Christian Science Monitor – Maersk Alabama: Should ships use armed guards to stop Somali pirates? Lethal or nonlethal weapons? The attack on the US-flagged Maersk Alabama reignites the debate over how to stop Somali pirates. Christian Science Monitor – Five new weapons the Maersk Alabama could use to foil pirates

Daily Telegraph – US Navy seeks to zap pirates Naval commanders in the Gulf have requested ray gun technology to disable pirates without triggering gunfights that could endanger hostages.

Aviation Week – The much-hailed Long-Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, has been selected by the Navy for its ship protection system.more…

Wired – The Pentagon says its millimeter-wave pain ray won’t be ready until 2010, despite years and years of tests. Marines in Iraq can’t wait that long. They want the weapon — which uses invisible waves to heat up the top layer of the skin and cause a whole lot of hurt — ASAPmore…

BBC – A closer look at the nonlethal weapon that was used to protect a cruise ship from pirate attack.more…

New York Times Magazine – The Pentagon is developing a new class of sci-fi like ‘nonlethal’ weapons. But will they make war any safer or easier?more…

New York Times Magazine – A look at the latest in non-lethal weapons.more…