The U.S. military has obtained its first non-lethal systems in Iraq to control hostile crowds.

The U.S. Army has received the Active Denial System, which directs energy toward hostile unarmed forces. The system sends radio waves that penetrate the skin less than 1/64 of an inch and causes them to flee.

Officials said no permanent damage is caused to targets.

The system was developed by Raytheon, awarded a $40 million contract for the non-lethal weapon. The ADS was meant to be mounted on a Humvee vehicle, Middle East Newsline reported.

"ADS will offer troops and commanders operating in difficult and confusing circumstances overseas greater flexibility and more options in accomplishing their missions," Pentagon spokesman Capt. Dan McSweeney said.

"We see this as an important evolution, given the increasingly complex nature of operations."

Officials said the system, which beams millimeter-wave energy of 95Ghz, has been prepared for initial deployment in Iraq in 2005. They would not specify when or where the system would be used, but said the ADS underwent final tests in December 2004.

"It gives the military an option between shout and shoot," Raytheon vice president Mike Booen said.

Officials said the ADS could eventually be deployed on a helicopter or employed by a single combatant. They said the system was more accurate and contained a longer range than the M-16 assault rifle.

The Defense Department has sponsored the ADS program along with the Air Force Research Laboratory. Officials said the system has undergone government acceptance testing prior to its transfer to the army.

In the coming stage, officials said, U.S. troops would be trained to use the ADS in preparation for any procurement decision. They said ADS has already completed compulsory legal, treaty and health impact reviews.

"It's too early to say if and when the ADS will be deployed for real-world use," McSweeney said.