The US Army Wants To Replace Cluster Bombs With These Rockets

[Hurter]

The US Army is testing new warheads on some rockets to move away from of cluster bombs, War is Boring reports.

The Department of Defense defines cluster munitions as "munitions composed of a non reusable canister or delivery body containing multiple, conventional explosive submunitions."

In other words, they are bombs that disperse smaller bomblets over a wide area.

Groups like the Cluster Munitions Coalition strongly oppose cluster munitions because they kill indiscriminately, are difficult to control, and can leave undetonated bomblets lingering in battlefields long after conflicts pass, which could later kill civilians.

The DoD contests that cluster munitions "are legitimate weapons with clear military utility. They are effective weapons, provide distinct advantages against a range of targets and can result in less collateral damage than unitary weapons."

But the Army will nonetheless phase out these controversial weapons by the end of 2019.

The Army currently relies on cluster munitions in their 227-millimeter M-30 rockets to neutralize targets and ensure the safety of their troops. But they need a round that won't leave behind dud bomblets that could harm civilians in already war-torn areas.

The Solution is the GMLRS Alternative Warhead, which was presented at the National Defense Industry Association's 2015 Precision Strike Annual Review.

The GLMRS explosive trades submunitions for shrapnel. The GLMRS is designed to erupt into a hail of shrapnel that shreds targets with the same destructive force as a cluster munition, but without leaving behind dud bomblets for unwitting civilians to discover underfoot.

War is Boring notes that "these shrapnel warheads fit onto existing rocket motors and work with the GPS guidance kits the Army already uses." The Army hopes to start producing GLMRS by the end of next year.

 

[Fenrir]

I wonder if there's any interest in expanding the use of the CBU-107 Passive Attack Munition, which is a non-explosive cluster munition based on the SUU-66/B?

The weapon consists of a Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser-equipped SUU-66/B Tactical Munitions Dispenser containing 3,750 non-explosive steel and tungsten penetrator rods of various sizes.

This is CBU-97 Sensor Fused Weapon, but it forms the basis for the CBU-107

High moving, high density flechettes can have the same impact as explosive perpetrators, but without the risk of UXOs and without too much collateral damage. Typically harder targets are imparted more kinetic energy, and thus damage scales up, if the target's too hard though the flechette splinters like an APFSDS round hitting tank armor, but low density targets present too little resistance and thus the perpetrators passes through without "dumping" its energy as efficiently. We already see this phenomenon with the 9mm versus .45 debate, it's also seen with the 5.56 and its tendency to over penetrate targets while remaining less lethal than larger caliber rounds.

Hence the used of rods of multiple gauges on the CBU-107 to increase kill probability against a wider threat profile.

The Passive Attack Munition uses rods similar to these, though its are designed to be non-lethal (not against humans, if one hits you forget it, rather against structures to reduce collateral damage) for use against non-hardened targets such as comms gear and oil storage tanks. the basic design of the rod could be altered to allow for greater performance against hardened targets such as tanks.

There isn't too much public info the CBU-107, but it could be turned into a viable alternative to conventional explosive cluster munitions.

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The concept of flechette munitions is already used on tanks as an anti-personal weapons

 

[alimobin memon]

Seems like a cluster bomb. Still very dangerous for civilians :/

 

[GURU DUTT]

The US Army is testing new warheads on some rockets to move away from of cluster bombs, War is Boring reports.

The Department of Defense defines cluster munitions as "munitions composed of a non reusable canister or delivery body containing multiple, conventional explosive submunitions."

In other words, they are bombs that disperse smaller bomblets over a wide area.

Groups like the Cluster Munitions Coalition strongly oppose cluster munitions because they kill indiscriminately, are difficult to control, and can leave undetonated bomblets lingering in battlefields long after conflicts pass, which could later kill civilians.

The DoD contests that cluster munitions "are legitimate weapons with clear military utility. They are effective weapons, provide distinct advantages against a range of targets and can result in less collateral damage than unitary weapons."

But the Army will nonetheless phase out these controversial weapons by the end of 2019.

The Army currently relies on cluster munitions in their 227-millimeter M-30 rockets to neutralize targets and ensure the safety of their troops. But they need a round that won't leave behind dud bomblets that could harm civilians in already war-torn areas.

The Solution is the GMLRS Alternative Warhead, which was presented at the National Defense Industry Association's 2015 Precision Strike Annual Review.

The GLMRS explosive trades submunitions for shrapnel. The GLMRS is designed to erupt into a hail of shrapnel that shreds targets with the same destructive force as a cluster munition, but without leaving behind dud bomblets for unwitting civilians to discover underfoot.

War is Boring notes that "these shrapnel warheads fit onto existing rocket motors and work with the GPS guidance kits the Army already uses." The Army hopes to start producing GLMRS by the end of next year.

guess india should by all the cluster bombs from USA which it intends to replace we might get a good baragin

 

[Oldman1]

Seems like a cluster bomb. Still very dangerous for civilians :/

Looks more like air burst with shrapnel. But I don't think its all that different from most shrapnel weapons. Just doesn't leave cluster munition duds behind.