Weapons of Mass Destruction

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) are capable of causing damage and casualties on a large scale. Weapon types can include biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological.

Fast Facts

1. Also know as WMDs
2. Used to describe nuclear weapons during the Cold War¹
3. Capable of large-scale damage and death
4. Possessed by several countries²
5. Can have long-lasting effects²

Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons are one type of WMD. Nuclear weapons can be very expensive and difficult to make, but their effects are long lasting. The United States first developed the atomic bomb. In 1945, the U.S. dropped a bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. It is estimated that a one-megaton blast could kill 250,000 while injuring another half million. It could also destroy any building within a 1.7-mile radius. For safety and security reasons, negotiations have limited the amount of nuclear weapons possessed by countries around the world.²

WMD Types

• Biological²
• Chemical²
• Nuclear²
• Radiological²

WMDs in Fiction

• Star Wars - Death Star space station capable of destroying entire planets
• The Day the Earth Stood Still - Nuclear weapons
• Dr. Strangelove - Nuclear weapons
• Austin Powers films - Dr. Evil's devastating "laser"
• Dune - Stone burner atomic weapon
• Doctor Who - Alien weapons
• Independence Day - Alien spacecraft capable of leveling cities

Categories