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60-452: The BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb is the submunition used in several cluster bomb type weapon systems, mainly the CBU-87 and its precision-guided version CBU-103 . When the bomblets fall, they separate from the main bomb and independently free fall to the ground. They contain an inflatable bag ( ballute ) on the top of them, which slows them down and spreads them out. Once the bomblets reach

120-503: A United States Army study of the Vietnam War had found that while it took approximately 13.6 high explosive shells for each enemy soldier killed. A shell firing DPICMs relied on average only 1.7 shells to kill an enemy soldier making it eight times as effective in producing casualties as standard high explosive projectiles. RUSI used an example of a trench, a direct hit by a high explosive round will spread shrapnel "within line of sight of

180-567: A Lebanese village, on 19 July which killed 1 civilian and injured 12, including 7 children. The Israeli "army defended ... the use of cluster munitions in its offensive with Lebanon , saying that using such munitions was 'legal under international law ' and the army employed them 'in accordance with international standards ' ". Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev added, "[I]f NATO countries stock these weapons and have used them in recent conflicts – in FR Yugoslavia , Afghanistan and Iraq –

240-472: A force of 6 Gs they arm themselves. As the bomblets fall, they are also spinning. Arming takes about 2.6 seconds. They have a combined shaped charge , fragmentation and incendiary effect on the target. It is very effective against and mainly used for anti-personnel , anti- materiel , and anti-armor . Over two million of these sub-munitions were dropped over Kuwait and Iraq during the Gulf War . A 5% dud rate

300-522: A highly combustible thermobaric aerosol that results in a high pressure explosion when ignited. Anti-personnel cluster bombs use explosive fragmentation to kill troops and destroy soft (unarmored) targets. Along with incendiary cluster bombs, these were among the first types of cluster bombs produced by Nazi Germany during World War II. They were used during the Blitz with delay and booby-trap fusing to hamper firefighting and other damage-control efforts in

360-609: A misleading picture during the war of the extent to which cluster weapons were being used and of the civilian casualties they were causing." On 26 April, General Richard Myers , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the US had caused only one civilian casualty. During the Israeli-Lebanese conflict in 1982 , Israel used cluster munitions, many of them American-made, on targets in southern Lebanon. Israel also used cluster bombs in

420-736: A report on incidents in Sri Lanka between January and May 2009 that could constitute violations of international humanitarian law or crimes against humanity. This report documented the use of cluster munitions by Sri Lanka’s government forces. Photos and eyewitness accounts described the use of such weapons in several attacks on civilian areas, including an incident on March 7, 2009, in Valayanmadam , where two cluster bombs exploded, causing significant civilian casualties and injuries. The reports suggest that cluster munitions were used in areas declared as safe zones for civilians. According to Gordon Weiss, who

480-651: A report prepared by Lionel Beehner for the Council on Foreign Relations, the United States restocked Israel's arsenal of cluster bombs, triggering a State Department investigation to determine whether Israel had violated secret agreements it had signed with the United States on their use. As Haaretz reported in November 2006, the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz wanted to launch an investigation into

540-814: A section of road near the Jonglei state capital, Bor. The strategic town was the scene of heavy fighting, changing hands several times during the South Sudanese Civil War , which erupted in the capital Juba on 15 December 2013 before spreading to other parts of the country. According to UNMAS, the site was contaminated with the remnants of up to eight cluster bombs and an unknown quantity of bomblets. Human Rights Watch reported that "Ukrainian government forces used cluster munitions in populated areas in Donetsk city in early October 2014." Also "circumstances indicate that anti-government forces might also have been responsible for

600-637: A total of 123 states have joined the Convention, as 110 states parties and 13 signatories. The first significantly operationally used cluster bomb was the German SD-2 or Sprengbombe Dickwandig 2 kg , commonly referred to as the Butterfly Bomb . It was used in World War II to attack both civilian and military targets, including on Tokyo and Kyushu . The technology was developed independently by

