History of VX Nerve Gas

VX, also known as Methylphosphonothioic Acid S-[2-[Bis(1-methylethyl)amino]ethyl] O-Ethyl EsterO-Ethyl S-[2-(Diisopropylamino)ethyl]methylphosphonothioate,is an extremely lethal organophosphate. It was developed in the Porton Down Chemical Weapons Research Centre in Wiltshire, England in 1952, having the chemical formula of C11H26NO2PS. It is a compound that is odorless, tasteless, but has an amber-like color. Although it is not commonly found (non-existent in nature), it can exist in liquid and vapor form. Upon the development of this poison, Britain then traded the VX Gas information with America for information on thermonuclear weapons. British scientist Dr. R. Ghosh developed the “v” agents. The United States then went into mass production of VX at Newport Chemical Depot in 1961. Then in 1988, Iraq weaponized VX and dropped the 3 VX-filled bombs in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War. In 1994, Masami Tsuchiya used 100 grams of VX to attack three people, one of which died. On February 13 of 2017, VX was allegedly used to assassinate Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un.