APAGear Vol. 4, No. 6

Various security and military establishments employ wide variety of personal weapons. Some of these weapons are intended for use to capture rather than kill their prey.

There are a wide variety of reasons to use less-than-lethal force. Numerous police agencies are most interested in capturing suspects rather than killing enemies like military force usually does. Capturing armed and possibly mentally unsound and thus probably very dangerous armed suspect with firearms usually ends up with a dead or very seriously (possibly critically) injured suspect. Closing suspect to apprehend her is equally dangerous and thus police prefers to use weapons like these to stop suspect before one can hurt herself or others around her.

Security forces are often called in to deal with especially dangerous criminals, demonstrations, riots and occasional small-scale insurrections. These cases have often-political aspects where deaths of either bystanders or even the suspected criminals or political activists are highly undesirable. Thus these forces have their own agenda of apprehending suspects or dispersing violent (or potentially violent) crowds with minimum of deaths. These security forces typically deal with larger numbers of potential targets and their needs vary from mass effect (useful in dealing with large crowds) to exact precision (when dealing with dangerous criminals amongst bystanders).

Military forces are most interested in killing enemies (preferably quickly) and non-lethal weaponry holds little interest to many of them. However, the very outlook and training make militaries usually cold customers to these kinds of specialized equipment. Major exceptions are militaries with counterinsurgency or internal security duties (who buy non-lethal weapons to these units) or specialized units working in special environments (such as space where penetration is a problem) or missions (like police or security or anti-terrorism duties).

Service History

NLWP (Non-Lethal Weapon Personal) is a generic brand name in New Earth Commonwealth's Armed Forces series of single man usable non-lethal weapons. The number 1 was chosen since the Spider series was first weapon system accepted to that duty.

NLWP-1 was chosen for use in New Eurasian Commonwealth in 6107 by renaming old Human Concordat's police weapon (SIE-232 Spider). It was used throughout the Third World War. Name Spider is still used with commercial sales and services. CEF no longer uses NLWP-1 in front-line use but it can be seen with various MVD prison forces and police units throughout NEC.

Weapon Functionality

NLWP-1 fires 2 x 2 meter sized net with four plastic anchors on net corners. Weapon is loaded with attaching the folded net assembly to launch rack with four attach points to four plastic anchors. Weapon uses air pressure to launch net.

Advantages and Disadvantages

NLWP-1 is virtually silent weapon as release of air pressure causes noise roughly similar to ordinary commercial air pistols (in game statistics this should be treated as Suppressed weapon shooting subsonic ammunition).

Reloading NLWP-1 is very slow (in game statistics it should take 1 combat round) and it is roughly rifle-sized (no game effect per se but should have obvious problems when trying to hide it).

Variants

NLWP-1A is a CEF (and thus NECAF) Combat Police version with reinforced and heavier net that is intended for capturing GRELs. The heavier weight forced redesigning weapon with a new net system and lowered range. The hit is also slightly more dangerous to humans. There are additional sales in security organizations too. The net strength is considerable and thus this weapon is at times found in Earth zoos for capturing rare natural born animals.

NLWP-1

Mass (kg):	2.5 kg
Magazine:	1
Damage:		x5, Entagle (1)
ROF:		0
Cost:		200
Accuracy:	0
Range:		2/4/8/16

NLWP-1A

Mass (kg):	2.6 kg
Magazine:	1
Damage:		x7, Entagle (1)
ROF:		0
Cost:		250
Accuracy:	0
Range:		1/2/4/8

NLWP-1 Spider Series