Weaponisation of Weather

Abstract

It is well known that people have long altered atmospheric phenomena such as clouds, rain, snow, hail, lightning, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones either by purpose or accidentally. The work of Vincent J. Schaefer and Irving Langmuir launched the modern era of scientific weather modification in 1946. 

The manipulation of technology towards weather started approximately between the years 1950–53. Weather modification applications were quickly weaponized to influence war and protest as done by the Us Air Force (UsAF) in Operation Sober Popeye (Project Controlled Weather Popeye/motorpool/IntermediaryCompatriot). 2 The UsAF in 1967–72 carried out a project to prolong the monsoon season over Ho Chi Minh City during the Vietnam War by controlling the weather in order to achieve military goals, causing landslides and washing out river crossings to obstruct the movement of North Vietnamese troops. This operation set the impetus of successful use in the weather control technology in combat.