NUCLEAR,
BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS
March 12, 2007: The United States has completed the
destruction of the last of its 478,000 M55 115mm nerve gas rockets. These 78
inch long, 57 pound, weapons, each carried ten pounds of VX or GB liquefied
nerve gas. These rockets were manufactured from the late 1950s, to the early
1960s, and were soon considered obsolete (because of short range and poor
construction). It was believed that the propellant would become increasingly
liable to spontaneously ignite, some 27 years after they were manufactured.
Another problem was that the warheads leaked, and required constant monitoring.
The Anniston Army Depot began destroying the last 35,000 M55 rockets last July,
and destroyed all of them without incident. The nerve gas was incinerated.
