Sonic Weapons in Serbia: Technology and Controversy

Context:

This analysis examines allegations of Serbian authorities deploying a sonic weapon during a protest in Belgrade on March 15, 2025, amid mass demonstrations against President Aleksandar Vucic’s government.

Crisp Information in Points (Focus on Sonic Device):

1. Incident Background: On March 15, 2025, during a 15-minute silence at a Belgrade rally (100,000+ protesters), a piercing sound caused panic, with claims of a sonic weapon deployment against peaceful anti-government demonstrators.
2. Sonic Weapon Definition: Acoustic or sonic weapons emit loud, targeted sound waves over long distances, designed to cause pain, disorientation, or incapacitation using audible or inaudible frequencies.
3. Types of Sonic Devices:
4. • Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD): Emits high-decibel sound (up to 160 dB), causing ear pain, tinnitus, and hearing loss; used historically for crowd control since the 1990s.
   • Infrasonic Weapons: Emit low-frequency, inaudible sound (<20 Hz), potentially causing pain and disorientation; harder to weaponize, per experts.
4. LRAD Specifics: Suspected device in Serbia; delivers focused sound beams (120-160 dB), with effects like sharp ear pain, nausea, and panic; prolonged exposure risks eardrum rupture and permanent hearing damage.
5. Health Impacts: Earplugs reduce sound by 20-30 dB, insufficient against LRAD’s intensity; effects vary by distance, exposure duration, and individual health conditions.
6. Legal Status in Serbia: Serbian police law bans such weapons, yet authorities possess them; rights groups allege illegal use, planning appeals to the European Court of Human Rights.
7. Global Context: Used by militaries/police worldwide (e.g., US, China); criticized by human rights bodies like Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) for indiscriminate harm to protesters and bystanders.
8. Technology Evolution: Originated in the 1990s for crowd control; LRADs also serve as loudspeakers, but in Serbia, allegedly used as a weapon, not a warning tool.
9. Expert Insights: Military analysts confirm Serbia’s arsenal includes sonic devices; infrasonic tech remains experimental, with limited weaponisation evidence.

Link To The Original Article – https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/serbia-sonic-weapon-9894409/