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BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CANNOT SUBSTITUTE FOR NUCLEAR
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| BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CANNOT SUBSTITUTE FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONSʼ DETERRENT VALUE Francisco Galamas. Biological Weapons, Nuclear Weapons and Deterrence The Biotechnology Revolution Comparative Strategy, Vol. 27, Issue 4 (Jul, 2008), pp. 315-323 Nuclear weapons can deter because they have characteristics that allow them to create a predictable, rapid, and certain destruction of the target, and therefore are capable of inflicting unacceptable damage Biological weapons, on the other hand, may have a hard time upholding a deterrence strategy against a nuclear weapons state. Although biological weapons can create a very different form of unacceptable damage they do not guarantee that outcome For example, a report made in 1993 by the Office of Technology Assessment estimated that the release of 100 kilograms of anthrax spores could cause as much as three million casualties. That number shows beyond any doubt that biological weapons can inflict unacceptable damage on the opponent. The problem is that this estimate is based on perfect weather conditions (clear, calm night) for the dissemination of anthrax spores Fora biological weapon state to deter a nuclear weapons opponent, its biological arsenal cannot be dependent on weather conditions or any other factors. The lack of mission assurance associated with biological weapons comes from the invisibility, delay, and uncertainty of the dissemination effects. 10NFL1-Nuclear Weapons Page 152 of 199 www.victorybriefs.com Download 1.23 Mb. Share with your friends:
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