Changes in military capabilities

Inexorable the growing militarization of the great powers and nonstate terrorist groups have modified the globally military capabilities. For that reason, weapons production capabilities are more widespread. Global south countries and terrorist organizations are even participating in the manufacturing of modern aircraft, tanks, and small arms. Furthermore, an increasing trend to make modern and affective weapons started from the Iraq war.  

Trends in the Weapon Trade

During cold war, many states sought to increase their security by purchasing arms from suppliers and alliances. The world arms trade was valued at $4 billion in 1961. After that, arms imports rapidly climbed and in 1987 it reached $84 billion (the USA.ACDA, 1997). The end of the cold war did not stop the arms trade and throughout the era, the race continued. Moreover, the total value of international arms transfer was over $611 billion and still growing each year. Between 2010 and 2014, trade of the major weapons were imported by 153 countries. In them, there is a large percentage of global south countries. Top five among them which accounted for 33 percent of arms imports, includes China, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

It is true that there was a security issue states faced internally and externally. Weak states sought weapons towards their allies and supplies. USA and Russia are the most globally arms exporter in the world. USA had alone cornered 40 percent of the world arms exporter (USA, ACDA).  Furthermore, Iraq sought large volumes of less advanced major weapons to combat ISIS force, the same as Nigeria and Cameroon fight against Boko Haram.

 Weapon of Mass Destruction

Weapon of mass destruction comprise three general types.

·         Nuclear weapon

·         Chemical weapon

·         Biological weapon

Nuclear weapon

Nuclear weapon is the world's most destructive weapon. A single weapon size of a refrigerator can destroy a city. There are two types of nuclear weapons, fission weapon, and fusion weapon. In fission one atom splits into two small mass of the atom. It is a chain reaction in which splitting atom release neutron to split more atoms. Radioactive materials are used in nuclear, like uranium and plutonium.

Fission weapons are less expensive than fusion. Very first fission weapon invented by USA in a secret world war II science program known as Manhattan project (1945). To the extent, this, one uranium and one plutonium bomb were used to destroy Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed 100,000 civilians in each city. After the world's first atomic bomb, the Soviet Union built a nuclear bomb with the explosive force of 57,000,000-tons of TNT. As the cold war era started many states tried to get or make a nuclear bomb of their security. Among them, some states voluntarily gave up their nuclear program, included Ukraine, South Korea, and Libya.

Fusion weapons are expensive and technologically complex, only the richest, largest, and most technological state can capable to make. Infusion, two atoms fuse to gather into a large one atom- releasing large amounts of energy. To make this reaction requires very high temperature. Power of fusion weapon is between 1 and 200 kilotons.

Fusion reaction can energy kill people in a few days, even its low dose creates long term health problems. Nuclear weapon not only blasts of the explosion, but also radiates heat and radiations. It creates an electromagnetic pulse that can disrupt and destroy electronic equipment.

Ballistic Missiles and Other Delivery System

Delivery system for getting nuclear weapons to their target itself a weapon. During the cold war, nuclear delivery systems were divided into two categories. The first one is a strategic weapon that could hit an enemy’s homeland. They usually are long-range missiles. Strategic weapons are ballistic missiles. Largest-range missiles are called intercontinental ballistic missiles, range more than 5,000 miles. Scud missiles were by Iraq in Saudi Arabia and Israel during the gulf war were intercontinental ballistic missiles. In recent 2012, North Korea has tested transcontinental distance missiles.

Second category of missiles is a tactical nuclear weapon- a weapon of battlefield use. They are short-range ballistic missiles range under 1000 miles. In the cold war, both superpowers integrated their tactical weapon into conventional air, sea, and land force. These missiles can be fired from sites, mobiles, and large trailer trucks.  Furthermore, cruise missiles are small winged missiles, range thousands of miles, controlled by the help of satellite.    

Chemical weapon

Chemical weapons release chemicals that disable and kill people. It varies from lethal to an irritating one. Chemical weapons affect the human nervous system, blood, breathing, or other body function. In addition to this, some chemical can be absorbed through skin other must be inhaled. The chemical weapon could be defendable by wearing protective clothes and gas masks. Protective suits are hot and it reduces the efficiency of the army.

In war, chemical weapons were used in rare.  Firstly mustard gas, a chemical weapon, was used in World War I. in WW II, both sides had chemical weapons but had not used against each other. Moreover, China, India, France, Britain, South Korea had chemical weapons. Russia had 44,000-ton arsenal of chemical weapons and still faces long-term work to demolish them.

 After the horror of WW1 chemical weapons were banned in the 1925 Geneva protocol. The 1925 treaty had a soft spot. It did ban only on their use, not their production or possession. After WW1, only Iraq has violated the treaty against Iran in the 1980s. The 1992 chemical weapon convention to ban the production and possession, and signed almost all state, except Egypt, Syria, and North Korea. In addition to this, strict verification provisions and the threat of sanction were included in the 1992 chemical weapon convention against violators including participants and non-participants.

Biological Weapon:

Biological and chemical weapons are sometimes regarded as ‘poor man’s atomic bomb’ because they can be built at the low cost and cause widespread injuries and deaths. Biological weapons resemble chemical weapons. In this weapon microorganism and biologically derived toxins are used. Furthermore, the use of viruses or bacteria causes fatal diseases, such as small boxe, bubonic, plague, and anthrax.

Historically, biological weapons have never been used in war. Somehow, japan tried some on a few Chinese villages in WWII. International law prohibits the use and possession of chemical and biological weapons. The 1972 biological weapon convention banned all manufacture and possession of biological weapons and had taken strong restrictions. Thus, in the mid-1990s UN uncovered an active biological weapons program in Iraq during the inspection.