CBRNE and CONUNDRUM have more in common than just a few consonants. In many respects CBRNE is a conundrum - a multi-faceted puzzle that has challenged our government and befuddled policymakers right from the most fundamental issue of its nomenclature. The CBRNE acronym stands for chemical, biological, radiological,nuclear, and explosives. This phrase evolved from the cold war term of NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical), which had been updated from ABC (atomic, biological, and chemical). The more recent addition of the "E" was due to the fact that the dissemination of NBC weapons usually involves some type of explosive. The "E" is not always included and some make it lower case.
CBRNE agents are also sometimes referred to WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction); however these terms are not necessarily interchangeable. Regardless as to what these agents are called, they are an issue of great concern to our country, not only for their potential to cause mass destruction and damage, but more for their ability to cause mass disruption.
While we tend to lump all CBRNE types together in terms of WMD threats, they each differ in their characteristics, ease of development and acquisition, ability to cause damage, and likelihood of occurrence. Some of the most striking differences are in their presentation. A nuclear attack would go off with a loud detonation and flash of light,while a biological or chemical attack could happen without any obvious warning. Biological agents are particularly covert because they do not cause illness for several hours or days after exposure. This ability to remain undetected may increase their attractiveness as a weapon of choice for terrorists. Despite their many differences, CBRNE agents share a powerful and unifying trait - the ability to generate fear. Read the monograph.
Thank you to Council member FLIR for sponsoring this monograph