660-502: A violation of American law. Carter's administration prepared to notify Congress that American weapons were being used illegally, which would have resulted in military aid to Israel being cut off. The American consul in Jerusalem informed the Israeli government of their plans and, according to Carter, Prime Minister Begin said that the operation was over. During the 16-year-long conflict on

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720-766: A wide area, they pose risks to civilians both during attacks and afterwards. Unexploded bomblets can kill or maim civilians and/or unintended targets long after a conflict has ended, and are costly to locate and remove. This failure rate ranges from 2 percent to 40 percent or more. Cluster munitions are prohibited for those nations that ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions , adopted in Dublin , Ireland, in May 2008. The Convention entered into force and became binding international law upon ratifying states on 1 August 2010, six months after being ratified by 30 states. As of 10 February 2022,

780-576: Is Russia. Human Rights Watch has reported that at least 10 types of cluster munitions are already being used on the battlefield, including munitions which were left over from USSR weapons stockpiles, and including the use of cluster munitions by Russia since 2014. It is reported, though officially denied, that Turkey has provided other types of cluster munitions to Ukraine in the past. On 14 August, Ukrainian forces released drone footage from Urozhaine , in Donetsk Oblast . The two videos appear to show

840-669: Is being developed by Lockheed Martin and Alliant Techsystems . The first AW rockets were ordered in September 2015. On July 7, 2023, the US announced that it would supply DPICM munitions to Ukraine. The weapon system could be used in both HIMARS and 155 mm shell projectiles. President Biden justified the move by saying "the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition”. Colin H. Kahl , Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, told reporters that DPICMs were needed by Ukraine. Russian defences are making Ukraine’s offensive “hard sledding, because

900-418: Is optimized for fragmentation characteristics while M46s have thicker walls strengthened to withstand additional setback loads in the last three aft layers of the projectile, where they are placed. The 155 mm M864 projectile entered production in 1987, and featured a base bleed that enhances the range of the projectile, although it still carries the same M42/M46 grenades. The base bleed mechanism reduces

960-599: Is the M1122, built from recycled D563s mostly filled with concrete topped with some explosive filling. As a training round, the M1122 has one-seventh the explosive impact at one-third the cost of a standard M795 high-explosive shell. The U.S. Army is seeking a replacement of DPICMs from the Alternative Warhead Program (AWP). The AWP warheads have an equal or greater effect against materiel and personnel targets, while leaving no unexploded ordnance behind. The program

1020-686: The 2006 Lebanon War . Two types of cluster munitions were transferred to Israel from the U.S. The first was the CBU-58 which uses the BLU-63 bomblet. This cluster bomb is no longer in production. The second was the MK-20 Rockeye, produced by Honeywell Incorporated in Minneapolis. The CBU-58 was used by Israel in Lebanon in both 1978 and 1982. The Israeli Defense company Israel Military Industries also manufactures

1080-614: The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war . The Armenian-populated city of Stepanakert came under bombardment throughout the war, beginning on the first day. Human Rights Watch reported that residential neighborhoods in Stepanakert which lacked any identifiable military targets were hit by the Azerbaijani Army with cluster munitions. Human Rights Watch also identified Azerbaijani usage of cluster munitions in Hadrut . Human Rights Watch also reported

1140-569: The CBU-94/B , was first used by the U.S. in the Kosovo War in 1999. These consist of a TMD (Tactical Munitions Dispenser) filled with 202 submunitions. Each submunition contains a small explosive charge that disperses 147 reels of fine conductive fiber of either carbon or aluminum-coated glass. Their purpose is to disrupt and damage electric power transmission systems by producing short circuits in high-voltage power lines and electrical substations . On

1200-746: The Gulf War , the United States, France, and the United Kingdom dropped 61,000 cluster bombs, containing 20 million submunitions, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The US accounted for 57,000 of these droppings. The US Department of Defense estimated that 1.2 to 1.5 million submunitions did not explode. According to human rights organizations, unexploded submunitions have caused over 4,000 civilian casualties, including 1,600 deaths, in Iraq and Kuwait. 2003–2006 : United States and allies attacked Iraq with 13,000 cluster munitions, containing two million submunitions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to

