The U.S. Air Force has unveiled the TEC Torch, a lightsaber-like weapon that is capable of slicing through locks and chains using its 4,000-degree-Fahrenheit blade, Express reported.
The weapon's creator says that it works by pushing combustion products through a nozzle for around two seconds. The jet that is released from the nozzle consists of a combination of vaporized metal and particulate which, in turn, heats the target above its melting point.
"We have spent 1000's of engineer hours developing and scaling the TEC Torch cartridge from prototype to manufacturing stages," said EMPI, the producer of the torch.
The weapon was developed as a response to a request from Special Operations Forces (SOF) for a compact, lightweight and hand-held tool that could help them destroy locks, bars and other battlefield obstacles, according to We Are The Mighty.
While EMPI is currently only producing approximately 20 of the weapons per day, they hope to soon increase this number to 1000, The Daily Star noted. The company claims that the weapon is effective and poses no safety issues.
"The system is designed to be SAFE," EMPI said. "In-house and outside testing has been performed to verify function, reliability, and safety. We have put the product through a gamut of worst case and extreme scenarios to ensure operator safety."
