Weapons Of Mass Destruction Essay Research Paper — страница 2

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World War. One reason for this is the horrifying brutality and efficiency of such weapons, another reason, is the lack of satisfactory delivery system. This began to change during the second World War, when the German military were effectively using V1 and V2 missiles to carry conventional explosives, during World War II further steps were taken with the V3, a missile that was in the early stages of development at the end of the war, if allowed to of been completed, it would of been the first true intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. The Soviet Union was able to take this step, when it created the R-7 rocket(FIG 1, Appendix C), the first missile to enter space, and also the first missile with enough range to attack North America from the former Soviet Union. The R-7

rocket was primarily designed to carry nuclear weapons, but later itself, and those missiles that came after it were also capable of carrying biological or chemical weapons. With the advent of advanced missile and rocket technologies a relatively cheap, effective, and now today, highly accurate delivery system for chemical and biological weapons is available to any nation or group with enough funding to purchase or build such a missile. Similar problems at one point hampered the effective use of nuclear weapons. At the dawn of the nuclear age, the only means of delivering any type of nuclear weapon was by bomber. This method of delivery also had its problems, bomber aircraft are generally large vehicles, and before the advent of stealth technology, were easily detected, and so

they were easy targets for opposing air defense systems. Also, as the strength of nuclear weapons grew, the ability of the bombing aircraft to escape the blast was greatly diminished. As missile technology was developed and applied to nuclear weapons, overall effectiveness of the weapon was increased. Also, by placing the nuclear weapons on missiles, the human factor in the weapons delivery was slightly diminished. A problem that has always accompanied nuclear weapons has been the human factor, whether or not the pilot or bombardier were actually willing to detonate a nuclear weapon with full knowledge of the weapons devastating effects. In a nuclear conflict, targets are broadly divided into two categories: counterforce and countervalue. Counterforce targets are the weapons of

the opponent, while countervalue targets are objects that are socially and strategically important to the opponent; for example, its cities, industrial plants, and population(Cold War). Before advanced missile technology it was impossible to launch an assault solely on counterforce targets, which meant that a nuclear exchange would mean irreparable damage to the societies of the included parties. This added to the horrifying effect of nuclear weapons, and drove the powers to develop larger and more powerful weapons that had destructive capabilities in the tens of megatons(Cold War). However, with the missile technology of today, a single one megaton weapon can be guided within millimeters of its target, making an attack solely on an opponent’s counterforce targets possible,

thereby limiting civilian casualties on both sides; on the victims side by the fact that civilians are less of a target, and in the attacking country because it has destroyed much of its opponents ability to strike back. It is with this missile technology that comes the threat of the use of weapons of mass destruction, whether they be nuclear, chemical or biological. These relatively cheap delivery systems allow opposing forces to launch attacks from any location on the planet, and be hidden, or a safe distance away from the repercussions of their actions. It is weapon delivery systems such as these that make it easier for countries to destroy each other, with the push of a button, an armada of missiles can be launched to attack any targets quickly, and so this technology brings

the threat of the use of weapons of mass destruction by any force in the world, whether it be a developing nation, or a member of the G-8. As the standard of living increases all over the world, so do the technological abilities of individual countries. When one thinks about weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons are usually the first ones thought about. It is true that they deliver the most physical damage when compared to chemical and biological weapons, and they have received more public attention than other weapons of mass destruction. However, since of the three main types of weapons of mass destruction, a nuclear weapon is the most difficult to construct. The simplest weapon of mass destruction to create is a chemical weapon. These can easily be created in small