1260-644: The HRW . The majority were DPICMs, or Dual-purpose improved conventional munitions . At multiple times, coalition forces used cluster munitions in residential areas, and the country remains among the most contaminated to this day, bomblets posing a threat to both US military personnel in the area, and local civilians. When these weapons were fired on Baghdad on 7 April 2003 many of the bomblets failed to explode on impact. Afterward, some of them exploded when touched by civilians. USA Today reported that "the Pentagon presented

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1320-766: The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia , in 1999, of which the Royal Air Force dropped 531 RBL755 cluster bombs. Both the Americans and the British utilised cluster bombs. On 7 May 1999, between the time of 11:30 and 11:40, a NATO attack was carried out with two containers of cluster bombs and fell in the central part of the city: Reports claimed that 15 civilians were killed, 8 civilians were seriously injured, 11 civilians had sustained minor injuries, 120 housing units were damaged and 47 were destroyed and that 15 cars were damaged. Overall during

1380-485: The Russian Air Force of using RBK-250 cluster bombs during the conflict. A high-ranking Russian military official denied use of cluster bombs. The Dutch government, after investigating the death of a Dutch citizen, claimed that a cluster munition was propelled by an 9K720 Iskander tactical missile (used by Russia at the time of conflict, and not used by Georgia). In 2009, the U.S. Department of State prepared

1440-475: The Russo-Ukrainian War , objections have been raised by some NATO members which had signed the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions , including Germany, France and the United Kingdom. However neither Ukraine nor the United States have signed the agreement. Several other NATO member states, including Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Turkey, are also not signatories of this agreement, nor

1500-607: The Syrian uprising , a few videos of cluster bombs first appeared in 2011, but escalated in frequency near the end of 2012. As Human Rights Watch reported on 13 October 2012, " Eliot Higgins , who blogs on military hardware and tactics used in Syria under the pseudonym 'Brown Moses', compiled a list of the videos showing cluster munition remnants in Syria's various governorates." The type of bombs have been reported to be RBK-250 cluster bombs with AO-1 SCH bomblets (of Soviet design). Designed by

1560-487: The 1990s submunition-based weapons have been designed that deploy smart submunitions, using thermal and visual sensors to locate and attack particular targets, usually armored vehicles. Weapons of this type include the US CBU-97 sensor-fuzed weapon , first used in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom , the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Some munitions specifically intended for anti-tank use can be set to self-destruct if they reach

1620-544: The BLU-97/B bomblets were the same size and color as food rations given to children in Afghanistan. Although the latter are square and the former cylindrical, both are dropped from U.S. planes and both are yellow so that they are easy to spot on the ground. The United States responded to the criticism by changing the color of future food packages and warning civilians through announcements and flyers. Pentagon officials also said that

1680-399: The Convention on Cluster Munitions. Incendiary cluster bombs are intended to start fires, just like conventional incendiary bombs (firebombs). They contain submunitions of white phosphorus or napalm , and can be combined anti-personnel and anti-tank submunitions to hamper firefighting efforts. In urban areas they have been preceded by the use of conventional explosive bombs to fracture

1740-747: The M916 developed for the M101 / M102 howitzers. DPICMs were developed for several reasons: Large quantities of munitions bought during the Cold War were put into war reserve stockpiles. By the mid-2010s, many were reaching the end of their useful life and required disposal, an expensive process. The submunitions, which became old and less reliable, had to be extracted. After a careful "soft touch" disassembly fully intact D563 shell casings from M483-series 155-mm projectiles were being refilled with explosives, recycling them for use as inexpensive training ammunition. One such round

