NATO Non-Lethal Weapons Effectiveness Assessment Meeting

February 25, 2002

University Park, Pa. --- Penn State's Marine Corps Research University (MCRU) program and the Department of Defense Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) is sponsoring a two-day meeting for the NATO Non-Lethal Weapons Effectiveness Working Group at the Nittany Lion Inn starting Feb. 26.

The MCRU is providing the venue and logistics support for the event.

This working group meeting is the fourth in a series of NATO directed meetings where representatives of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and Supreme Headquarters Allied Forces Europe (SHAPE) meet and discuss how non-lethal weapons can aid NATO field commanders in accomplishing their assigned missions.

Ron Madrid, MCRU associate director and program manager, says, "Non-lethal weapons can provide a suite of additional capabilities that would permit NATO field commanders options other than lethal force."

Twenty-four members of the NATO working group are expected to attend.  Colonel George Fenton, USMC, Director of the JNLWD, will serve as host and United States representative for this meeting.

The U.S. Marine Corps designated Penn State its research university in May 1999.  As such, Penn State provides a resource from which the Marine Corps and other military services can access specific research and educational capabilities of the University.  Since its inception, the MCRU has managed14 programs for the JNLWD worth over $3.6 million.

* * *

Editors  Contact Ron Madrid at rrm11@psu.edu or by phone at 814-865-3911 to make arrangements to interview meeting participants. 

**bah**

Contacts:

Barbara Hale (814) 865-9481  bah@psu.edu

Vicki Fong (814) 865-9481  vfong@psu.edu