Increasingly so-called non-lethal weapons are being seen as answer to many countries requirements for riot control. The United States leads the way in research into non-lethal technology but many country’s see this only as an attempt to field a "media friendly quick fix" for a difficult problem.

Tactics and Doctrine

The whole issue of riot control tactics and doctrine is extremely politically sensitive with a fine line existing between legitimate law enforcement and repression. Most countries have very strict export restrictions on riot control equipment.

Among security experts the tactics and doctrine of riot control is largely defined as offensive and defensive phases. Defensive operations involve establishing block positions to prevent crowds moving down certain routes or entering key buildings. The mere fact of blocking routes for long periods is often enough to wear down a crowd’s endurance, leading to them loosing interest and drifting home. The safe and peaceful handling of protest marching and demonstrations can also defuse tensions and prevent things getting out of hand.

Riots: possibly the most difficult circumstances in which deterrence has to be proved in total political correctness. Yet there is no deterrence if it not demonstrated.

In western democracies, the defusing of riot situations without serious loss of life and injury has become a priority. A major factor in ensuring the safety of crowds, security forces and innocent bystanders is the prevention of close physical contact between rioters and the security forces. The use of buckshot, plastic bullets and baton rounds are proven ways of ensuring mobs throwing petrol bombs and other improvised weapons can be kept at arms length.

If events get out of hand then offensive action may be necessary to disperse crowds and clear the streets. Here shock action - a good old-fashioned charge by baton wielding riot police - is often very successful. Once committed to such action, protective clothing, shields, helmets and gas masks are essential to ensure the safety of security force personnel.

A high level of personnel protection for security forces is an essential factor in raising their patience threshold during riot situations. This allows the security forces to defer using lethal force until the last possible moment. This is often the deciding factor in preventing a riot situation being exploited by political opponents.

Offensive Weapons

One of the most favoured riot control offensive weapons is CS agent or tear gas. It is particularly in favour with those riot control teams, such as the French CRS, who favour using maximum force at the start of an incident to quickly disperse a crowd. CS grenades are marketed by a number of companies, such as Alsatex in France, Wallop Industries Pyrothechnics and Hayley and Weller Pyrotechnics from Britain, South Africa’s Denel and Smith & Weston in the United States. Agent can be released from hand thrown grenades, grenades fired from launchers or special canisters. Ispra Isreal Product Research Company market the hand held Projectojet CS Fog Projector and Alsatex produce dispensers carried in back packs.

Britain is a world leader in the development of baton rounds as riot control weapons. Also known as plastic or rubber bullets, they are designed to be fired at relatively low velocity at individual rioters to dissuade them from approaching security force lines. The large and chunky rounds are intended to be fired at rioter’s torso to inflict heavy bruising and stinging pain. During the major riots in Drumcree, Northern Ireland, just under a thousand baton rounds were fired to prevent thousands of riots crossing security force barricades. Hayley and Welley Pyrotechnics, Wallop Industries Pyrotechnics and South Africa’s Denel are leading suppliers of baton rounds.

Most rounds can be fired from a grenade launchers, which are also dual purpose CS grenade launchers. Top selling products include Heckler and Koch’s Federal Riot Gun, the Hilton Gun Company’s MPRG 83 and 40, the Arwen 37 Riot Control Weapon System, the CIS 40 GL Grenade Launcher and the Schermuly Multi-Purpose Riot Gun 2000.

Israel Military Industries has taken the concept a step further by employing so-called rubber ammunition. This involves fitting a dispenser on the muzzle of standard assault rifles. A launching cartridge is used to generate gasses that force 15 small rubber "plugs" or "bullets" flying towards a rioting crowd in a tight pattern.

South Africa’s Denel offers specialist 12 Gauge Shotgun Riot Control Munitions. After long experience in riots, the South Africans find that the shotgun offers a multi-role capability. Plastic cased ammunition, including from buckshot to single rounds can be fired and muzzle mounted grenade launchers can fire CS gas. The shotgun, however, can be quickly "re-roled" to fire conventional ammunition if the security forces find themselves seriously threatened.

