Abstract
For nearly 50 years, NATO nations have developed biological weapons or countermeasures to biological weapons [1], both efforts pursued in response to the threat of possible first use of biological warfare agents against the alliance. Prior to the termination of the biological warfare programs of NATO members in the late 1960s, an offensive capability was considered the best defense or deterrent against Soviet use of biological warfare. The focus of biological defense programs, then and now, has been protection of military forces. The major world powers developed field detectors, masks and protective clothing, vaccines, drugs and diagnostics to eliminate or reduce the potential threat. Although it is now known that the US, Russia, the UK, Canada and other nations possessed biological weapons, the threat has not been realized on a modern battlefield.
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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Franz, D.R. (2001). Medical Countermeasures to Biological Warfare Agents. In: Kelle, A., Dando, M.R., Nixdorff, K. (eds) The Role of Biotechnology in Countering BTW Agents. NATO Science Series, vol 34. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0775-7_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0775-7_18
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-6906-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0775-7
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