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65-546: Originally developed as a strategic weapon , the DF-21's later variants were designed for both nuclear and conventional missions. It is thought to be able to carry a high explosive, submunition for tactical / theater -level missions, or a 300  kt nuclear warhead for strategic strikes. The latest variant, the DF-21D, was said to be the world's first anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM). The DF-21 has also been developed into

130-410: A propellant charge of more than four ounces [113 g], missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce [7 g], or mine or device similar to the above. (2) Poison gas. (3) Any weapon involving a disease organism. (4) Any weapon that is designed to release radiation at a level dangerous to human life. For the general purposes of national defense, the U.S. Code defines

195-432: A space warfare -capable anti-satellite weapon /anti-missile weapon carrier. Though the launcher vehicle itself is mobile to reduce vulnerability, an actual launch unit requires support vehicles that can cover a 300×300-meter area, making it hard to move quickly and easier to detect. Also, the wheeled launcher is not made to travel off-road and requires firm ground when firing to prevent backblast and debris damage due to

260-429: A "game changer" to completely count carriers out. First, the missile may not be able to single-handedly destroy its target, as the warhead is believed to only be enough to inflict a "mission kill" that makes a carrier unable to conduct flight operations. Secondly, there is the problem of finding its target. The DF-21D has a range estimated between 1,035 to 1,726 mi (899 to 1,500 nmi; 1,666 to 2,778 km), so

325-695: A 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) warhead. In 2009, the United States Naval Institute stated that there was "currently ... no defense against [a warhead able to destroy an aircraft carrier in one hit]" if it worked as theorized. It was reported in 2010 that China was finalizing development of a MaRV warhead for the DF-21. The United States Navy has responded by switching its focus from a close blockade force of shallow water vessels to return to building deep water ballistic missile defense (BMD) destroyers. The United States has also assigned most of its ballistic missile defense capable ships to

390-670: A DF-21D-style "double-cone" tip, and a hypersonic guild vehicle (HGV) similar to the DF-ZF on the DF-17 missile. It was in development by 2018. In 2018, the United States projected it would be ready for deployment by 2025. The missile is carried by the Xian H-6 N bomber; the aircraft has a recessed underside to carry the missile externally. The DF-21 may have been exported to Saudi Arabia . In January 2014, Newsweek reported that

455-624: A DF-26B, a DF-21D was launched into an area of the South China Sea between Hainan and the Paracel Islands , one day after China said that an American U-2 spy plane entered a no-fly zone without its permission during a Chinese live-fire naval drill in Bohai Sea off its north coast and came as Washington blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and targeted individuals it said were part of construction and military activities in

520-493: A Weapon of Mass Destruction may be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, and if resulting in death, be punishable by death or by imprisonment for any terms of years or for life. They can also be asked to pay a maximum fine of $ 250,000. The Washington Post reported on 30 March 2006: "Jurors asked the judge in the death penalty trial of Zacarias Moussaoui today to define the term 'weapons of mass destruction' and were told it includes airplanes used as missiles". Moussaoui

585-647: A card that trumps all forms of aggression"). In its criminal complaint against the main suspect of the Boston Marathon bombing of 15 April 2013, the FBI refers to a pressure-cooker improvised bomb as a "weapon of mass destruction." There have been calls to classify at least some classes of cyber weapons as WMD, in particular those aimed to bring about large-scale (physical) destruction, such as by targeting critical infrastructure . However, some scholars have objected to classifying cyber weapons as WMD on

650-478: A carrier battle group would need to be located through other means before launching. Over-the-horizon radars cannot pinpoint a carrier's exact location, and would have to be used in conjunction with Chinese recon satellites. Though recon aircraft and submarines could also be used to look for the carrier, they are vulnerable to the carrier battle group's defenses. Finally, although the DF-21D has radar and optical sensors for tracking, it has not yet been tested against

