How does cluster munition work?
How does cluster munition work?
A cluster munition, or cluster bomb, is a weapon containing multiple explosive submunitions. Cluster munitions are dropped from aircraft or fired from the ground or sea, opening up in mid-air to release tens or hundreds of submunitions, which can saturate an area up to the size of several football fields.
What is the purpose of a cluster bomb?
Cluster bombs are weapons that open in the air, releasing submunitions, or “bomblets,” that are dispersed over a large area, intended to wreak destruction on multiple targets at once. Cluster bombs can be delivered by planes, artillery and missiles, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
What is a cluster munition rocket?
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.
How are cluster bombs launched?
The cluster bomb is dropped from a plane or launched from the ground into the air, where the casing automatically opens and releases hundreds of bomblets – the size of a soup can or orange – over wide areas, frequently missing intended military targets and killing nearby civilians.
Does the US military use cluster bombs?
In November 2017, the US reversed a long-standing policy requiring its forces to not use cluster munitions that result in more than 1% unexploded ordnance (UXO) after 2018. The US last used cluster munitions during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, with the exception of a single attack in Yemen in 2009.
Does America use cluster bombs?
The US and UK use nearly 13,000 cluster munitions containing an estimated 1.8 to 2 million submunitions in the three weeks of major combat. A total of 63 CBU-87 bombs were dropped by US aircraft between May 1, 2003 and August 1, 2006.
Which countries use cluster bombs?
Cluster munitions continued to be used in Syria during the most recent period covered by a Cluster Munition Monitor report (July 2018–July 2019), and there were allegations of new use in Libya….How many countries use mines or cluster munitions?
| User state | Locations used |
|---|---|
| Iraq | Iran, Iraq |
| Israel | Egypt, Syria, Lebanon |
| Libya | Chad, Libya |
| Morocco | Western Sahara, Mauritania |
Does the United States use cluster bombs?
They’re banned by 110 countries, though not by Russia or the US. Still, the US hasn’t used them since the first Gulf War, over 30 years ago. They’re used by the Russians in Ukraine, another sign of this war’s growing savagery.
When did US last use cluster bombs?
The last reported US use of cluster munitions was against Yemen in 2009. (Before the Gulf War, the US used cluster bombs in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Grenada, Lebanon, Libya and Iran.)
