Future of Chemical & Biological Warfare
FUTURE OF CHEMICAL WARFARE
INTRODUCTION
Background
1. Chemical Warfare is a method of warfare in which toxic or incapacitating chemicals agents are used to further the goals of the combatants. The concept of Chemical Warfare is as old as warfare itself. Until the 20th century such warfare was primarily limited to starting fires, poisoning wells, distributing smallpox-infected articles, and using smoke to confuse the enemy. The most extensive and large-scale use of Chemical Weapons was witnessed during World War I. The horror created by this category of weapons in that war forced the political leaders of the world to look much more seriously for ways to avoid such gory events in the future.
2. Throughout the history of warfare, the employment of Chemical Weapons has been seen as a potential battle-winning factor and has therefore been viewed by the user as a legitimate weapon of war to achieve defeat of the enemy, exploiting in particular the principle of surprise. Interestingly, legal and moral objections to its use have historically tended to be short-lived, representing only the instinctive human fear and dislike of the novel and unknown.
3. Chemical Weapons are considered weapons of mass destruction, as they have tended to be indiscriminate on the target, difficult to control and affected by both weather and terrain. Although Chemical agents are and always will be essentially area weapons, modern and developing techniques make them very much more accurate than hitherto. More importantly, advances in bio-technical engineering allow a precision of persistency, all of which gives modern Chemical agents a much greater range of selectivity with specific characteristics. These can be tailored to suit a wide number of military options.
4. Chemical and Biological Warfare is frequently cited as being an inefficient form of warfare in terms of effort set against effectiveness as a casualty producer. In fact, Chemical and Biological Warfare is a highly
INTRODUCTION
Background
1. Chemical Warfare is a method of warfare in which toxic or incapacitating chemicals agents are used to further the goals of the combatants. The concept of Chemical Warfare is as old as warfare itself. Until the 20th century such warfare was primarily limited to starting fires, poisoning wells, distributing smallpox-infected articles, and using smoke to confuse the enemy. The most extensive and large-scale use of Chemical Weapons was witnessed during World War I. The horror created by this category of weapons in that war forced the political leaders of the world to look much more seriously for ways to avoid such gory events in the future.
2. Throughout the history of warfare, the employment of Chemical Weapons has been seen as a potential battle-winning factor and has therefore been viewed by the user as a legitimate weapon of war to achieve defeat of the enemy, exploiting in particular the principle of surprise. Interestingly, legal and moral objections to its use have historically tended to be short-lived, representing only the instinctive human fear and dislike of the novel and unknown.
3. Chemical Weapons are considered weapons of mass destruction, as they have tended to be indiscriminate on the target, difficult to control and affected by both weather and terrain. Although Chemical agents are and always will be essentially area weapons, modern and developing techniques make them very much more accurate than hitherto. More importantly, advances in bio-technical engineering allow a precision of persistency, all of which gives modern Chemical agents a much greater range of selectivity with specific characteristics. These can be tailored to suit a wide number of military options.
4. Chemical and Biological Warfare is frequently cited as being an inefficient form of warfare in terms of effort set against effectiveness as a casualty producer. In fact, Chemical and Biological Warfare is a highly