View the PDF document Defending against biological attack : Importance of biotechnology in preparadness (Review Paper)

Defence Science Journal

Brad Roberts¹  Graham S. Pearson² 

[1]Institute for Defence Analyses, Yirginia, USA

[2]Universiw of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 lDl? UK

关键词: Biotechnology;    Biological weapons;    Biological warfare;    Counter insurgency;    Biological warfare programm;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Defence Scientific Information & Documentation Centre

【 摘 要 】

"The danger of biological warfare hasrightly received increasing attention during the past decade. Although143 State Parties have signed the Biological and Toxin WeaponsConvention (BTWC), there havebeen reports of around a dozen statespossessing or seeking to possess biological weapons. There is even aview that the potential threat from biological and chemical weapons isgreater than that from nuclear weapons. Biological warfare programme arealso being considered for counter-insurgency use and tacticalapplications in the regional conflicts. Even small groups appear to havethe means to launch a biological attack, an example of which was theattack with the nerve gas, sarin, in a Tokyo subway, in 1994, Defenceagainst biological attacks has so far received little attention.Thisarticle begins with an assessment of the potential biological threat andconsiders the vulnerabilities of states facing such threat. It thenconsiders the role of political-military coalitions in meeting thechallenges of the aggressor and goes on to evaluate and identify the vulnerabilities of coalition partners. It also addresses the measuresnecessary to minimise those vulnerabilities, by active and passivedefence, and examines the role biotechnology in such protectivemeasures. It then briefly surveys the biological warfare defencecapabilities of different countries. It concludes with a discussion ofpolicy initiatives useful for addressing gaps by promoting cooperationamong the interested parties. The key elements of protective measuresagainst biological and toxin weapons attack are hazard assessment,detection, physical protection, identification and diagnosis, andmedical countermeasures. Biotechnology is vital for further advances inall these areas for both civil and military requirements

【 授权许可】

Unknown