Unconventional Warfare: Nuclear, Biological War

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Unconventional Warfare
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Reconnaissance Evolution
Unconventional warfare by means of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) methods have existed for millennia. Dating as far back as the Hellenistic Age, this means of lethality has been evidenced through textual findings where Alexander the Great and his Army sustained poisoned arrows from Indian rivals. With the evolution that comes with time, the extensive use of chlorine and mustard gas were introduced by Germans during World War I (Landau, 1991). More recently in 2013, the confirmed stockpile and use of chemical weapons in Syria and North Korea has threatened the safety of the global community with terrorism and tactics of surprise. In order to combat this resurgence of CBRN warfare, the United States Army developed and continuously adapts to these types of threats by employing CBRN Defense. Under this system, CBRN reconnaissance operations were established to observe an area to locate and identify any possible contamination. Managed by CBRN reconnaissance platoons, these operations remain one of the most important defense principles of contamination avoidance.
CBRN Reconnaissance Key Mobile Detection Systems
In 1995, the Fox M93A1 Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Reconnaissance System (NBCRS) was developed as a variant of a German mobile detection concept (Military Analysis Network, 2001). The FOX is a lightly armored, wheeled system whose primary mission is to detect, identify, mark, sample and report contamination. Reconnaissance elements are able to utilize this highly mobile laboratory to instantaneously analyze water, air, and ground samples for indications of contamination. These vehicles encompass a full dimensi...

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Works Cited

(2004). FM 3-11.19 Multiservice tactics, techniques, and procedures for nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance.
Landau, E. (1991). Chemical and biological warfare. (p. 51). New York, NY: Lodestar Books.
Mauroni, A. (2000). America's struggle with chemical-biological warfare. (p. 151). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
Military Analysis Network. (2001, March). Fox M93A1 Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Reconnaissance System (NBCRS). Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m93a1.htm
Stark, T. (2006, June). NBCRV Latest Stryker variant to be tested. TSM Stryker/Bradley Corner.
Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for CBRN. (2013, December). Retrieved from
http://www.cbrneportal.com/using-unmanned-aerial-vehicles-uavs-for-chemical-biologicalradiological-nuclear-cbrn-reconnaissance

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