Iraqi Chemical Agents and Their Capabilities

Info from the Gulflink in relation to types of chemicals held by Iraq prior to and during the Gulf War.


(http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/declass docs/dia/950719/950719_73455727.html)
KNOWN IRAQI CHEMICAL FILL AGENTS
GA..... GB.... GF.... HD.... CS..... D-HD

NOTES:
(FN1) - BINARY AND/OR UNITARY FILLS.
(FN2) - HELICOPTER DELIVERED.
(FN3) - PREFERRED WEAPON FOR ARTILLERY CHEMICAL ATTACKS.
(FN4) - THE WARHEAD FOR THIS IRAQI SYSTEM HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO ACCOMMODATE 2 OR 3 CANISTERS OR BOTTLES CONTAINING CW AGENT. THE WARHEAD MAY EITHER CONTAIN CANISTERS OF SIMILAR CW AGENT OR A MIXTURE OF CANISTERS WITH DIFFERENT AGENTS. THIS LATER CASE IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS A COCKTAIL.

X - MOST LIKELY FILL.
P - POSSIBLE FILL.

MISSILES:

SCUD B(FN1) - P X X - -
AL HUSAYN(FN1) - P X X - -
AL ABBAS(FN1) - P X X - -

AIR-DELIVERED:

250-KG BOMB X X X X - X
500-KG BOMB X X X X - X
90-MM ROCKET(FN2) - - - X - -

ARTILLERY:

130-MM - X - X X -
152-MM(FN1) - X X P X -
155-MM(FN3) - X X X - P

ROCKETS (MRL):

122-MM(FN1) X X X X - P
122-MM WITH CANISTER(FN4) - X P X - -

MORTARS:

82-MM - X - X X -
120-MM - X - X X -

ESTIMATED WEAPON SYSTEM FILL WEIGHTS, KILOGRAMS.
KNOWN IRAQI CHEMICAL FILL AGENTS
(ALL WEIGHTS ESTIMATED)
GA..... GB.... GF.... HD.... CS..... D-HD

NOTES:

(FN1) - FILL WEIGHT BASED ON 300-KM RANGE.
(FN2) - FILL WEIGHT BASED ON 600-KM RANGE.
(FN3) - THE WARHEAD FOR THIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN STRETCHED TO ACCOMMODATE THE ADDITIONAL FILL AGENT CANISTERS.

MISSILES:

SCUD B(FN1) - 512 530 596 - -
AL HUSAYN(FN2) - 69 71 80 - -
AL ABBAS(FN2) - 189-241 196-249 220-280 - -

AIR-DELIVERED:

250-KG BOMB 47 47 47 55 - 55
500-KG BOMB (106) (108) (101) (125) - (125)
90-MM ROCKET - - - UNK - -

ARTILLERY:

130-MM - 1.6 - (1.9) UNK -
152-MM - 3 3 (3.5) UNK -
155-MM - 3 3 (3.5) - (3.5)

ROCKETS (MRL):

122-MM (3.1) (3.1) (3.1) (3.6) - (3.6)
122-MM WITH CANISTER(FN3) - 8-10 8-10 (9-12) - -


MORTARS:

82-MM - UNK - UNK UNK -
120-MM - 1.6 - (1.9) UNK -

DESCRIPTION OF KNOWN IRAQI CW FILL AGENTS.

GA - TABUN, SEMIPERSISTENT NERVE AGENT.
GB - SARIN, NONPERSISTENT NERVE AGENT.
GF - GF, SEMIPERSISTENT NERVE AGENT.
HD - SULFUR MUSTARD, PERSISTENT BLISTER AGENT.
CS - CS, RIOT CONTROL AGENT, NOT CONSIDERED A CW AGENT BY THE U.S.
D-HD - DUSTY SULFUR MUSTARD, BLISTER AGENT. DUE TO ITS SMALL DROPLET SIZE (1-5 MICRONS) DUSTY MUSTARD CAN PENETRATE THE PROTECTIVE ENSEMBLE. NEAT SULFUR MUSTARD HAS A DROPLET SIZE OF 200-500 MICRONS.

POSSIBLE IRAQI CW FILL AGENTS.

IN ADDITION TO THE KNOWN AGENTS DESCRIBED ABOVE , IRAQ IS BELIEVED TO BE DEVELOPING A VX-TYPE NERVE AGENT. THE NECESSARY PRECURSOR CHEMICALS HAVE BEEN IN IRAQ SINCE 1988 TO PRODUCE UP TO 200 METRIC TONS (MT) OF VX. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT KNOWN WITH CERTAINTY THAT VX HAS BEEN PRODUCED, IT IS ASSESSED THAT UP TO 10-20 MT COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR DELIVERY. REPORTS ALSO INDICATE THAT PHOSGENE OXIME (CX), A SEMIPERSISTENT BLISTER AGENT, MAY BE STOCKPILED. THE SIZE OF CX STOCKPILE IS UNKNOWN.



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