CAPABILITIES
The added importance of the U.S. defensive capabilities to our WMD deterrence was highlighted in the introduction. The signing of the Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty in January 1993 coupled with the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972 limit U.S. response options and require that the remaining elements of deterrence be credible. WMD defense capabilities are an integral part of this credibility. This section identifies capabilities that are essential to improve WMD protection and increase deterrence in accordance with the response options defined in joint doctrine: BMC4I; counterforce operations; active defense; and passive defense.
BMC4I. The WMD environment greatly complicates battlefield management and necessitates new capabilities to maintain command and control. The use of WMD may arise suddenly, and the political, strategic, and psychological impact will require the CINC to have available a theater system that rapidly and accurately provides: theater warning of pending WMD use, rapid assessment of type weapon used, assessment of damage, potential for further damage, and requirements to treat the affected personnel and equipment. Simultaneously and rapidly, the CINC must be able to coordinate the resources available to neutralize and decontaminate personnel, equipment, and key terrain. This requires an integrated system, capable of performing these critical functions across traditional service boundaries. The anticipated involvement in coalition warfare will require theater wide coordination and support for allies, as well. Present service oriented systems are not interoperable, duplicate some functions, while wasting resources and leaving key gaps elsewhere. With its expertise in the Chemical Corps and Chemical School, the Army could best coordinate all of these WMD requirements through a theater level system. PL 103-160 can be the
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