715-612: A chemical weapons stockpile in 2009 which U.N. personnel had secured after the 1991 Gulf War. The stockpile contained mainly chemical precursors, but some munitions remained usable. Because of its prolific use and (worldwide) public profile during this period, the American Dialect Society voted "weapons of mass destruction" (and its abbreviation, "WMD") the word of the year in 2002, and in 2003 Lake Superior State University added WMD to its list of terms banished for "Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness" (and "as

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780-404: A conventionally armed high hypersonic land-based anti-ship ballistic missile based on the DF-21. This is the first ASBM and weapon system capable of targeting a moving aircraft carrier strike group from long-range, land-based mobile launchers. The DF-21D is thought to employ maneuverable reentry vehicles (MaRVs) with a terminal guidance system. Such a missile may have been tested in 2005-6, and

845-666: A pre-operational nuclear reactor inside Iraq by the Israeli Air Force in 1981, the Israeli prime minister, Menachem Begin , countered criticism by saying that "on no account shall we permit an enemy to develop weapons of mass destruction against the people of Israel." This policy of pre-emptive action against real or perceived weapons of mass destruction became known as the Begin Doctrine . The term "weapons of mass destruction" continued to see periodic use, usually in

910-535: A relatively short time to actually search for a ship. This could enable the target to leave the area if the missile is detected soon enough before it engages its terminal sensors, and the slower speed upon reentry leaves it vulnerable to missile interceptors. The missile was shown to the public during the parade in Beijing celebrating 70 years since the end of World War II on September 3, 2015. A parade video shows missiles marked as DF-21D. On 26 August 2020, along with

975-399: A ship target moving at-sea at up to 55 km/h (30 kn; 34 mph), let alone ones using clutter and countermeasures. The missile's "kill chain" requires processing and constantly updating a carrier's location details, preparing the launch, programming information and firing. The U.S. military's AirSea Battle concept involves disrupting such kill chains. Some U.S. analysts believe that

1040-511: A speech at Rice University on 12 September 1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke of not filling space "with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding." The following month, during a televised presentation about the Cuban Missile Crisis on 22 October 1962, Kennedy made reference to "offensive weapons of sudden mass destruction." An early use of the exact phrase in an international treaty

1105-741: A speech at the United Nations probably written by Herbert Bayard Swope ). The phrase found its way into the very first resolution the United Nations General assembly adopted in January 1946 in London, which used the wording "the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other weapons adaptable to mass destruction." The resolution also created the Atomic Energy Commission (predecessor of

1170-448: A weapon of mass destruction as: For the purposes of the prevention of weapons proliferation , the U.S. Code defines weapons of mass destruction as "chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, and chemical, biological, and nuclear materials used in the manufacture of such weapons". For the purposes of U.S. criminal law concerning terrorism, weapons of mass destruction are defined as: The Federal Bureau of Investigation 's definition

1235-428: A weapon of mass destruction". He prefers to call chemical and biological weapons "weapons of terror" when aimed against civilians and "weapons of intimidation" for soldiers. Testimony of one such soldier expresses the same viewpoint. For a period of several months in the winter of 2002–2003, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz frequently used the term "weapons of mass terror", apparently also recognizing

1300-480: Is capable of targeting ballistic missiles and satellite outside of the Earth atmosphere. The "KF-21" (possible Chinese designation, NATO designation : CH-AS-X-13) is reported to be an air-launched variant of the DF-21 with a nuclear or anti-ship role. It is a two-stage missile with a range of 3000 km. Weight may have been reduced by using composite materials. The War Zone reported two possible warhead configurations;

1365-491: Is directed inwards, causing the pit of uranium or plutonium to compress to a dense point. Once the uranium/plutonium is dense enough, neutrons are then injected. This starts a fission chain reaction also known as an atomic explosion. Nuclear fusion is essentially the opposite of fission. It is the fusing together of nuclei, not the splitting of it. When exposed to extreme pressure and temperature, some lightweight nuclei can fuse together and form heavier nuclei, releasing energy in

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1430-489: Is in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, but the treaty provides no definition of the phrase, and the treaty also categorically prohibits the stationing of "weapons" and the testing of "any type of weapon" in outer space, in addition to its specific prohibition against placing in orbit, or installing on celestial bodies, "any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction." During

1495-684: Is made of the DF-21D's damage infliction ability based solely on velocity and kinetic energy, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute has calculated that the energy of an inert 500 kg (1,100 lb) RV impacting at Mach 6 had similar energy to the combined kinetic and explosive power of the American subsonic Harpoon anti-ship missile, which is one-quarter the energy of the Russian supersonic 12,800 lb (5,800 kg) Kh-22 missile traveling at Mach 4 with

1560-469: Is reported to have a similar 1,770+ km range, with a potential extended range of 2,150 km (1,340 mi). Revealed in 2006, the DF-21C is a terminally guided version that has a maximum range believed to be about 1,700 km (1,100 mi) and accuracy estimated to be 50~100m. The missile was the first dual-capable version, able to be armed with either a nuclear or conventional warhead. In 2010,

1625-402: Is similar to that presented above from the terrorism statute: Indictments and convictions for possession and use of WMD such as truck bombs, pipe bombs , shoe bombs, and cactus needles coated with a biological toxin have been obtained under 18 USC 2332a. As defined by 18 USC §2332 (a), a Weapon of Mass Destruction is: Under the same statute, conspiring, attempting, threatening, or using

1690-408: Is when the nucleus of an atom is split into smaller nuclei. This process can be induced by shooting a neutron at the nucleus of an atom. When the neutron is absorbed by the atom, it becomes unstable, causing it to split and release energy. Modern nuclear weapons start this process by detonating chemical explosives around a pit of either uranium-235 or plutonium-239 metal. The force from this detonation

1755-639: The 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States, an increased fear of nonconventional weapons and asymmetric warfare took hold in many countries. The fear reached a crescendo with the 2002 Iraq disarmament crisis and the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that became the primary justification for the 2003 invasion of Iraq ; however, American forces found none in Iraq. They found old stockpiles of chemical munitions including sarin and mustard agents , but all were considered to be unusable because of corrosion or degradation. Iraq, however, declared

1820-504: The Cold War , the term "weapons of mass destruction" was primarily a reference to nuclear weapons. At the time, in the West the euphemism " strategic weapons " was used to refer to the American nuclear arsenal. However, there is no precise definition of the "strategic" category, neither considering range nor yield of the nuclear weapon . Subsequent to Operation Opera , the destruction of

1885-478: The Cold War , the term came to refer more to non- conventional weapons . The application of the term to specifically nuclear and radiological weapons is traced by William Safire to the Russian phrase "Оружие массового поражения" – oruzhiye massovogo porazheniya (weapon of mass destruction). William Safire credits James Goodby (of the Brookings Institution ) with tracing what he considers

1950-622: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)). An exact use of this term was given in a lecture titled " Atomic Energy as a Contemporary Problem" by J. Robert Oppenheimer . He delivered the lecture to the Foreign Service and the State Department , on 17 September 1947. It is a very far reaching control which would eliminate the rivalry between nations in this field, which would prevent

2015-426: The U.S. President , the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency , the U.S. Department of Defense , and the U.S. Government Accountability Office . Other documents expand the definition of WMD to also include radiological or conventional weapons . The U.S. military refers to WMD as: Chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons capable of a high order of destruction or causing mass casualties and exclude

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2080-409: The biosphere . The scope and usage of the term has evolved and been disputed, often signifying more politically than technically. Originally coined in reference to aerial bombing with chemical explosives during World War II , it has later come to refer to large-scale weaponry of warfare -related technologies, such as biological , chemical , radiological , or nuclear warfare . The first use of

