The United States Army has been awarded PepperBall a $650,000 contract for their Variable Kinetic System (VKS). This is a non-lethal launcher to support soldiers with force protection measures in the field.
Historically, the Army has sought to increase the lethality of weapons to achieve success on the battlefield. Political, societal, and operational factors have limited the effective use of traditional lethal weapons. PepperBall VKS offers options for employment during close-in tactical engagements across the spectrum of conflict. When hostile forces use innocents as shields, non-lethal devices can strip away by standers without significant injury.
PepperBall® projectiles burst upon impact, producing both a kinetic impact and leaving a debilitating cloud of their proprietary irritant that that affects the eyes, nose and respiratory system.
This decision is in support of a request from U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) Joint Force Protection Directorate. The VKS has the same handling characteristics and fire control system as the M-4 Carbine and is proudly made in the U.S.A.
The launcher offers a Dual Feed System. The user select “Hopper Mode” with a capacity of 180 rounds or “Magazine Mode” with a 10 or 15 round magazine.
PepperBall’s VXR™ projectiles are compatible for the VKS launcher for high-intensity/crowd control operations. The projectiles can be effective out to 150 feet/50 yards, which is equivalent to half the distance of a football field.
For more information about PepperBall’s VKS launcher and its complete line of products, visit www.pepperball.com.
About PepperBall®
The PepperBall® system originates in a 1996 DARPA program. PepperBall® projectiles are precision-manufactured with a proprietary outer shell and live active irritant compound engineered to burst on impact into a temporarily incapacitating cloud with no harmful impacts. PepperBall® products are used by thousands of agencies across the U.S. and around the world, and offer a true non-lethal alternative with an unsurpassed safety record over thousands of incidents spanning 20 years.
The company delivers professional certified training for users, instructors and armorers. PepperBall® engages with military agencies, law enforcement, and Tier One industry defense and security partners to continue evolving safe, versatile, effective variants for non-lethal solutions and missions. PepperBall® is a registered trademark of United Tactical Systems LLC, exclusive manufacturer and worldwide supplier of genuine PepperBall® products.