1800-517: The Russians had six months to dig in.” Their usage also takes pressure off of US stockpiles of unitary high explosive rounds, such as those by HIMARS and the M982 Excalibur , allowing domestic production of these rounds to catch up to demand. Kahl also claimed that DPICMs can “scatter over a wide[r] area” than standard rounds, including Russian defences such as trenches. An unnamed Pentagon official put

1860-657: The Soviet Union for use on tank and troop formations, PTAB-2.5M bomblets were used on civilian targets in Mare' in December 2012 by the Syrian government. According to the seventh annual Cluster Munition Report, there is ″compelling evidence″ that Russia has used cluster munitions during their involvement in Syria. Cluster bombs remnants were discovered by a UN de-mining team in February 2014 on

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1920-791: The Soviet-Afghan War, the Soviets dealt harshly with Mujaheddin rebels and those who supported them, including leveling entire villages to deny safe havens to their enemy and the usage of cluster bombs. Sea Harriers of the Royal Navy dropped BL755 cluster bombs on Argentinian positions during the Falklands War of 1982. The United States dropped 21 Rockeye cluster bombs during its invasion of Grenada . The armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno Karabakh in 1992–1994 led to

1980-643: The United States, Russia and Italy (see Thermos bomb ). The US used the 9-kilogram (20 lb) M41 fragmentation bomb wired together in clusters of 6 or 25 with highly sensitive or proximity fuzes . From the 1970s to the 1990s cluster bombs became standard air-dropped munitions for many nations, in a wide variety of types. They have been produced by 34 countries and used in at least 23. Artillery shells that employ similar principles have existed for decades. They are typically referred to as ICM ( Improved Conventional Munitions ) shells. The US military slang terms for them are "firecracker" or "popcorn" shells, for

2040-670: The Vietnam War era in Vietnam's Quảng Trị province alone. During the South Lebanon conflict in 1978, the IDF used cluster bombs provided by the United States. According to U.S. President Jimmy Carter , this use of the cluster bombs violated the legal agreement between Israel and the U.S. because the weapons had been provided for defensive purposes against an attack on Israel. Israel also transferred American weapons to Saad Haddad's Lebanese militia,

2100-468: The aircraft to escape the blast area in low-altitude attacks). Modern cluster bombs and submunition dispensers can be multiple-purpose weapons containing a combination of anti-armor, anti-personnel, and anti-materiel munitions. The submunitions themselves may also be multi-purpose, such as combining a shaped charge , to attack armour, with a fragmenting case, to attack infantry, material, and light vehicles. They may also have an incendiary function. Since

2160-509: The conflict between government forces and rebel forces trying to overthrow Gaddafi's government, during the battle of Misrata These reports were denied by the government, and the Secretary of State of the US, Hillary Clinton said she was "not aware" of the specific use of cluster or other indiscriminate weapons in Misurata even though a New York Times investigation refuted those claims. During

2220-435: The figure of these rounds at “hundreds of thousands”. The expected fail rate is less than 2.35%. Kahl claimed that Russian cluster munitions have a fail rate of 30-40%. Ukraine has had to enter into guarantees not to use them in civilian areas and to mark areas where they have been used. On 10 July, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) published an article supporting the supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine, arguing that

2280-456: The ground without locating a target, theoretically reducing the risk of unintended civilian deaths and injuries. Although smart submunition weapons are much more expensive than standard cluster bombs, fewer smart submunitions are required to defeat dispersed and mobile targets, partly offsetting their cost. Because they are designed to prevent indiscriminate area effects and unexploded ordnance risks, some smart munitions are excluded from coverage by

2340-495: The initial attack, these knocked out 70% of the electrical power supply in Serbia . During the Vietnam War, the US used cluster bombs in air strikes against targets in Vietnam, Laos , and Cambodia . Of the 260 million cluster bomblets that rained down on Laos between 1964 and 1973, particularly on Xieng Khouang province , 80 million failed to explode. As of 2009 about 7,000 people have been injured or killed by explosives left from

