| Biological weapons are pathogenic microorganisms, bacterial toxins, infected animals and also infection carriers (rocket, guided projectiles, automatic airships, aircraft), meant for mass destruction of manpower of the opponent, agricultural animals, crops and also damaging some kind of military materials and equipment. Biological weapon is a mass destruction weapon.
Destructive effect of the biological weapon is based, first of all, on use of malignant properties of pathogenic microorganisms and toxic products of their vital activity.
Notes:
1939—1945 Japan: Manchurian detachment 731 against three thousand people — during the development stage. On testing stage, biological weapons are used during combat operations in Mongolia and China. Even plans were charted out to use in Russian regions. Obtained data was used as base for developments in bacteriological US Army Center in Maryland state in exchange for protection of colleagues of detachment 731 from persecution.
1951—1952 USA against North Korea;
1980 — USA against Cuba: Entire pig livestock and up to 80% of sugarcane plantation (main export sorts) were destroyed.
Bacteriological weapons are used in the form of various ammunition and several types of bacteria, which stimulate infectious diseases and transforming into epidemics, are used to charge the ammunition. Bacteriological weapon is used to kill large communities of people, destroy crops and animals and also for infecting the food supplies and water resources.
Usage methods of bacteriological weapons, as a rule, are:
Aerial bombs;
Artillery mines and shells;
Packets (bags, boxes, containers), which are dumped from aircrafts;
Special apparatus, scattering the insects from aircrafts;
Subversive methods (sabotage).
In some cases, the opponent can leave the infected items during withdrawal such as clothes, products, cigarettes, etc to spread the infectious diseases. In this case, disease spreads through direct contact with the infected items.
Even spreading of disease agents is possible by deliberate desertion of infectious patients during withdrawal (retirement) so that patients can act as source of infection and spread the disease to troops and population.
During blasting of ammunition, equipped with bacterial compounding, bacterial cloud is formed consisting of tiny liquid droplets or solid particles, suspended in air. Cloud, taken along the wind, spreads and settles down on soil, transforming the section of land into infectious one. Area of infectious section of land depends on the quantity of compounding, its properties and wind speed. |
Member countries of the European Union plan to increase their preparedness for possible attacks with biological weapons. During a meeting of the European parliament in Brussels, Portugal representatives presented a report showing the high possibility of terrorist attacks using biological weapons of any form. "Europe should increase its control of dangerous biological substances to eliminate the possibility of terrorists getting access to them" said the report.
