UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS - 3 ANSWERS, PART 20: Biological weapons?

Oberst Jürgen Schlechter is the head of the Bundesheer's ABC defense center, which deals with nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. Here he answers current questions about the war in Ukraine.

The Bundesheer Expert's Opinion:

What are the ways and extent bioweapons work and how are they used?

Biological warfare agents are pathogens that cause infectious diseases, and biologically sourced toxins (toxins) that cause poisoning. According to the Biological Toxin Weapons Convention of 1975, they are classified as prohibited weapons of mass destruction. They are not traditional battlefield weapons: they have a delayed effect due to their incubation period and do not differentiate between soldiers and civilians.

The use of biological weapons requires overcoming several technical hurdles, their effectiveness also depends on the hygiene and immune status of the affected organisms, and protection for the deployer is difficult. Easily transmissible pathogens can trigger epidemics (and pandemics) that can weaken the entire society and compromise its health system. Additionally, there may be socio-economic consequences. Animal and plant diseases can have a massive impact on food supply and the economy.

The most effective and likely method of infection for a biological weapons attack is through the air, i.e., through aerosols disseminated via spraying devices and directly taken up by those affected.

What are effective countermeasures or protective measures?

Protection is preventive - if available - through vaccinations and after dissemination only possible by filtering the air and effective body protection. This is mainly done through protective masks with suitable filtration efficiency and measures for avoiding contact. In addition, ABC protection measures are required: primarily identifying the type, location, and boundaries through ABC reconnaissance, medical countermeasures in case of poisoning, creating spread predictions for timely warning and alerting affected individuals.

Creating spread predictions is particularly difficult for transmissible diseases, as the effects depend on numerous factors, such as weather, transmission routes, population immunity, or pathogen resistance.

Can the use of biological weapons have an impact on Austria?

Should easily transmissible pathogens be used, the spread of the disease in the specific case should also be considered in Austria. Proving a biological attack is difficult. Because forensic evidence of who intentionally released the pathogens and that it was not a naturally occurring epidemic is extremely difficult to establish.

BUNDESHEER Online

UKRAINE: 3 Questions – 3 Answers

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 19: ABC THREATS?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 18: SUPPLY?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 17: MISSILES AND AIR DEFENSE?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 16: AIR COMBAT?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 15: COMBINED ARMS COMBAT?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 14: TANK COMBAT?

– 

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 12: CYBERWAR?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 11: NEUTRALITY?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 10: HOW'S IT GOING?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 9: ABC THREAT?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 8: BATTLE FOR THE CITIES

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 7: AIR WAR AND DRONES

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 6: NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND NUCLEAR THREAT

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 5: WHICH WEAPONS?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 4: WEAPONS FOR KYIV?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 3: IS THERE RESISTANCE?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 2: WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ATTACK?

– UKRAINE: 3 QUESTIONS – 3 ANSWERS, PART 1: WHAT'S HAPPENING?