[oceanview]

maybe I am missing something, but the units holding these VX weapons are going to be bombed, right? now when the bombs are dropped on these stockpiles, won't the nerve gas be released onto the Iraqi units holding them? I would also like to know why, if we somehow can know that this material is being deployed, why not hit the VX depot with a predator and release the material amongst the Iraqi troops in advance of our advance? who would even know it was us, the story could be that they exploded because of mishandling.

[Grampa Dave]

Just remember what you posted and be quiet.

[Coop]

maybe I am missing something, but the units holding these VX weapons are going to be bombed, right?

WMD weapons are top proirity targets. Our folks will not be sitting back waiting to see if they throw chemicals or bio agents our way.

God bless our troops!

[ishmac]

I would also like to know why, if we somehow can know that this material is being deployed, why not hit the VX depot with a predator and release the material amongst the Iraqi troops in advance of our advance?

That could happen, but much of the agent would probably be destroyed in a fireball after impact. Also, chem weapons tend to be volatile, so the remaining agent wouldn't persist forever. I'm not up on the staying power of VX, though.

The another easy thing to do is blaze through the area with M1A2 tanks, which are protected against chem/bio weapons. Following units could steer clear of the area until the volatility of the agent neutralizes itself.

[Chuckster]

Well, in the olden days, 1966-1980, a rocket landing in the ammo pit would just scatter the un-fused rounds. They wouldn't explode. Of course the Iraqis may handle their artillery projectiles differently but in the US Army, the fuses are not usually affixed to the projo until just before firing. Its almost impossible, IIRC, to set of an un-fused round, especially one designed to deliver nerve agent which is not packed with HE.

These things aren't like a .30-'06 round. The projectile and the powder charge are kept seperate until they are loaded into the weapon.