Most Terrifying Weapons

courtesy : Reuters / Harsh kalan

10] Napalm

This is an extremely flammable gel that is often used in ammunitions that contain gasoline thickened with special soaps. Napalm has been used in various confilcts around the globe including World War 2, the Vietnam War and even the Indian-Pakistan Wars of 1965 and 71.


While napalm bombs are just as dangerous, users prefer flamethrowers that allow them to literally spray their enemies with burning gel!

9] Phosgene

This deadly colorless gas is produced by passing purified carbon monoxide and chlorine through a bed of activated carbon. Also known as poison gas, phosgene was extensively used during World War 1.


While it's seldom used today--given that there are much more destructive chemical and biological weapons around--this compound will always be known as one of the earliest silent killers! An entire generation of soldiers who returned battle-scarred from World War 1 will never forget the terror of a cry of "Gas! Gas!" and the hasty fumbling to put on gas masks and avoid the terror of exposure to the dangerous substance.

8] Land Mines

Land mines are weight-triggered explosive devices that are planted in war zones, or sometimes even civilian areas! While most countries have agreed to desist from the usage of land mines, there are still several unexploded mines in various parts of the world--these were mostly, war-torn regions during the 1950s to 80s, like Eastern Europe and parts of Southeast Asia. 


Land mines take a toll long after conflict is over, killing children, livestock, and farmers who are just going about their daily lives. The eradication of land mines as a weapon was one of the causes closest to the late Princess Diana's heart

7] White Phosphorus

Also known as Willie Pete, this derivative of phosphorus is used in incendiary ammunitions. Due to its combustible nature, it can cause serious burns in no time at all! While it was widely used by the Americans in Vietnam back in the 1970s, white phosphorous was most recently even used to fight insurgents in Iraq. 

This stuff keeps burning until there's nothing more left to consume. And the burns caused by this to human skin are too grevious to even mention here. Rest assured, they're horrible, and very difficult to treat.

 

6] Ricin

This is an extremely toxic, naturally occurring, protein occuring in castor beans. It has the ability to kill a human with just a few tiny grains! Although ricin is poisonous even when it's ingested, its most lethal form is injections and inhalations.

The US has been experimenting with ricin-baced weapons and bombs since World War 1. More recently, several Western nations have expressed their concerns over terrorist groups using ricin during mass attacks.

 

5] Mustard Gas

This chemical weapon is also known as sulphur mustard, and it is a very poweful blistering agent. To add to this, mustard gas, which is obtained by treating sulphur dichloride with ethylene, is a known carcinogen that can even burn body fat, and it can even affect the victim's DNA.

Various countries have used this deadly weapon in chemical warfare since the turn of the 20th century, to terrifying effect. Breathing it in is said to be like breathing fire, and it causes a slow and painful death.

 

4]Dirty Bomb

This deadly weapon is a crude mixture of conventional explosives and radioactive material. While such an explosive will not cause as much direct destruction as a bomb would, it can contaminate a large area around the explosion with dangerous radioactivity and possibly render the area uninhabitable for years. That is, of course, in addition to the initial damage and loss of life caused by the bomb. This is, therefore, classified as a weapon of mass destruction.

Since the 9/11 attacks, law enforcement authorities all over the world have been made aware of this new type of explosive. Thanks to this precaution, so far there have been no reported dirty bomb explosions.

 

3]Ebola

For over 30 years the ebola virus has wreaked havoc in several poor communities around the world. This virus is typically spread through the exchange of body fluids, and it causes headaches, seizures, a coma, and death.

It is rumoured that several rogue nations are working on isolating the pathogen that causes the virus. Their goal is, of course, to use it in biological warfare. That doomsday scenario you've seen in movies like Outbreak? It may just be on the horizon--and it would all be mankind's fault.

 

2] Sarin

This colourless and odorless liquid has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the UN. Even vapours of sarin are extremely dangerous, as they can easily permeate the skin when their density is high. This compound, which is 500 times more toxic than cyanide, slowly incapacitates a person, and eventually leads to a comatose state and suffocation.

While the first known use of this deadly chemical was back in World War 2, more recently this chemical has been used in Iraq by various insurgents. It was also used in the Tokyo Subway attacks in 1995.

 

1] Bacillus Anthracis (Anthrax)

A pathogen called bacillus anthracis causes the deadly Anthrax infection. This virus is spread through the spores created by the pathogen. These spores can be inhaled, or they can be contracted through anthrax injected food, or they can even enter the blood stream through a cut or abrasion in the skin. 
Anthrax injected letters and parcels have been sent to unsuspecting victims since the 1930s. Due to threats of bioterrorism, even the US Postal Service has adopted a more stringent screening process for all its mail. Weaponized anthrax is also one of the most terrifying biological weapons that can be used on the battlefield.