The E61 anthrax bomblet was an American biological sub-munition for the E133 cluster bomb. This anti-personnel weapon was developed in the early 1950s and carried 35 milliliters of anthrax spores or another pathogen.
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Around October 1953 the United States Air Force reoriented its biological warfare program. One result of this, in anti-personnel weaponry, was a move away from weapons such as the M33 cluster bomb to the lethal E61 anthrax bomb.[1] The E61 was first developed in January 1951 as both an anti-personnel and anti-animal weapon capable of being clustered and dropped from a medium height.[2] On March 5, 1954 a directive from the U.S. Department of Defense altered the course of the U.S. biological weapons program.[3] The program shifted focus to developing munitions that were not only improved but those that could be delivered by high speed aircraft and balloon.[3] The weapons referred to included the E61 bomblet.[3]
The E61 bomblet was a half-pound[3] anti-personnel bomb designed to be carried in the E133 cluster bomb.[4][5] The cluster bomb was designed to hold about 540 of the E61 anthrax bomblets.[5][4] The E61 held about 35 milliliters of agent[6] and a variety of pathogens could be used,[5] generally anthrax spores.[4][3] The E61 was perceived as superior to its predecessors, the M33 cluster bomb and its payload of M114 bombs.[6][2] In fact, four of the smaller E61 bomblets produced twice the coverage area of the larger M114 bomb.[6] Upon impact the E61 would detonate releasing an aerosol of its anthrax spore laden slurry into the air of its target area.[5]