Modern Technologies and Conflicts 22.11. 2017 JAKUB DRMOLA Nuclear and chemical weapons Basic fission Types -gun-type -first, less efficient and simpler design -assembly of 2 subcritical parts -Little Boy (Nagasaki, 6.8. 1945) -implosion -newer, more efficient design -concentional explosion compresses the core -Trinity test (Nevada, 16.7. 1945) -Fat Man (Hirošima, 9.8. 1945) Nuclear fusion -boosted fission -boosting yield of fission bombs by adding helium isotopes (1940s) -thermonuclear/hydrogen bombs -hydrogen core compressed via fission bomb -developed in 50s -Castle Bravo, 1954, 15 MT -Tsar Bomb, 1961, 50 MT -roughly 1000x stronger than WW2 bombs -commonly used today on ballistic missiles Other types -Enhanced Radiation Weapon -optimized for neutron radiation -minimal physical destruction -“kills people, leaves buildings standing” -can be used on tactical or ABM missiles -Electromagnetic Pulse -optimized for gamma and x-ray radiation -overloads and destroys electronics -non-nuclear variant also exist Radiological weapons -so called “dirty bomb” -spreading radiation through conventional explosion -tested as Denial-of-Access weapon -possibly attractive for terrorists -sounds scary but quite impractical -radiation too weak, temporary and can be cleaned up -primary threat is panic, not direct deaths https://youtu.be/WD1BRE-DBsA?t=43m11s - - -2006, Litviněnko assassination Depleted uranium -by-product from uranium enrichment -50% heavier than lead, similar to tungsten -but cheaper and pyrophoric -used in munitions, armoud, shielding, counterweights… -lasting controversy regarding its effect on health and environment - -no nuclear reaction taking place! -minimal level of radioactivity (comparable to banana) -but can be quite toxic (similar to other heave metals) History -nucleus and radioactivity discovered before WW1 (Rutherford ,Currie) -first principles developed in 30s (Leo Szilard, Otto Hahn) -1942 project Manhattan started -UK lacked the industrial capacity -Germany focused on rocketry -1945 end of WW2 -USSR (1949), UK (1952), France (1960), China (1964), Israel (196?), India (1974), Pakistan (1998), DPRK (2016?) Current arsenals -permanent members of UN SC -plus India, Pakistan and Israel -ongoing efforts by DPRK and Iran -issue of post-soviet countries -former programs in Libya, Iraq, Syria, South Africa, Brazil, Taiwan, Sout Korea, Yugoslavia, ... -https://www.ctbto.org/nuclear-testing/ -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_proliferation#/media/File:Nuclear_weapon_programs_worldwide_ oct2006.png Terrorism -ongoing speculations -esp. after collapse of USSR and 9/11 -regular news about efforts of terrorist groups to procure nuclear weapons or dirty bombs, so far without confirmation or results -building a nuclear weapon from scratch impossible -might steal it, buy it or attack a nuclear facility -building dirty bomb is trivial, could be used to spread fear Related image Types of chemical weapons I. -Nerve gas -block nerve signals > convulsions, paralysis of muscles > asphyxiation or heart failure -sarin, soman, tabun, VX -Poison gas -absorbed into blood by inhalation or consumption > block oxygen absorption -cyanide, arsenic, oxygen monoxide -Choking agents -stings and destroys cells in lungs and membranes > lungs flood with liquid > asphyxiation -phosgene, chlorine Types of chemical weapons II. -Blistering agents -up to 24 hours after contact, chemical burns for days, extremely painful, necrotic -yperite (mustard gas), lewisite -Psychoactive -temporary loss of consciousness, confusion, hallucinations -LSD-25, BZ, Kolokol-1 -Incapacitating -cause vomiting, burning in eyes, coughing, tears -chloracetophenon, CS, CR, adamsite History I. -use of smoke since time immemorial -da Vinci’s proposal for chemical grenade -boom of chemistry since 19th century -largest use in history during First Wolrd War -1914 – tear gas, first use by France, unsuccessful -1915 - chlorine, phosgene -1917 - yperite (mustard gas) -over 1 million soldiers impacted, 100 thousand killed (primarily by phosgene) -all major powers used chemical weapons -nerve gases discovered in Germanny in 1930s History II. -very limited combat use during WW2 -Germany did not know nobody else discovered nerve gas, worried about escalation -used a lot by Japan -planned use for defense of Great Britain -Zyklon B in extermination camps -“gas race” during Cold War -used in smaller conflicts in Middle East, Africa, etc. Technology used -methods of dispersion -wind, artillery, air bombs, spraying, binary munitions -methods of protection -detection by sight and smells, damp cloth over face -later gas masks, continually improved, full suits -neutralizing chemical agents, antidotes, electronic detection Strategic and tactical aspect -highly dependent on weather -temperature, wind and humidity can limit the effect or even hit friendly forces -contamination -quite cheap and simple to produce -very bad for PR -not very effective when the armies are protected -can escalate quickly Terrorism -chemical weapons are relatively easily procurable -sometimes used to enhance conventional attacks -not effective -Aum Shinrikyo -1990-5: 10 attempts for chemical attack -(4x sarin, 4x VX, 1x phosgene and cyanide) -2x successful, 14 killed, 4000 injured -Moscow theater siege, kolokol-1 used by police, 2002 -attacks on chlorine tanks in Iraq, 2007 -use in Syria since 2012, multiple sides -(chlorine, sarin, yperite, tear gas) -assassination of Kim Jong Nam, 13/2/2017, VX