Gerald Bull
In 1981, Bull approached Israel Military Industries in Israel hoping to sell his project, but they were more interested in missile technology.
Gerald Bull was a Canadian scientist and aeronautical engineer known for his work on long-range artillery, particularly the "supergun" project. He was involved in developing artillery that could shoot payloads over remarkable distances without the need for missiles.1
Israeli Artillery Contracts
Israel had contracted with Dr. Gerald Bull for the supply of specially configured artillery shells whose range was extended as much as 25 percent. American weapons experts understood that given the inaccuracy of an artillery shell fired at such long range, Israel's real goal had to be the use of nuclear weapons. One American expert noted that if a shell is going forty-five miles and precision is three percent of range, it would hit nothing much with a high explosive shell, implying the need for a nuclear weapon. This information, including suggestions that Israel had targeted Damascus with these special cannons during the Yom Kippur War, was reported to U.S. intelligence.2
South African Connections
In 1981, Bull approached Israel Military Industries in Israel hoping to sell his project, but they were more interested in missile technology. In 1983, Mark Thatcher, son of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, introduced Bull to Gen. Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, chief of South African Defense Force, who in turn connected him with ARMSCOR. ARMSCOR contracted Bull for his artillery project.1
Arrest and Relocation
Bull was later arrested by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York City and the U.S. Customs for violating the Munitions Export Act by exporting military technology to South Africa. After plea bargaining, he spent about six months in a federal jail. Upon his release, he moved to Brussels, Belgium, and continued his work.1
Iraqi Supergun Project
He was commissioned to develop his supergun for Iraq, with funding channeled through Carlos Cardoen's financial network. Bull believed his supergun would work and would bring peace by creating a balance of terror, arguing that Iraq only sought to defend itself against potential attacks from the Americans and Israelis.1
Israeli Intervention and Assassination
In late November 1988, Ari Ben-Menashe met with Bull in his Brussels apartment to persuade him to stop his supergun project. Ben-Menashe offered Bull $5 million to scrap the project, but Bull refused. Ben-Menashe warned him about the "terrible accidents" happening to various people involved in similar activities.1
Gerald Bull was named as an enemy of the state by an Israeli intelligence committee and was placed on an execution list, along with Ihsan Barbouti and 12 other scientists. He was killed in March 1990 in his Brussels apartment, an act attributed to Israeli intelligence.1
Sources
Local network
Gerald Bull's direct connections. Click any node to navigate, drag to pan, scroll (or pinch) to zoom. + 2‑hop expands the neighborhood one level further.