WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) – CBRNE Awareness and Emergency Response Study
Guide
Define WMD: - correct answer ✔✔Means any weapon or device that is intended, or has the
capability, to cause death or serious bodily injury to a significant number of people through the
release, dissemination or impact of:
- Toxic or poisonous chemicals or their precursors;
- A disease organism; or
- Radiation or radioactivity
What are the different types of weapons of mass destruction: - correct answer ✔✔- Chemical
agents
- Biological
- Radiological
- Nuclear
- Explosives (conventional)
What are chemical agents? - correct answer ✔✔- Non-explosive chemical agents that cause
injury or death
- Typically disperse in a gaseous form through an aerosol delivery system
What are the different categories of chemical agents? - correct answer ✔✔- Blister agents
(not always lethal)
- Blood agents
(deadly)
- Choking agents
(Chlorine gas)
- Incapacitant
(LSD)
, - Nerve agents
(deadly)
What are biological WMD? - correct answer ✔✔- 'most likely method of attack'
- Potential to be as destructive as nuclear weapons
- Methods:
* Put substances in food
* Release virus via aersol
- Difficult to detect/diagnose
What are Radiological WMD? - correct answer ✔✔Dirty bombs viewed as likely choice for
terrorist
- Dirty bombs are radioactive materials by way of a conventional explosive device
- Could cause widespread contamination and spread panic
- Effectiveness depends on magnitude of explosion and size/ type and half-life of radioactive
material used
- May be next most popular WMD of choice
What are nuclear WMD? - correct answer ✔✔- Most destructive but hardest to obtain
- Potentially most lethal form
- Nuclear weapons and nuclear material plentiful
What are explosives WMD? - correct answer ✔✔- High-yield conventional explosives have been
the most common for large-scale terrorist attacks
- Not originally included in WMD, but have potential for widespread destruction
What are threats of nuclear WMD? - correct answer ✔✔- State sponsored nuclear terrorism
Guide
Define WMD: - correct answer ✔✔Means any weapon or device that is intended, or has the
capability, to cause death or serious bodily injury to a significant number of people through the
release, dissemination or impact of:
- Toxic or poisonous chemicals or their precursors;
- A disease organism; or
- Radiation or radioactivity
What are the different types of weapons of mass destruction: - correct answer ✔✔- Chemical
agents
- Biological
- Radiological
- Nuclear
- Explosives (conventional)
What are chemical agents? - correct answer ✔✔- Non-explosive chemical agents that cause
injury or death
- Typically disperse in a gaseous form through an aerosol delivery system
What are the different categories of chemical agents? - correct answer ✔✔- Blister agents
(not always lethal)
- Blood agents
(deadly)
- Choking agents
(Chlorine gas)
- Incapacitant
(LSD)
, - Nerve agents
(deadly)
What are biological WMD? - correct answer ✔✔- 'most likely method of attack'
- Potential to be as destructive as nuclear weapons
- Methods:
* Put substances in food
* Release virus via aersol
- Difficult to detect/diagnose
What are Radiological WMD? - correct answer ✔✔Dirty bombs viewed as likely choice for
terrorist
- Dirty bombs are radioactive materials by way of a conventional explosive device
- Could cause widespread contamination and spread panic
- Effectiveness depends on magnitude of explosion and size/ type and half-life of radioactive
material used
- May be next most popular WMD of choice
What are nuclear WMD? - correct answer ✔✔- Most destructive but hardest to obtain
- Potentially most lethal form
- Nuclear weapons and nuclear material plentiful
What are explosives WMD? - correct answer ✔✔- High-yield conventional explosives have been
the most common for large-scale terrorist attacks
- Not originally included in WMD, but have potential for widespread destruction
What are threats of nuclear WMD? - correct answer ✔✔- State sponsored nuclear terrorism