2400-550: The late 1950s. The first projectile, the 105 mm M444 entered service in 1961. Its submunitions were simple bounding anti-personnel grenades (ICM). Production of the M444 ended in the early 1990s. The first true DPICM was the 155 mm M483, produced in the 1970s. By 1975, an improved version, the M483A1, was being used. The projectile carried 88 M42/M46 grenade-like dual purpose submunitions. The grenades are very similar, but M42 side wall

2460-557: The likelihood of successfully hitting a vehicle. Modern guided submunitions, such as those found in the U.S. CBU-97, can use either a shaped charge or an explosively formed penetrator . Unguided shaped-charge submunitions are designed to be effective against entrenchments that incorporate overhead cover. To simplify supply and increase battlefield effectiveness by allowing a single type of round to be used against nearly any target, submunitions that incorporate both fragmentation and shaped-charge effects are produced. An anti-electrical weapon,

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2520-414: The many small explosions they cause in the target area. A basic cluster bomb consists of a hollow shell and then two to more than 2,000 submunitions or bomblets contained within it. Some types are dispensers that are designed to be retained by the aircraft after releasing their munitions. The submunitions themselves may be fitted with small parachute retarders or streamers to slow their descent (allowing

2580-600: The more up-to-date M-85 cluster bomb. Hezbollah fired Chinese-manufactured cluster munitions against Israeli civilian targets, using 122 mm rocket launchers during the 2006 war, hitting Kiryat Motzkin , Nahariya , Karmiel , Maghar , and Safsufa . A total of 113 rockets and 4,407 submunitions were fired into Israel during the war. According to the United Nations Mine Action Service , Israel dropped up to four million submunitions on Lebanese soil, of which one million remain unexploded. According to

2640-511: The operation, at least 23 Serb civilians were killed by cluster munitions. At least six Serbs, including three children were killed by bomblets after the operation ended, and up to 23 square kilometres (8.9 sq mi) in six areas remain "cluster contaminated", according to Serbian government, including on Mt. Kopaonik near the slopes of the ski resort. The UK contributed £86,000 to the Serbian Mine Action Centre. 1991 : During

2700-503: The packages had not been dropped in the same areas as cluster bombs. Submunition A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill personnel and destroy vehicles. Other cluster munitions are designed to destroy runways or electric power transmission lines. Because cluster bombs release many small bomblets over

2760-461: The point of detonation". This also reduces the wear and tear on the barrels of 155 mm artillery weapons systems. On 12 July, Ukrainian Army Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi , the commander of the Ukrainian Tavriia military sector deployed in the southern front, told CNN that they had received the cluster munitions pledged by the United States in 7 July. During the course of

2820-509: The remaining Russian forces in the town retreating under fire, as the Ukrainians deploy DPICMs in their path. Forbes writer David Axe has described the resulting scene as "murder" and a "bloodbath", given that Ukrainian artillery spotters were afforded an unobstructed view of the Russian retreat in the clear light of day, and the retreating Russian infantrymen were completely unsupported by tanks or other vehicles. Regarding this lack of support and

2880-562: The roofs and walls of buildings to expose their flammable contents. One of the earliest examples is the so-called Molotov bread basket used by the Soviet Union in the Winter War of 1939–40. Incendiary clusters were extensively used by both sides in the strategic bombings of World War II . They caused firestorms and conflagrations in the bombing of Dresden in World War II and the firebombing of Tokyo . Some modern bomb submunitions deliver

2940-617: The submunition count to 72. Work was budgeted in 2003 to retrofit the M42/M46 grenades with self-destruct fuses to reduce the problem of "dud" submunitions that do not initially explode, but may explode later upon handling. Work on 105 mm projectiles started in the late 1990s based around the M80 submunition. The eventual results were two shells, the M915 intended for use with the M119A1 light towed howitzer, and

