The term "weapons of mass destruction" came into widespread use after
General Electric started defending its
trademark on the old term, "
NBC." The following objects are weapons of mass destruction:
- Nuclear weapons (ICBMs, SLBMs, Hiroshima bombs, etc.)
- Biological weapons (anthrax, bubonic plague, botulinum toxin, etc.)
- Chemical weapons (mustard gas, sarin, Agent Orange, etc.)
- Radiological weapons ("dirty bombs")
- Electromagnetic pulse weapons (sometimes included, sometimes not)
The following objects are
not classified as weapons of mass destruction, despite appearances to the contrary:
Some well-known users of weapons of mass destruction include: