Which terrorist tactic is commonly called a 'dirty bomb' and combines a conventional explosive with radioactive material to scatter dangerous and sub-lethal amounts of radioactive material over a general area?

Which terrorist tactic is commonly called a 'dirty bomb' and combines a conventional explosive with radioactive material to scatter dangerous and sub-lethal amounts of radioactive material over a general area?

• A. Nuclear device
• B. Radiological dispersion device (RDD)
• C. Biological agent release
• D. Chemical dispersal system

Answer: (B)

A dirty bomb is a radiological dispersion device. It combines a conventional explosive with radioactive material and disperses it over a general area to create broad-area contamination and fear, rather than causing a massive immediate blast or high-dose radiation. This distinguishes it from a nuclear device, which relies on a nuclear chain reaction and produces a catastrophic explosion and intense radiation. It also differs from releasing biological agents (which aims for infection or toxin exposure) or dispersing chemical agents (which spreads chemicals). The goal of an RDD is sub-lethal radiation spread to contaminate and disrupt, making it the best fit for the described tactic.

A dirty bomb is a radiological dispersion device. It combines a conventional explosive with radioactive material and disperses it over a general area to create broad-area contamination and fear, rather than causing a massive immediate blast or high-dose radiation. This distinguishes it from a nuclear device, which relies on a nuclear chain reaction and produces a catastrophic explosion and intense radiation. It also differs from releasing biological agents (which aims for infection or toxin exposure) or dispersing chemical agents (which spreads chemicals). The goal of an RDD is sub-lethal radiation spread to contaminate and disrupt, making it the best fit for the described tactic.