This document provides an introduction and overview of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It begins with contact details for the lecturer and important course dates. It then defines WMDs and discusses the evolution of nuclear weapons from atomic bombs to hydrogen bombs. It also covers chemical weapons including lethal agents like nerve agents. Biological weapons are categorized by priority levels. The document concludes by discussing different delivery systems for WMDs, noting that ballistic missiles are difficult to defend against but other means like aircraft are also potent threats.

1. LECTURE 1:
INTRODUCTION
Laurence Caromba
2016

2. LECTURER CONTACT DETAILS
 Laurence Caromba
– C Block: Room C2.23
– E-mail: laurence.caromba@monash.edu
– https://www.facebook.com/groups/aza23703
– Tel. 011 950 4285
– Consultation: Wednesdays/Thursdays, 10:30-11:30
– See the Moodle page to schedule an appointment
automatically
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3. Important dates
ASSESSMENT TASK VALUE DUE DATE
Forum Participation 10% Weeks 3; 7; 12
Quiz 1 5% 22 August
Quiz 2 5% 19 September
Essay 45% 3 October, 11:59pm
Exam 35% TBA

4. Stanislav Petrov
28th February 2011 4

5. INTRODUCTION TO WEAPONS OF
MASS DESTRUCTION
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6. WMD DEFINITIONS
 Generally accepted definition:
A Weapon of Mass Destruction is weapon that can kill and
bring significant harm to a large number of humans (and
other life forms) and/or cause great damage to man-made
structures (e.g. buildings), natural structures (e.g.
mountains), or the biosphere in general.
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7. NUCLEAR WEAPONS
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8. SCIENCE
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 Quick science  what is a nuclear weapon?
 Bombs that possess enormous destructive potential derived
from nuclear fission or nuclear fusion reactions.
Nuclear Fission Nuclear Fusion

9. EVOLUTION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
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 “Atomic" (uranium) to “thermonuclear" (hydrogen) bombs.
– Started with atomic bombs and evolved to Hydrogen
bombs  thousands of times more powerful than
atomic bombs.
 1930s  German scientists solved mystery of uranium
fission  concern that Hitler’s Germany would create the
first nuclear weapon.
 December 1941  Pearl Harbor  US Congress poured
money into research on fissile materials  Manhattan
project.

10. EVOLUTION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
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 1945  first ever nuclear test,  “Trinity” in US state New
Mexico.
– Equivalent to explosion of around 20 thousand tons of
TNT  Beginning of the Atomic Age.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru2PWmGIoB8

11. EVOLUTION (cont.)
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 Trinity test followed by nuclear attack on Japan.
– To force Japan to surrender.
– To show Soviet Union what capacity the US arsenal
held.
 August 6, 1945  atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima 
two-thirds destroyed and more than 140 000 people killed
(70,000 immediately).
 Three days later  atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki,
killing more than 80,000.

12. EVOLUTION (cont.)
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 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pxk4zy_SQw

13. EVOLUTION (cont.)
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 1949 Soviet Union tests atomic bomb.
 1950 - 60s  aggressive nuclear weapons investments.
– 1951  United States  first hydrogen bomb,
– 1953  Soviet Union first hydrogen bomb.
– 1952  United Kingdom; 1957 - first hydrogen bomb
– 1960  France becomes fourth nuclear power.
– 1962  People’s Republic of China.
 These countries became know as the ‘nuclear club’.

14. EVOLUTION (cont.)
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 Next to develop and test nuclear weapons:
– India (1974),
– Pakistan (1998)  in answer to Indian tests of 1998.
– North Korea (2006, 2009, 2013).
 South Africa  1978 – 1989; 6.5 bombs, never tested.
 Israel  Never admitted, but common knowledge.

15. Presentation title 15

16. CHEMICAL (AND TOXIN) WEAPONS
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17. CHEMICAL WEAPONS
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 Device that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or
harm to human beings, by virtue of the physiological effects
of these chemicals.
 To deny unhindered use of a particular area of terrain for
cover and concealment.
 Or against agriculture and livestock to promote hunger and
starvation.
 Does not depend on explosive force to achieve objective.
 Around for a long time  70 different chemical agents used
or stockpiled during 20th and 21st-centuries.

18. CHEMICAL WEAPONS
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 Three main groups (liquid, gas or solid):
– Harassing agents  not intended to kill or injure.
– Incapacitating agents  Produce debilitating effects
 limited probability of permanent injury or loss of life.
– Lethal agents  deadly; leads to severe injuries and
mostly ends in death.

19. CHEMICAL WEAPONS
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 Lethal agents:
– Nerve agents  disrupts chemical communications
through the nervous system, e.g. Sarin gas.
– Blister agents  irritates and causes injury to the
skin; eyes; any other tissue they get in contact with 
e.g. mustard gas.
– Choking agents  Injury to respiratory system,
especially lungs  death by asphyxiation.
– Blood agents  metabolic poisons  interfere with
life-sustaining processes of blood  e.g. cyanide &
arsine.

20. TOXIN WEAPONS
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 Illness-inducing chemicals formed from living organisms.
– E.g. bacteria, fungi, plants and animals.
 Can be disabling to acutely toxic.
 Most deadly: botulinum toxin, which is a bacterial toxin.
 Much more potent than chemical weapons.
– Require less material to produce equivalent casualties.
– But: not self-reproducing  more material required
than for biological weapon.
 Symptoms occur over the course of several hours.

21. BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
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22. BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
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 Bioweapons  pathogens that cause disease and illness in
infected humans.
 1,500 BC  Hittites recognized power of contagions 
sent plague victims into enemy lands.
 Other armies catapulted diseased corpses into besieged
fortresses or poisoned enemy wells.
 Advances in medical science  vastly improved
understanding of harmful pathogens  Vaccinations and
cures BUT also further weaponization.

23. BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
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 Category A  highest priority  Easily spread or
transmitted  Anthrax, Plague, Smallpox, Tularemia, and
viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola.
 Category B  Second highest priority  Moderately easy
to disseminate  Salmonella species, Typhus, Cholera,
etc.
 Category C  third highest priority  Emerging infectious
pathogens that could be engineered for mass dissemination
in future.

24. DELIVERY SYSTEMS
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25. DELIVERY SYSTEMS
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 To do their deadly work, WMD agents have to be integrated
into a weapon.
 No need to be sophisticated  nuclear device planted by
sub-state group, or commando squad, or delivered by a
disguised cargo ship, or civil aircraft, or a small pleasure
boat, or in a suitcase, can kill just as many people as one
delivered by intercontinental ballistic missile.
– A given quantity of certain lethal microorganisms would
probably kill even more people if spread effectively by
human agents than if by a missile.

26. DELIVERY SYSTEMS
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 States able to couple weapons of mass destruction to
delivery systems with longer range or greater ability to
penetrate defenses can threaten more nations with higher
levels of destruction, and with greater likelihood of success.
– E.g. Ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and combat
aircraft.
 Ballistic missiles  difficult to defend against and appear to
be particularly suited for WMD
– Generally do not have much military value in
proportion to their cost when armed with nuclear
warheads, BUT can have considerable political
significance.

27. DELIVERY SYSTEMS
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28. DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Weapons of Mass Destruction and National Security 28
 Combat aircraft  potent threat.
– Much more widely available than missiles;
 Drones and cruise missiles that
can be fitted with the same
Payload as aircraft or ballistic
missiles are not yet widely
available.
12 March 2014

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30. SOME ADMIN
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 Log on to Moodle site
– Unit guide
– Schedule
– Assessment
– Readings