[jacobolus]

Kirby and Carus (2020) “Agroterrorism Perspectives”, in Mauroni and Norton, eds., Agroterrorism: National Defense Assessment, Strategies, and Capabilities. U.S. Air Force Center for Strategic Deterrence Studies. Page 9: https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/CSDS/books/Agrot...

> During the Cold War, the United States devised Operation Steelyard, a plan to destroy 50 percent of the Soviet Union’s winter wheat using wheat stem rust (TX) mixed with feathers (known as the M1 carrier). If the president approved Steelyard, Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers were to drop M115 500-pound “feather” bombs filled with TX in a 60-day campaign starting in March. The Air Force forward-deployed empty M115 bombs to RAF Lakenheath and Wheelus Strategic Air Command (SAC) airbases for this purpose. The M2 two-pound containers would be airlifted to the Air Force from the TX stockpile at Edgewood Arsenal, Md. TX required an annual revolving stockpile as it had a half-life of eight months. Rye stem rust (SX) was added to augment the inventory. Steelyard was the first operational biological war plan of the United States in 1952 with a stockpile of 0.8 tons TX and SX. Secretary of Defense Charles Wilson made Steelyard a standing capability in 1954 with an arsenal of eight tons of TX and SX.

[adolgert]

This is a great reference! There is also an entry in the congressional record on declassification of the data. And 3 scientific papers. If you know more, send me a note. I worked in the area of rust spread and have always wanted to learn more about this.

[jacobolus]

I only know what I found in 10 minutes of web searches, sorry.

[jacobolus]

Also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M115_bomb