Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

File: 970613_srep169_90_txt_0001.txt
Page: 0001
Total Pages: 1

(b.2.)
SUBJECT:  IIRAQ/KUWAIT/SAUDI ARABIA: SITREP 169-90 (U)
RMKS: (U)  THE FOLLOWING IS A TURN OF A DIA MESSAGE, PROVIDED FOR
YOUR INFORMATION
 (U)  IN SUPPORT OF DESERT SHILED AND TO PROVIDE A CONCISE BASELINE
INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT OF THE IRAQI CHEMICAL WEAPON (CW) THREAT.
THE FOLLOWING IS A COORDINATED SUMMARY OF KNOWN, REPORTED, AND
POSSIBLE IRAQI CW SYSTEMS AND THEIR FILL AGENTS.  THIS INFORMATION
IS BEING USED BY THE ARMY'S CHEMICAL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND
ENGINEERING CENTER (CORDEC) FOR FUTHER THREAT ASSESSMENT.
A.                     CHEMICAL WARFARE (CW) WEAPON SYSTEMS.  KNOWN IRAQI
CHEMICAL FILL AGENTS
SYSTEM           GA     GB      GF         HD         CS     D-HD
MISSILES
SCUD B(1)         -      P      X          X          -       -
AL HUSAYN (1)     -      P      X          X          -       -
AL ABBAS (1)      -      P      X          X          -       -
AIR DELIVERED
250-KG BOMB       X      X      X          X          -       X
500-KG BOMB       X      X      X          X          -       X
90-MM ROCKET (2)  -      -      -          X          -       -
ARTILLERY
130-MM            -      X      -          X          X       -
152-MM (1)        -      X      X          P          X       -
155-MM (3)        -      X      X          X          -       P
ROCKETS (MRL)
122-MM (1)        X      X      X          X          -       P
122-MM WITH
CANISTER (4)      -      X      P          X          -       -
MORTARS
82-MM             -      X      -          X          X       -
120-MM            -      X      -          X          X       -
X - MOST LIKELY FILL.
P - POSSIBLE FILL.
(1)  - BINARY AND/OR UNITARY FILLS   H
(2)  - HELICOPTER DELIVERED.
(3)  - PREFERRED WEAPON FOR ARTILLERY CHEMICAL ATTACKS.
(4)  - THE WARHEAD FOR THIS IRAQI SYSTEM HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO
ACCOMODATE 2 OR 3 CANISTERS OR BOTTLES CONTAINING CW AGENT.  THE
WARHEAD MAY EITHER CONTAIN CANISTERS OF SIMILAR CW AGENT OR A MIXTURE OF
CANNISTERS WITH DIFFERENT AGENTS.  THIS LATTER IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS A COCKTAIL.
B.                   ESTIMATED WEAPON SYSTEM FILL WEIGHTS, KILOGRAMS.
KNOWN IRAQI CHEMICAL FILL AGENTS.
SYSTEM         GA     GB        GF         HD      CS    D-HD
MISSILIES
SCUD B(1)      -      512       530        596     -     -
AL HUSAYN (2)  -      69        71         80      -     -
AL ABBAS (2)   -      189-241   196-249    220-280 -     -
AIR-DELIVERED  -
250-KG BOMB    47     47        47         55      -     55
500-KG BOMB    (106)  (108)     (101)      (125)   -     (125)
90-MM ROCKET   -      -         -          UNK     -     -
ARTILLERY
130-MM         -      1.6       -          (1.9)   UNK   -
152-MM         -      3         3          (3.5)   UNK   -
155-MM         -      3         3          (3.5)   -     (3.5)
ROCKETS (MRL)
122-MM         (3.1)  (3.1)     (3.1)      (3.6)   -     (3.6)
122-MM WITH
CANISTER (3)   -       8-10     8-10       (9-12)  -     -
MORTARS
82-MM          -       UNK      -          UNK     UNK   -
120-MM         -       1.6      -          (1.9)   UNK   -
- THE FILL WEIGHT FOR THESE SYSTEMS IS UNKNOWN.  THE VALUES IN
PARENTHESES ARE ESTIMATES BASED ON SIMILAR USSR CW SYSTEMS.
UNK - THE FILL WEIGHT FOR THESE SYSTEMS IS UNKNOWN AND THERE IS NOT
A SOVIET EQUIVALENT.
(1) - FILL WEIGHT BASED ON 300-KM RANGE.
(2) - FILL WEIGHT BASED ON 600-KM RANGE.
(3) - THE WARHEAD FOR THIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN STRETCHED TO ACCOMMODATE
THE ADDITIONAL FILL AGENT CANISTERS.
C.                         DESCRIPTION OF KNOWN IRAQI CW FILL AGENTS.
GA - TABUN, SEMIPERSISTENT NERVE AGENT.
GB - SARIN, NONPERSISTENT NERVE AGENT.
GP - GF, SEMIPERSISTENT NERVE AGENT.
HD - SULFUR MUSTARD, PERSISTENT BLISTER AGENT.
CS - CS, RIOT CONTROL AGENT, NOT CONSIDERED A CW AGENT BY THE U.S.
D-HD - DUSTY SULFUR MUSTARD, BLISTER AGENT.   (b.1. sec. 1.5.c.)
D.                                POSSIBLE IRAQI CW FILL AGENTS.
IN ADDITION TO THE KNOWN AGENTS DESCRIBED IN SUBPARAGRAPH C., IRAQ
IS BELIEVED TO BE DEVELOPING A VX-TYPE NERVE AGENT.  THE NECESSARY
PRECURSOR CHEMICALS HAVE BEEN IN IRAQ SINCE 1988 TO PRODUCE UP TO 20
METRIC TONS (MT) OF VX.  ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT KNOWN WITH CERTAINTY
THAT VX HAS BEEN PRODUCED, IT IS ASSESSED THAT UP TO 10-20 MT COULD
BE AVAILABLE FOR DELIVERY.  REPORTS ALSO INDICATE THAT PHOSGENE
OXIME (CX), A SEMIPERSISTENT BLISTER AGENT, MAY BE STOCKPILED.  THE
SIZE OF CX STOCKPILE IS UNKNOWN.
(b.2., b.6.)