3000-401: The target areas. They were also used with a contact fuze when attacking entrenchments. These weapons were widely used during the Vietnam War when many thousands of tons of submunitions were dropped on Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Most anti-armor munitions contain shaped charge warheads to pierce the armor of tanks and armored fighting vehicles . In some cases, guidance is used to increase

3060-600: The territory of Western Sahara , the Royal Moroccan Army (RMA) dropped cluster bombs. The RMA used both artillery-fired and air-dropped cluster munitions. BLU-63, M42 and MK118 submunitions were used at multiple locations in Bir Lahlou, Tifarity, Mehaires, Mijek and Awganit. More than 300 cluster strike areas have been recorded in the MINURSO Mine Action Coordination Center database. During

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3120-633: The use of cluster bombs during the Lebanon war. Halutz claimed that some cluster bombs had been fired against his direct order, which stated that cluster bombs should be used with extreme caution and not be fired into populated areas. The IDF apparently disobeyed this order. Human Rights Watch said there was evidence that Israel had used cluster bombs very close to civilian areas and described them as "unacceptably inaccurate and unreliable weapons when used around civilians" and that "they should never be used in populated areas". Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of using cluster munitions in an attack on Bilda,

3180-455: The use of cluster munitions against military and civilian targets in the region. As of 2010, 93 km (36 sq mi) remain off-limits due to contamination with unexploded cluster ordnance. HALO Trust has made major contributions to the cleanup effort. During renewed hostilities in April 2016 , HALO Trust reported the use of cluster bombs by Azerbaijan, having found cluster munitions in

3240-526: The use of cluster munitions by the Armenian forces during the months-long bombardment of Tartar , missile attacks on Barda and on Goranboy . Amnesty International also confirmed that the Armenian forces had used cluster munitions in Barda, which resulted in the deaths of 25 Azerbaijani civilians, according to Azerbaijan. About 2,000 cluster bombs containing 380,000 sub-munitions were dropped on Yugoslavia during

3300-464: The use of cluster munitions". British-supplied and U.S.-supplied cluster bombs have been used by Saudi Arabian-led military coalition against Houthi militias in Yemen , according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Saudi Arabia is not signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition Development work for DPICM projectiles began in

3360-516: The villages of Nerkin Horatagh and Kiçik Qarabəy . Azerbaijan reported that the Armenian forces had used cluster munition against Azerbaijani civilians in the given period. According to the Cluster Munition Monitor report in 2010, neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan not acceded to become a member of the Convention on Cluster Munitions . Further use of cluster munition was reported during

3420-483: The world has no reason to point a finger at Israel." Georgia admitted using cluster bombs during the war, according to Human Rights Watch but stressed they were only used against military targets. The Georgian army used LAR-160 multiple rocket launchers to fire MK4 LAR 160 type rockets (with M-85 bomblets) with a range of 45 kilometers the Georgian Minister of Defense (MoD) said. Human Rights Watch accused

3480-455: Was expected, so around 100,000 unexploded bomblets remained after the war. Each was fitted with an extremely sensitive fuze and the US Army recommended that they not be moved. Clearing this unexploded ordnance resulted in several accidents. On one occasion, seven US combat engineers from Company A of the 27th Engineer Battalion died attempting to clear the runway at the As Salam airbase in Iraq. In 2003 humanitarian groups expressed concern that

3540-423: Was the spokesperson for the UN in Colombo , the "largest remaining functioning hospital" in the Vanni region of Sri Lanka was bombed. The Sri Lankan military has been accused of bombing the hospital with cluster munitions, but cluster bombs were not used in the bombing of the hospital. The government has denied using cluster munitions, but in 2012 unexploded cluster bombs were found, according to Allan Poston, who

3600-424: Was the technical advisor for the UN Development Program ’s mine action group in Sri Lanka. An article published by The Guardian in 2016 provided photographic evidence and testimonies from former de-miners and civilians pointing to the use of Russian-made cluster bombs in areas that the government had declared as "no-fire zones." It was reported in April 2011 that Colonel Gaddafi 's forces had used cluster bombs in

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