What category of ordnance poses the greatest risk of mass casualty?

Chemical and biological weapons pose the greatest risk of mass casualty due to their potential to cause widespread harm to large populations. These types of ordnance are designed to incapacitate or kill individuals through the use of toxic agents, which can spread rapidly in the air, water, or through contamination of food supplies. The mechanisms of exposure can vary, enabling these agents to affect people over vast areas and through different means, heightening the likelihood of mass casualties.

Furthermore, the psychological impact and societal disruption caused by the use of chemical and biological weapons can be significant. Unlike conventional explosives, which generally cause damage in a more localized area, or improvised explosive devices, which are largely contingent on their placement and triggering methods, chemical and biological agents can inflict harm without the need for physical infrastructure. Moreover, the use of these weapons is often shrouded in secrecy and can lead to panic and chaos, compounding their deadly effects.

In contrast, while conventional explosives and IEDs can certainly cause mass casualties, their impact is limited to the immediate blast radius and the effectiveness of their deployment. Electromagnetic pulse weapons, while potentially disruptive, primarily target electronics and infrastructure, which doesn’t directly cause casualties in the same manner as biological or chemical agents. Thus,