The E133 cluster bomb was a U.S. biological weapon developed during the Cold War.
History
The U.S. E133 cluster bomb was developed prior to
Richard M. Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was t ...
's
1969 declaration that ended the
U.S. biological weapons program.
[ At the time of Nixon's declaration the E133 was considered the most likely candidate in the U.S. biological arsenal to actually be used in a combat situation.][ Cirincione, Joseph, et al. ''Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Threats'',]
Google Books
, Carnegie Endowment, 2005, p. 60, ().
Specifications
The E133 cluster weighed 750 pounds.[ It held between 536][Cirincione, Joseph.]
Defending America
, '' Georgetown Journal of International Affairs'', Winter/Spring 2002, via '' Commonwealth Institute'', accessed January 4, 2009.[ and 544][Chauhan, Sharad S. ''Biological Weapons'',]
Google Books
, APH Publishing Corporation, 2004, p. 197, (). E61 bomblets, which when dropped would detonate on impact dispersing an aerosol of biological agent
A biological agent (also called bio-agent, biological threat agent, biological warfare agent, biological weapon, or bioweapon) is a bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite, fungus, or toxin that can be used purposefully as a weapon in bioterroris ...
,[ usually ]anthrax
Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium ''Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The sk ...
.
See also
* Operation Polka Dot
References
{{U.S. biological weapons
Biological weapon delivery systems
Cluster munition
Cold War aerial bombs of the United States