Protective Equipment

Individual protection is a must for all security force personnel involved in riot control situations. Body armour and helmets are now common place and the most recent developments in these technologies were covered in Body Armour and NBC Clothing (see Armada International 2/97) and the recent Armada Compendium on Special Forces Equipment.

One unique area of protection for riot control personnel is in the provision of shields. Although they may seem archaic, in riot control situations having the right type of shields can be a real life saver. In defensive situation large shields can be used to form a wall to provide protection against volleys of stones, petrol bombs or other projectiles. These tactics have much in common with those used by the ancient Romans. Small shields are the order of the day if offensive action is required. They must be light enough to allow the bearer to move quickly in confined spaces but they must also be parry blows from metal bars or other improvised weapons.

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Killers can be used to fire rubber rounds. However, non-lethality also depends on range. This is a Mechem 40 mm multiple grenade launcher

Dowty Armourshield market a series of small shields made from high quality ceramics. While ICL Technical Plastics Ltd offer a range of Lexan Polycarbonate shields, which are clear and resistant to petrol burns. PG Products also product polycarbonate clear shields, fitted with a variety of handle configurations.

Fire resistant overalls are now standard dress of most riot control personnel to provide protection from petrol bombs. Although British troops in Northern Ireland have yet to be provided with them.

Increasingly riot control personnel’s body armour and helmets are customised for their role. Deenside Body Protective Equipment produces a range of items to protect vulnerable parts of the body not usually protected by standard military body armour, these items are made from Kelvar type material and include knee, shin, forearm, groin, thigh, forearm and shoulder guards. A similar set of protective items is available for horses, which are still used by some police forces in riot situations.

Helmet visors are also a key item for riot control personnel to protect their faces and eyes from paint, petrol bombs other projectiles. These either come as purpose built designs or as add-on items for in-service helmets. They are usually made from polycarbonates. ICL Technical Plastics and PG Products have a strong hold in this market.

Vehicles

Riot control tactics increasingly rely on vehicles. They provide protection, mobility and shock effect. Vehicles also allow the employment of equipment such as searchlights, close circuit television, water cannon, public address and psychological warfare systems. Water cannon are an effective offensive weapon but their effectiveness of determined by the size of the water supply that is carried in the vehicle.

Vehicles can be used quickly form blocking positions. They can also act as secure bases for security force personnel under attack from petrol bombs, stones or other missiles. In offensive operations they can be driven directly towards crowds to induce panic and force rioters to scatter, allowing dismounted riot personnel to arrest small groups of rioters.

Increasingly vehicles are being used as communication and surveillance "hubs", allowing security force commanders to monitor situations on a number of fronts from remote command posts.

The Giat VMO mounts an observation turret which itself carries a video camera flanked by a powerful searchlight/projector. The turret can be fitted with a 40 mm grenade launcher for long-range firing of grenades. Visible are the side and rear-mounted Galix launchers that can fire smoke or teargas cartridges in the vicinity of the vehicle. Should events be more dramatic, the "co-driver" can stand up to control the 7.62 mm gun.

Riot control vehicles are not just military armoured troop carriers "re-roled" to work with police forces. They often sport unique features to allow them to operate in riot situations, including improve vision ports and optics, protected exhaust systems, improved hull protection, dozer blades for clearing barricades and protective equipment for dismounted personnel working near the vehicle. These can include folding shields to allow a single vehicle to become the base for a barricade across a large open space. Shields are also fitted underneath the vehicle to stop rioters sending improvised weapons under the vehicle to hit the feet of security force personnel shelter behind.

A number of specialised riot control vehicles are currently available, of which a representative sample is described below:

Berliet VXB Gendarmerie. This was purpose designed for the French Gendarmerie paramilitary forces. It has a dozer blade and bullet proof glass windows to provide the crew with all-round visibility.

