What are Chemical Agents and Chemical Weapons?

Chemical agents are toxic liquid compounds. The nations stockpile consists of two principal types of chemical agents nerve and blister. These agents are securely stored at seven locations in the United States and are either contained in one of five types of munitions or stored in steel bulk storage containers, called ton containers. The ton containers hold about 170 gallons of liquid agent and weigh approximately 1,600 pounds empty. Over a long period of time, some of these liquid agents can deteriorate into thick, sludge-like substances. Chemical weapons are a mix of different types of munitions that contain one type of agent. These munitions include rockets, land mines, projectiles, or bombs designed to disperse chemical agents either from exploding weapons or through spray tanks attached to the underside of airplanes. The U.S. chemical stockpile was developed as a deterrent to enemy troops from using similar weapons against the nations troops. The United States has never used these chemical weapons. Each stockpile site has a unique configuration of agents and munitions. This fact sheet describes the two types of chemical agents in the nations stockpile, blister agents and nerve agents, and the various types of munitions used to deliver chemical warfare agents M55 rocket, M23 mine, projectiles, bombs, and spray tanks.