2145-472: The hard launch , restricting its firing locations to roads and pre-made launch pads. The basic variant DF-21 had a range of 1,770+ km, and a payload of 600 kg (1,300 lb) consisting of a single 500 kt nuclear warhead, with an estimated circular error probable (CEP) of 300~400 m; this version did not enter operational service. The DF-21A was operational by 1996 and has improved accuracy with an estimated CEP of 100~300 m. This version

2210-400: The 1990 invasion of Kuwait and 1991 Gulf War , Iraq's nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons programs became a particular concern of the first Bush Administration . Following the war, Bill Clinton and other western politicians and media continued to use the term, usually in reference to ongoing attempts to dismantle Iraq's weapons programs . After the 11 September 2001 attacks and

2275-557: The DF-21C was being deployed in central Western China. This is an anti-ship ballistic missile that has a maximum range exceeding 1,450 kilometres (900 mi; 780 nmi), according to the U.S. National Air and Space Intelligence Center . The Intelligence Center did not believe it was deployed in 2009. As of 2009, the guidance system was thought to be still in an evolutionary process as more UAVs and satellites are added. The US Department of Defense stated in 2010 that China has developed and reached initial operating capability (IOC) of

2340-445: The DF-21D does not fly any faster than Mach 5. The DF-21D may also not be as fast as theorized. While ballistic missiles reenter the atmosphere at speeds between Mach 8-15 at an altitude of 50 km (160,000 ft), increasing air resistance in the denser low-atmosphere region reduces terminal speed to around Mach 2 at 3–5 km (9,800–16,400 ft). It cannot acquire its target until this point due to ionization blockage, leaving

2405-538: The Pacific, extended the BMD program to all Aegis destroyers and increased procurement of SM-3 BMD missiles. The United States also has a large network optimized for tracking ballistic missile launches which may give carrier groups sufficient warning in order to move away from the target area while the missile is in flight. Kinetic defenses against the DF-21D would be difficult. The Navy's primary ballistic missile interceptor,

2470-548: The Russian report citing the 2008 interception of a malfunctioning satellite by a U.S. cruiser, but in that situation the warship had extensive knowledge of its location and trajectory. Against an attack from the Mach 10 DF-21D without knowing the missile's launch point, the U.S. Navy's only way to evade it would be through electronic countermeasures. Use of such a missile has been said by some experts to potentially lead to nuclear exchange, regional arms races with India and Japan, and

2535-453: The SM-3, would not be effective since it is designed to intercept missiles in the mid-course phase in space, so it would have to be launched almost immediately to hit before reentry or from an Aegis ship positioned under its flight path. The SM-2 Block 4 can intercept missiles reentering the atmosphere, but the warhead will be performing high-G maneuvers that may complicate interception. By 2016,

2600-637: The South China Sea. US officials subsequently assessed that the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) had fired four medium-range ballistic missiles in total. The missile tests drew criticism from Japan, the Pentagon and Taiwan. The DF-26 is an enhancement of the DF-21 with range increased to more than 5,000 km (3,100 mi). Its existence was officially confirmed by the Chinese state in

2665-467: The US Navy was testing the vastly more capable SM-6 , which is designed to intercept ballistic missiles in the terminal phase. The SM-6 began deployment in 2013. In late 2013, a Russian Military Analysis report of the DF-21D concluded that the only way to successfully counter it would be through electronic countermeasures . Conventional interceptions of high-speed objectives have worked in the past, with

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2730-718: The United Kingdom's Butler Review recognized the "considerable and long-standing academic debate about the proper interpretation of the phrase 'weapons of mass destruction ' ". The committee set out to avoid the general term but when using it, employed the definition of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 , which defined the systems which Iraq was required to abandon: Chemical weapons expert Gert G. Harigel considers only nuclear weapons true weapons of mass destruction, because "only nuclear weapons are completely indiscriminate by their explosive power, heat radiation and radioactivity, and only they should therefore be called

2795-475: The context of nuclear arms control ; Ronald Reagan used it during the 1986 Reykjavík Summit , when referring to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty . Reagan's successor, George H. W. Bush , used the term in a 1989 speech to the United Nations, primarily in reference to chemical arms. The end of the Cold War reduced U.S. reliance on nuclear weapons as a deterrent, causing it to shift its focus to disarmament. With