The quintessential South African riot control vehicle must be the TFM Casspir armoured vehicle. Whenever township violence is recorded by television cameras South African police are seen to arrive in their high-sided Casspirs. Due to the low architecture of the townships the Casspirs, with their high anti-mine hulls, allowed South Police to gain a major height advantage over rioters. The TFM Trojan, now marketed internationally by International Trade Services (ITS), has the appearance of an up-armoured van. It features large bulletproof windows, a pneumatically operated bull bar operated from inside the vehicle to bulldoze obstacles from its path. Another unique feature are ‘plug’ doors which allow the crew to deploy from both side doors in restricted spaces as little as 2.8 metres wide, such as in an alleyway. A water cannon can be mounted on the roof.

Alvis Vehicles Saxon Patrol. The old GKN Defence Saxon wheeled armoured personnel carrier has since been customised into a specialist riot control vehicle. It features runflat tyres, a fixed turret, more vision ports and folding shields to protect dismounted personnel. A derivative of the Saxon, the Simba is designed for high mobility operations and has a high mounted hull for mine protection, as well many of the riot control equipment used on the Saxon Patrol. The Philippines was the first customer. The Tactica armoured 4 x 4 van, also from Alvis, is a simple design of vehicle. It is a square-sided hull, with large bulletproof glass windows. The new Alvis Vehicles have inherited the product from Glover Webb. It is available in 10 seat or 14 seat versions. The former is identifiable by its shorter hull. The most famous customer of the vehicle is Indonesia, which used the water cannon version during last year’s riots.

The British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) have come to rely on armoured versions of the Land Rover as their main riot control vehicle. These allow baton rounds to be fired from inside the vehicle. The military use a version called the Armoured Patrol Vehicle and they have a variety in service, but the Tangi is the most modern. These armoured Land Rovers are mix of purpose built designs and add-on kits, from a number of suppliers including Courtaulds. The RUC also has specialist versions fitted with close circuit television to monitor riot situations. The Turkish company, Okotar, licence produces its own armoured Land Rover versions.

Cadilac Gage Commando Ranger. This American 4 x 4 light armoured vehicle has been exported to Indonesia for use in internal security duties.

The Future

In the CNN age, riot control is an increasingly delicate and difficult task to perform without generating adverse political situations. In the United States increasing emphasis is being given to what are termed Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW). The US Marine Corps is the lead agency for the American armed forces on the subject and it has carried out a number of experiments, including deploying prototypes in Somalia and elsewhere. Riot control is seen as the most obvious application of NLW, particularly during evacuations from embassies.

Otokar in Turkey has developed a steel shell on which Land Rover components are bolted. The result is known as the Cobra.

The most famous NLW is the so-called "sticky goo or foam". This is sprayed over rioters and in theory entangles them in strands of sticky plastic. It was use experimentally in Somalia and was not considered a success because of difficulties delivering the agent and providing troops with enough to suppress a large enough number of rioters.

More practical devices include Claymore mines fitted with rubber balls, designated the Modular Crows Control Module. 66mm Light Anti-Tank Rocket and grenades fitted with the rubber balls are also being considered for this task.

Perhaps following on from the famous incident where the US used psychological warfare broadcasts of rock music to persuade Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega to surrender in 1991, the NLW programme involves the study of so-called acoustic cannon. They involve the use of infrasonic (below 20Hz) and ultrasonic (20,000Hz) waves to deafen and disorientate rioters. The aim is to have a directional weapon, to deal with individual rioters.

Although not officially part of the US NLW programme, the use of laser to blind rioters must be on the agenda of a number of security forces around the world. The use of non-eye safe lasers in warfare is prohibited by international treaty but their employment in internal security situations is more legally problematic. Some governments, however, may not have any scruples about such matters.

The US efforts in the NLW field has yet to produce a major breakthrough and CS gas remains the main riot control agent of the US armed forces.

Many in the US armed forces consider the interest in NLW as pandering to political correctness and think they have little practical application. More traditional riot control methods still remain in vogue. At the height of the Somalia operation a platoon of US Army soldiers found themselves besieged in a food warehouse by a mob of staring refugees. The answer to the problem was simple. The troops formed up in a line, fixed bayonets and charged into the mod. With momentum and surprise on their side, the GIs swept all before them and the Somalis fled for their lives. No casualties were inflicted or taken by the US troops. Determined, well-trained and disciplined personnel remain the key to the successful resolution of riot situations.