What did Egypt do in 1963?

• A. Threatened to put Co-60 on a missile warhead aimed at Israel
• B. Carried out a nuclear test
• C. Signed a treaty banning radiological weapons
• D. Built a nuclear power plant

Answer: (A)

This item tests knowledge of historical radiological weapons threats. In 1963, Egypt publicly threatened to place cobalt-60 on a missile warhead aimed at Israel. Cobalt-60 is a strong gamma emitter, and attaching it to a warhead describes a radiological dispersal scenario—what some would call a dirty bomb—intended to spread radioactive material rather than cause a nuclear explosion. The significance is recognizing that concerns about radiological weapons were part of the era’s strategic thinking, even though no actual nuclear test, treaty ban, or power plant took place in Egypt that year.

The other options don’t fit the historical record for 1963: there was no nuclear test by Egypt that year, no treaty signed by Egypt banning radiological weapons in 1963, and no nuclear power plant constructed by Egypt in 1963.