Page 108 - JSOM Fall 2022

Implications of Neurological Directed-Energy Weapons

for Military Medicine

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Regan F. Lyon, MD *; Joshua Gramm ;
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Brian Branagan ; Shannon C. Houck, PhD 4
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ABSTRACT
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Since 2016, there has been an increase in reported cases of termed them AHIs. Dr. James Giordano, a State Department–
intelligence officers and diplomats hearing pulsing sounds and appointed neuropathologist investigating the Cuba cases,
experiencing neurophysiologic and cognitive symptoms. These stated in his 2018 USSOCOM/J5 Donovan Group SOFWERX
varied and often intense symptoms manifest in ways similar brief that “this is intentional, this is directed, this seems to be
to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) but without inciting trauma. a beta test of some type of a viable neuroweapon.” 4
Known formerly as “unconventionally acquired brain injury”
(UBI), these events are now labeled “anomalous health inci­ Years after the reports from Havana diplomats, there has been
dents” (AHIs). Investigations of these incidents suggest rea­ increased concern that these symptoms were caused by a spe­
sons to be concerned that a specific type of neuroweapon may cific type of neuroweapon, a directed­energy weapon (DEW),
be the cause—a directed energy weapon (DEW). Neuroweap­ aimed at impairing the target’s brain. In general, neuroweap­
ons that target the brain to influence cognition and behavior ons are defined as “weapons that specifically target the brain
are leading to a new domain of warfare—neurowarfare. The or the central nervous system in order to affect the targeted
implications and resultant stakes, especially for the Special person’s mental state, mental capacity and ultimately the per­
Operations community, are significant. This article focuses son’s behavior in a specific and predictable way.” 5
specifically on the implications of DEWs as a neuroweapon
causing UBIs/AHIs for military medical practitioners and This article serves as an adjunct to a recent article in this jour­
suggests using a comprehensive strategy, analogous to that nal on treatment of AHIs. It provides a basic background on
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of chemical warfare or other weapons of mass destruction the increasing threat of neuroweapons and then focuses spe­
(WMD), to improve our preparedness for the medical reper­ cifically on the neurological implications of potential DEW
cussions of neurowarfare. employment, such as those seen from Havana, for military
medical practitioners. Finally, it proposes a comprehensive
Keywords: unconventionally acquired brain injury; directed en- strategy, like that of chemical warfare or other WMD, to im­
ergy weapon; neurowarfare prove our defense of medical repercussions of this warfare.

Neuroweapon Threat
We still don’t know for sure, but I am absolutely deter-
mined — and I’ve spent a great deal of time and energy on Numerous scholars have theorized about neuroweapon de­
this in the four months I’ve been CIA director — to get to velopment and employment as early as the 1990s. A RAND
the bottom of the question of what and who caused this. analyst, Richard Szafranski, was one of the first thinkers to
—William Burns, CIA Director, 22 July 2021 † identify the possibility of targeting the brain for military pur­
poses and coined the term “neocortical warfare.” Szafran­
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ski concluded that not only will this neocortical warfare be
Introduction
prevalent in the future with increasing complexity, but also
In late 2016 in Havana, Cuba, a collection of US diplomats, in­ stressed the need for strategic thinkers to develop a theory for
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telligence officials, spies, and military members began experi­ how best to employ it. Dr. Armin Krishnan, a security stud­
encing mysterious and often debilitating neurophysiologic and ies professor, voiced concern for its use broadly to degrade a
cognitive symptoms reminiscent of a TBI but without inciting country’s political stability without awareness that targeting
trauma. All reported feeling waves of pressure in their heads, took place. More concerning is the warning by Giordano
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ranging from a dull discomfort to immediately overwhelming of China’s aggressive research into this field, suggesting that
symptoms. Many stated that simply moving from one room China will find ways to effectively militarize this technology
to another alleviated symptoms. The US Special Operations in the future. All of these academic explorations focus on the­
Command (USSOCOM) has defined this cluster of symptoms orizing, defining, and categorizing military applications for
without a traumatic incident or known etiology as UBI ; more neuroscience, which is quickly leading to a new domain of
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recently, the Secretary of Defense’s September 2021 memo warfare—neurowarfare. 10
*Correspondence to regan.lyon@gmail.com
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1 Lt Col Regan F. Lyon, Lt Col Joshua Gramm, and Lt Col Brian Branagan are recent graduates of the Defense Analysis graduate program at
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the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA. Dr Shannon C. Houck is assistant professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA.
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† National Public Radio. Transcript: NPR’s full conversation with CIA director William Burns. 22 July 2021.
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/22/1017900583/transcript­nprs­full­conversation­with­cia­director­william­burns
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