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2660z136.ast 16 November 1990 SUBJECT: WEAPONIZATION A. The Iraqis have successfully produced and weaponized large quantities of the blister agent sulfur mustard and the nerve agents tabun, sarin, and GF. B. The Iraqis have adapted a number of conventional munitions for the delivery of chemical agents. An example is the Spanish-made 250-kg white phosporous bomb used to deliver mustard and nerve agents. The bombs were purchased without the fill and were subsequently filled with the CW agents. The same holds true for other munitions; none of those purchased was orignally designed for CW agents. In addition to 250- and 500-kg aerial bombs, the Iraqis have filled and used 90-mm air-to-ground rockets; 82- and 120-mm mortar rounds; various artillery projectiles; and 122-mm artillery rockets, which had agent-filled plastic containers in the warheads. * * * T he potential also exists for the filling of submunition-type warheads and bombs. Table 5: CHEMICAL MUNITIONS USED BY IRAQ AERIAL BOMBS (250, 500-KG) ARTILLERY (130, 152, 155-MM) ROCKETS (122-MM) AERIAL ROCKETS (90-MM) MORTARS (82, 120-MM) NOTE: - NONE KNOWN FOR FROGS - NOT USED BUT NOW PROBABLE FOR SCUD-B/IMPROVED SSMs; NUMBER UNKNOWN BUT BELIEVED LIMITED. C. No information is available concerning markings used by Iraq to identify chemical munitions. Chemical ammunition captured during the Iran/Iraq war, do not have markings that can be identified as referring to the chemical fill. One example of this is the Spanish-made 250-kg white phosporus bomb used during the war to deliver mustard or nerve agents. A number of such bombs, filled with mustard agent, were reportedly found damaged but unexploded in march 1984. They were painted light-green with a yellow band near the nose. The band is estimated to be 2.5 inches wide. Each bomb had two suspension lugs and bore the letters "BR-250-WP" (Bomb, retarded, 250-kg, white phosporus). One of the bomb fuses had the following inscription in Spanish: "For arming time less than 6 seconds, remove screw. Red dial reading means danger type munitons Lot 83.1." The bombs were purchased from Spain without the white phosporus filling and were subsequently filled with the chemical agents. However, it is not known if the Iraqis altered in any way the appearance of these bombs. The same holds true for other types of munitions as well such as air-to-ground rockets; mortar rounds, artillery projectiles, and artillery rockets; none of these purchased were originally designed for chemical agents. Table 6: IRAQI DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR POTENTIAL CHEMICAL AGENT DELIVERY TYPE CALIBER WEAPON MAX. RANGE (KM) Mortar 82-mm -- 3.1 120-mm -- 5.6 Artillery 122-mm M-30 11.8 D-30 15.3 2S1 15.3 D-74 24.0 130-mm M-46 27.5 152-mm D-1 12.4 ML-20 17.2 D-20 17.4 Type 66 17.4 2A36 28.0 155-mm G-5 30.0 GHN-45 30.3 MRL 122-mm BM-21 20.5 FIROS-25 25.0 SAKR-30 28.0 Rocket 540-mm FROG-7 73.0 LAYTH 90.0 Missile 884-mm SCUD-B 300.0 ? HUSAYN 600.0? ? ABBAS 735.0? Note: base-bleed artillery projectiles would have greater ranges with the same payload. Rocket-assisted projectiles (RAP) would have greater ranges but with reduced payloads. Chemical munitions of this type have not been reported in Iraq.
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