Related Resources:
US Army Patents Biological Weapons Delivery System
(Original Sunshine Project News Release, 8 May 2003)
Online Clearinghouse of US "Non-Lethal"
Biological and Chemical Weapons Research
The Sunshine Project
News Release - 30 November 2004
http://www.sunshine-project.org
US Retains Illegal Patent on Treaty-Violating Bioweapons Grenade
The United States has not relinquished an illegal patent, granted in February 2003, on a long-range biological weapons grenade. In May of last year, the Sunshine Project revealed the patent (6,523,478), held by the US Army, and charged that the grenade violates the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). The BWC, which meets next week at the United Nations in Geneva, prohibits development of bioweapons delivery devices "in any circumstance".
In the May 2003 uproar, covered in the scientific and mainstream press (see below), US officials suggested that they would alter the patent and claimed that they never intended to use the grenade for the purpose described in the patent document.
A year and half later, the biogrenade patent stands unaltered and no move has been made to withdraw it. The grenade and patent thus continue to violate US legal obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) which forbid, in very strong terms, any development of delivery devices for biological weapons.
The Sunshine Project returned to review the biogrenade case in preparation for next week's meeting of the Biological Weapons Convention. According to Sunshine Project US Director Edward Hammond, who reviewed US Patent and Trademark Office records, "We were appalled to discover that the US has done nothing to correct this unequivocal violation of its obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention. It seems that the US wants this bioweapons grenade, after all, despite what it says to the public."
In recent years, US compliance with the bioweapons treaty has repeatedly come into question, particularly in reference to US 'non-lethal' weapons and biodefense programs. "The Pentagon's refusal to terminate the biogrenade program is emblematic of the Bush administration's arrogant disregard for the BWC." says Hammond, "Here you have an indisputable violation that is public knowledge, yet the US has done nothing to bring itself into compliance. The US invaded Iraq in pursuit of phantom bioweapons yet, here at home, it brazenly develops them."
Action Demanded: In accordance with the BWC, the Sunshine Project calls upon the US government to immediately abandon all patents and patent applications related to this rifle grenade, to terminate all research and development of this rifle grenade, and to destroy any grenades that have been produced. A public commitment to quickly take these actions should be made prior to the commencement of the Meeting of States Parties to the Biological Weapons Convention on December 6th.
Background:
The Biogrenade: US patent 6,523,478 is titled Rifle-Launched Non-Lethal Cargo Dispenser. Somewhat similar to a rocket-propelled grenade, except lacking its own propulsion, the rifle grenade is attached to the end of an assault rifle, such as an M-16, and launched by the force of firing a bullet. It has a range of approximately 150 meters. In claim five of the patent, and in the patent text, the development of the grenade for bioweapons is described and claimed. The patent be viewed here: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6523478 Images of a smoke variant of the rifle grenade may be viewed at: http://www.sunshine-project.org/incapacitants/
Link to Other Weapons Programs: While the biogrenade may deliver biological agents of any lethality, it is one of many so-called non-lethal weapons designed for chemical and/or biological agents that are being developed by the US. These include a "non-lethal" (bio)chemical mortar round with a range of 2.5 kilometers, a 155mm "non-lethal" anti-personnel chemical round (designated the XM1063) with a 15km range, and the smaller "Airburst Non-Lethal Munition" (ANLM), designed for grenade launchers. For more information on these and other US "non-lethal" weapons, see: http://www.sunshine-project.org/incapacitants/jnlwdpdf/
Press stories from 2003:
Global Security Newswire (28 May 2003)
United States: Army to Revise Patent Amid Treaty Violation ConcernsNature (19 June 2003)
US Army attacked over published patent for 'bioweapons grenade'San Francisco Chronicle (9 June 2003)
Fuss over Army plan for gas grenade - Patent says it can deliver chemical, biological agents
Other Resources:
The biogrenade is a project of the US Army's RDECOM (formerly SBCCOM), online at http://www.rdecom.army.mil/
US "non-lethal" weapons efforts are coordinated by the US Marine Corps' Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD), online at: http://www.jnlwd.usmc.mil/
Information on the meeting of the Biological Weapons Convention can be accessed online at http://www.opbw.org , a site maintained by Bradford University (UK).