2860-968: The distinction between the psychological and the physical effects of many things currently falling into the WMD category. Gustavo Bell Lemus , the Vice President of Colombia , at 9 July 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, quoted the Millennium Report of the UN Secretary-General to the General Assembly , in which Kofi Annan said that small arms could be described as WMD because

2925-423: The earliest known English-language use soon after the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (although it is not quite verbatim): a communique from a 15 November 1945, meeting of Harry Truman , Clement Attlee and Mackenzie King (probably drafted by Vannevar Bush , as Bush claimed in 1970) referred to "weapons adaptable to mass destruction." Safire says Bernard Baruch used that exact phrase in 1946 (in

2990-618: The end of the INF Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union , to which the People's Republic of China is not a party. The emergence of the DF-21D has some analysts claiming that the "carrier killer" missiles have rendered the American use of aircraft carriers obsolete, as they are too vulnerable in the face of the new weapon and not worth the expense. Military leaders in the U.S. Navy and Air Force, however, do not see it as

3055-476: The fatalities they cause "dwarf that of all other weapons systems – and in most years greatly exceed the toll of the atomic bombs that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki ". An additional condition often implicitly applied to WMD is that the use of the weapons must be strategic. In other words, they would be designed to "have consequences far outweighing the size and effectiveness of the weapons themselves". The strategic nature of WMD also defines their function in

3120-519: The finish line of the Boston Marathon. He was convicted in April 2015. The bombing resulted in three deaths and at least 264 injuries. The development and use of WMD is governed by several international conventions and treaties . Nuclear weapons use the energy inside of an atom's nucleus to create massive explosions. This goal is achieved through nuclear fission and fusion. Nuclear fission

3185-470: The grounds that they "cannot [currently] directly injure or kill human beings as efficiently as guns or bombs" or clearly "meet the legal and historical definitions" of WMD. The most widely used definition of "weapons of mass destruction" is that of nuclear , biological , or chemical weapons (NBC) although there is no treaty or customary international law that contains an authoritative definition. Instead, international law has been used with respect to

3250-579: The launch of the Jianbing/ Yaogan satellites would give the Chinese targeting information from SAR ( synthetic-aperture radar ) and visual imaging respectively. The upgrades enhance China's ability to prevent US carriers from operating in the Taiwan Strait . Some have also suggested China could develop a DF-21D with multiple reentry vehicles . Between 2009 and 2012, China launched a series of satellites to support its ASBM efforts: China

3315-570: The means of transporting or propelling the weapon where such means is a separable and divisible part from the weapon. Also called WMD. This may also refer to nuclear ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles). The significance of the words separable and divisible part of the weapon is that missiles such as the Pershing II and the SCUD are considered weapons of mass destruction, while aircraft capable of carrying bombloads are not. In 2004,

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3380-425: The mid-2010s, but it had already been in service for several years. On 26 August 2020, a DF-26B was fired from Qinghai province into an area between Hainan and the Paracel Islands as a response to a U.S. U-2 spy plane entering into a no-fly zone during a Chinese live-fire naval drill the day earlier. Anti-satellite and Anti-ballistic missile version based on DF-21. Multiple test was conducted. The missile

3445-424: The military doctrine of total war as targeting the means a country would use to support and supply its war effort, specifically its population, industry, and natural resources. Within U.S. civil defense organizations, the category is now Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE), which defines WMD as: (1) Any explosive , incendiary , poison gas , bomb, grenade , or rocket having

3510-467: The missiles were purchased in 2007. Conventionally-armed DF-3 missiles were bought by Saudi Arabia in 1988, but were not used during the 1990-1991 Gulf War due to their poor accuracy and the potential for collateral damage . Saudi Arabia wanted the shorter-ranged but much more accurate DF-21 as an upgrade. The United States approved of the purchase on the condition that the missiles were conventionally-armed. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) examined

