millimeter wave and high power microwave) for counter-personnel and counter-material missions;
2) non-lethal acoustic and optical technologies; advanced non-lethal materials (including materials for vehicle/vessel stopping and counter-facility applications);
3) associated human effects and effectiveness for new non-lethal stimuli; injury potential and effectiveness of directed energy, electric stun, ocular, and acoustic based non-lethal technologies;
4) and developing models of crowd behavior and dynamics.
This program transitioned from PE 0602114N, Power Projection Applied Research by order of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, USD(AT&L), to a separate PE for Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Applied Research and established the Marine Corps as the executive agent for DoD Joint Non-Lethal Weapons RDT&E.
Due to the number of efforts in this PE, the programs described herein are representative of the work included in this PE.