Cluster Bombs
Regardless of its type or purpose, dropped ordnance is dispensed
or dropped from an aircraft. Dropped ordnance is divided into three
subgroups: bombs; dispensers, which contain submunitions; and
submunitions.
DISPENSERS
Dispensers may be classified as another type of dropped ordnance. Like
bombs, they are carried by aircraft. Their payload, however, is smaller
ordnance called submunitions. Dispensers come in a variety of shapes
and sizes depending on the payload inside. Some dispensers are
reusable, and some are one-time-use items.
Dropped dispensers fall away from the aircraft
and are stabilized in flight by fin assemblies. Dropped dispensers may
be in one piece or in multiple pieces. All dropped dispensers use
either mechanical time or proximity fuzing. These fuzes allow the
payload to be dispersed at a predetermined height above the target.
Multiple-piece dispensers open up and disperse their payload when the
fuze functions. Single-piece dispensers eject their payload out of
ports or holes in the body when the fuze functions.
Attached dispensers stay attached to the aircraft and can be reloaded and used again. Their payload is dispersed out the
rear or from the bottom of the dispenser.
Submunitions are classified as either bomblets,
grenades, or mines. They are small explosive-filled or chemical-filled
items designed for saturation coverage of a large area. They may be
antipersonnel (APERS), antimateriel (AMAT), antitank (AT), dual-purpose
(DP), incendiary, or chemical. Submunitions may be spread by
dispensers, missiles, rockets, or projectiles. Each of these delivery
systems disperses its payload of submunitions while still in flight,
and the
submunitions drop over the target. On the battlefield, submunitions are
widely used in both offensive and defensive missions. Submunitions are used to destroy an
enemy in place (impact) or to slow or prevent enemy movement away from
or through an area (area denial). Impact submunitions go off when they
hit the ground. Area-denial submunitions, including
FASCAM, have a limited active life and self-destruct after their active
life has expired. The major difference between scatterable mines and
placed mines is that the scatterable mines land on the surface and can
be seen. Placed mines may be hidden or buried under the ground and
usually cannot be seen. The ball-type submunitions are APERS. They
are very small and are delivered on known concentrations of enemy
personnel, scattered across an area. Like a land mine, it will not blow
up until pressure is put on it.
The APERS submunition can be delivered by aircraft
or by artillery. When it hits the ground, a small fragmentation ball
shoots up and detonates about 6 feet above the ground. The area-denial
APERS submunitions (FASCAM) are delivered into areas for use as mines.
When they hit the ground, trip wires kick out up to 20 feet from the
mine. All area-denial submunitions use antidisturbance fuzing with
self-destruct fuzing as a backup. The self-destruct time can vary from
a couple of hours to as long as several days.
The AMAT and/or AT submunitions are designed to
destroy hard targets such as vehicles and equipment. They are dispersed
from an aircraft-dropped dispenser and function when they hit a target
or the ground. Drogue parachutes stabilize these submunitions in flight
so they hit their targets straight on. The submunitions are also used
to destroy hard targets such as vehicles and equipment. The only
difference is that the fin assembly stabilizes the submunition instead
of the drogue parachute.
AT area-denial submunitions can be delivered by
aircraft, artillery, and even some engineer vehicles. These FASCAMs all
have magnetic fuzing. They will function when they receive a signal
from metallic objects. These submunitions, similar to the APERS
area-denial submunitions, also have antidisturbance and self-destruct
fuzing. AT and APERS area-denial mines are usually found deployed
together.
Most airframes are capable of delivering a
variety of submunitions. There is no set air delivery mission profile.
The hazard area depends on the submunition, mission profile, target
type, and number of sorties. Air Force and naval air power employ
cluster bomb units (CBUs) containing submunitions that produce hazard
areas similar to MLRS/ cannon artillery submunitions. Air delivered
canisters contain varying amounts of CBUs. One CBU-58 or three CBU-87/
CBU-52 contain approximately the same number of submunitions as one
MLRS rocket with 644 submunitions. A B-52 dropping a full load of 45
CBUs (each CBU-58/CBU-71 contains 650 submunitions) may produce an
hazard area that is significantly more dense than an MLRS hazard area.
A typical F-16 flying close air support (CAS) against a point target
may drop two CBUs per aircraft per run, thus producing a very
low-density hazard area.
Saturation of unexploded submunitions has
become a characteristic of the
modern battlefield. The potential for fratricide from unexploded
ordnance [UXO] is increasing. Joint Publication 1-02 defines unexploded
explosive ordnance as “explosive
ordnance which has been primed, fused, or otherwise prepared for
action, and which has
been fired, dropped, launched, projected, or placed in such a manner as
to constitute a
hazard to operations, installations, personnel or material and remains
unexploded either
by malfunction or design or for any other cause." Although ground
forces are concerned
with all unexploded ordnance, the greatest potential for fratricide
comes from
unexploded submunitions.
Submunition function reliability requirement
is no less than 95 percent. With a 95 percent submunition function
reliability, one CBU-58 (with 650 submunitions) could produce up to 38
unexploded submunitions. A typical B-52 dropping a full load of 45
CBU-58/CBU-71, each containing 650 submunitions, could produce an
average of some 1700 unexploded sub-munitions. The numbers of
submunitions that fail to properly function and the submunitions’
dispersion determine the actual density of the hazard area.
Studies that show 40 percent of the
duds on the ground are hazardous and for each encounter with an
unexploded submunition there is a 13 percent probability of detonation.
Thus, even though an unexploded submunition is run over, kicked,
stepped on, or otherwise disturbed, and did not detonate, it is not
safe. Handling the unexploded submunition may eventually result in
arming and subsequent detonation.
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/cluster.htm
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Originally
Updated Saturday, June 26, 1999 4:21:40 PM
