Conventional weapon

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A conventional weapon is a weapon that does not incorporate toxic chemical, biological or nuclear payloads. The phrase is a retronym, used to describe the arsenal that existed before the other categories of weapons were heavily researched and developed in the 20th century. Although the term 'conventional weapons' is primarily used to refer to explosive weapons the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons also includes controls on blinding laser and incendiary weapons.

There are several international treaties that deal with restrictions on conventional weapons.

• Hague Convention of 1899 - which restricts the use of Dum-dum bullets (declaration III).
• Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) - which controls weapons that create non-detectable fragments/shrapnel, landmines and booby traps, blinding lasers, incendiary bombs and explosive remnants of war.
• Ottawa Treaty on anti-personnel land mines.

[edit] See also

• The inverse of conventional weapons: ABC Weapons, NBC Weapons, CBRN and Weapons of mass destruction
• Explosive material

[edit] External links

• The convention on conventional weapons at FAS
• http://www.nawcwpns.navy.mil/~treaty/CCWC.html