3575-436: The modified nosecones and concluded that nuclear warheads that might be purchased from China or Pakistan could not be fitted. Strategic weapon A weapon of mass destruction ( WMD ) is a biological , chemical , radiological , nuclear , or any other weapon that can kill or significantly harm many people or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natural structures (e.g., mountains), or

3640-659: The new weapons of mass destruction? At the time, nuclear weapons had not been developed fully. Japan conducted research on biological weapons (see Unit 731 ) , and chemical weapons had seen wide battlefield use in World War I . Their use was outlawed by the Geneva Protocol of 1925. Italy used mustard agent against civilians and soldiers in Ethiopia in 1935–36 . Following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II and during

3705-406: The process. Fusion weapons (also known as “thermonuclear” or “hydrogen” weapons) use the fission process to initiate fusion. Fusion weapons use the energy released from a fission explosion to fuse hydrogen isotopes together. The energy released from these weapons creates a fireball, which reaches tens of million degrees. A temperature of this magnitude is similar to the temperature found at center of

3770-428: The same category as chemical and " dirty bomb " radiological weapons, which have limited destructive potential (and close to none, as far as property is concerned), whereas nuclear and biological weapons have the unique ability to kill large numbers of people with very small amounts of material, and thus could be said to belong in a class by themselves. The NBC definition has also been used in official U.S. documents, by

3835-433: The specific categories of weapons within WMD, and not to WMD as a whole. While nuclear, chemical and biological weapons are regarded as the three major types of WMDs, some analysts have argued that radiological materials as well as missile technology and delivery systems such as aircraft and ballistic missiles could be labeled as WMDs as well. However, there is an argument that nuclear and biological weapons do not belong in

3900-895: The sun, so it shouldn't be any surprise to learn that the sun runs on fusion as well. The only country to have used a nuclear weapon in war is the United States , which dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. At the start of 2023, nine states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) and Israel—together possessed approximately 12 512 nuclear weapons, of which 9576 were considered to be potentially operationally available. An estimated 3844 of these warheads were deployed with operational forces, including about 2000 that were kept in

3965-449: The surreptitious arming of one nation against another, which would provide some cushion of time before atomic attack, and presumably therefore before any attack with weapons of mass destruction, and which would go a long way toward removing atomic energy at least as a source of conflict between the powers. The term was also used in the introduction to the hugely influential U.S. government document known as NSC 68 written in 1950. During

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4030-438: The term "weapon of mass destruction" on record is by Cosmo Gordon Lang , Archbishop of Canterbury , in 1937 in reference to the bombing of Guernica , Spain: Who can think at this present time without a sickening of the heart of the appalling slaughter, the suffering, the manifold misery brought by war to Spain and to China ? Who can think without horror of what another widespread war would mean, waged as it would be with all

4095-401: Was fitted with four control fins to perform a 25-G pull-up after reentering the atmosphere, traveling at Mach 8 and then gliding 30 nmi (35 mi; 56 km) to the target to pitch into a terminal dive. Army training manuals about the missile are available on the internet and public open-source literature extensively describes it; the DF-21 has a comparable range and payload. Though much

4160-485: Was indicted and tried for conspiracy to both destroy aircraft and use weapons of mass destruction, among others. The surviving Boston Marathon bombing perpetrator, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , was charged in June 2013 with the federal offense of "use of a weapon of mass destruction" after he and his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev allegedly placed crude shrapnel bombs, made from pressure cookers packed with ball bearings and nails, near

4225-658: Was reported to be working on an over-the-horizon radar in 2013 to locate the targets for the ASBM. An apparent test of the missile was made against a target in the Gobi Desert in January 2013. In 2014, the U.S. Navy reported that images that have appeared on the internet showed similarities of a DF-21D re-entry vehicle to the American Pershing II missile's RV, which was withdrawn from service in 1988. The Pershing II's RV weighed 1,400 lb (640 kg) and

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