Technologies Underlying Weapons of Mass Destruction

Technologies Underlying Weapons of Mass Destruction

Companion to OTA Proliferation report, discusses technical components of CBW acquisition and use, including dual use

1993

"Biological and toxin weapons potentially pose greater dangers than either chemical or nuclear weapons because BTW agents are so lethal on a pound-for-pound basis, their production requires a much smaller and cheaper industrial infrastructure, and the necessary technology and know-how are almost entirely dual-use and thus widely available... [BW] might be attractive as a strategic weapon-particularly for small, nonnuclear nations embroiled in regional conflicts or threatened by a nuclear-weapon state." Discusses the in-depth technical aspects of BW production and use, with focus on the capabilities broadly available as well as barriers.