Critics Charge New Chemical Weapon Should Be Scrapped

WASHINGTON — The Bigeye bomb, the Pentagon’s proposed new generation of chemical weapon, is “a horror story” with too many unresolved problems and should be scrapped, a bipartisan House and Senate group said Tuesday.

The critics released a General Accounting Office report that concluded the weapon “presents major and continuing inconsistencies” and is not ready for production.

The bomb is designed to combine two chemicals in a deadly compound shortly after it is dropped from an aircraft. The weapon has been plagued by problems, such as leaks that developed after the chemicals were mixed.

“This is not a success story. It’s a horror story by any standard I can determine,” Rep. Dante B. Fascell (D-Fla.) said at a news conference.

Fascell, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the Pentagon should scrap the Bigeye and “start from scratch.” He said he will try to eliminate funds for the bomb when Congress considers defense appropriations.

Sen. David Pryor (D-Ark.) called the Bigeye a “turkey about to gobble up a lot of funds.”

Rep. John Edward Porter (R-Ill.) said the bomb would not be a deterrence because the Soviet Union knows of its problems.

“Testing to date has not been able to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the Bigeye,” said the GAO, the congressional watchdog agency.