As seen on the TV during the Gulf War, the technology seems
impressive, but, these are just refinements of the invention and discoveries of
the 19th century
- RDX (Research
Department eXplosive) was invented in 1899
- TNT
(Trinitrotoluene)
was invented in 1863
- Nitro Cellulose
(Gun Cotton)
was invented in 1833
- The Munroe shaped
charge (Anti-Armour) was invented in 1888
Nuclear,
Biological and Chemical weapons
The
recent press coverage of Saddam Hussain's NBC weapons policy during the Gulf War
in 1990has highlighted to the world the dangers of such weaponry. We reacted when
he gassed the Kurds with Tabun and Sarin, and we sat back and
watched as his war with Iran escalated to a mainly one-sided chemical war.
It
is not a new concept of war, in fact it dates as early as 431-404BC, when the
Athenians and Spartans used Sulphur Dioxide by catapulting burning pitch
on each other, (an older form of napalm? With the added bonus of a toxic gas too!)
In
the 9th Century the Chinese were known to mix arsenic with gunpowder.
In
the 14th Century the Tartars catapulted plague victims over the city
walls of Kaffa in the Crimea. This is thought to have led to the "Black Death"
in Europe.
In 1939 the Germans
perfected the nerve gas "Sarin" and later "Soman" of
which 7000 tons enough to wipe out 30 European cities was captured and dumped
in the North Sea.
The Americans at the
end of WW2 dumped Mustard Gas, at Barnham Common, Suffolk, this became so dangerous
as the drums started leaking that the "Wittering Heroes*" had to go
clear it!
1967 Vietnam. CS gas
and Acetylene gas was used on the VC tunnels. Vomiting agents
were used on rioters. "Agent Orange" a defoliant containing
Dioxin and Arsenic was also used resulting in birth defects
over 20 years on!
1980 onwards Mustard
gas was used in the Iran/Iraq war, also trichlotecenes (a by product
of poor grain storage in farming techniques) The fungicidal spores has
been used in Afghanistan and SE Asia and Cyanide was used against the
Kurds.
To the RAF EOD crew there was
not a lot we could do with Nuclear UXO's, the opinion being "If
it hasn't gone Bang, Flash, Whoosh (x2) then it isn't going to!"
Biological
weapons are controllable by eating and drinking from sealed containers
and using breathing apparatus/respirators and therefore doesn't pose much of a
threat.
Chemical weapons
are by and large the cheapest, weapon of mass annihilation, on the current weapons
market. They require almost no specialist equipment. i.e. Phosgene as
used in World War 1 is a combination of chlorine and carbon monoxide. People who
smoke at the side of chlorinated swimming pools, while watching children swim,
are making minute quantities of Phosgene!
Chemical Weapons
are Militarily defined as : - "Chemical Substances designed to kill, seriously
injure or in capacitate man in Military Operations
They
are normally split into 3 categories
Lethal - Nerve, Blood, Choking
Incapacitating - BZ, CS,
CS2
Damaging
- Blister
Lethal Agents
Nerve: - GA - Tabun, GB - Sarin,
GD - Soman, VX - (No Common name)
Blood: - AC - Hydrogen Cyanide, CK - Cyanogen
Chloride (Canister Killer)
Choking: - CG - Phosgene
Damaging /
Blister Agents
Mustards H HD HT HD }
Arsenicals HL L ED MD}
Vesicants
Urticants CX
Incapacitating Agents
Mental
Physical
BZ, LSD - Brain
CS, CS2 ) - Tear
Disposal Methods
Decontaminants
Decontaminants
are mixed up with water to a 10% solution (90% water to 10% decontaminant)
Nerve
50:1
Others 20:1
BZ contaminant should be burned
Detonation
5
lb PE / lb of contaminant
Decontaminants
Caustic Soda / Washing Soda
Hot
soapy water
Bleach
HTB - HTH
STB
Note: With Blister agent STB mix
will spontaneously combust so add water
Coloured Identification Bands
Soviet
weapons are usually identified by coloured bands:
Blue HE 3 colour detector
paper
Green Non - Persistent Agent (G) Yellow / Amber
Red Green Persistent
(V) Green
Blue Green Frag / Chemical (H) Red (Blood Agent ?)
Red Incendiary
White
Can be light producing
These are the human
equivalent of your household fly sprays. These attack the body's central
nervous system and violent death occurs up to 20 minutes later
As
Saddam Hussain said about the Kurds and Iranians:-
"They
are insects, and as such I will treat them as such!"
Blood
agents
These play the part of substances
such as carbon monoxide in the blood stream of a smoker.
These
attack the oxygen carrying cells in the blood stream, so the casualty slowly asphyxiates.
Choking
agents
These were first used in
World War 1 with the Germans using Phosgene on British troops.
These
have the effect of creating sores and blisters on the lining of the lungs. The
body reacts by creating fluid or mucus to protect the lungs. The body overcompensates
resulting in the lungs filling with fluid.
The
casualty suffers a death from "Drowning" as told by the casualties of
WW1
