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| target: CLUSTER MUNITIONS |
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1000 pound CBU-87 containing 202 bomblets
Made by Alliant. Used in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq and all over Asia. |
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| Anatomy of a Cluster Bomb - a two minute primer - click here |
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| ALLIANT TECH and CLUSTER BOMBS |
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In the late 1960s, the Honeywell Corporation, prior to its spin-off of ATK, was identifed as the producer of the cluster munitions being used in Southeast Asia to support the American war in Vietnam. In 1968 the Honeywell Project was formed, which grew into a worldwide movement against the company and their involvement with cluster bombs.
In 1994, Alliant Techsystems was accused and convicted by the Department of Justice for price fixing on a 1992 CBU-87 contract. Aero-General, the only other producer of cluster munitions, and ATK teamed up to submit the only bid. Aero would manufacture the bomb 'body' and ATK manufactured the bomblets and pack them into the munition.
(see and read - click here)
ATK's expertise with cluster munitions is the FZU-39 proximity sensor. Once the bomb is dropped, the ATK-designed fuze technology computes the projectile's revolutions to determine the exact moment of detonation.
See actions you can take now below. |
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| CBU/87 |
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The CBU-87 is a 1,000-pound, Combined Effects Munition (CEM) for attacking soft target areas with detonating bomblets. The CBU-87 CEM, an all-purpose, air-delivered cluster weapons system, consists of a SW-65 Tactical Munitions Dispenser (TMD) with an optional FZU-39 proximity sensor.
The BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb (CEB), effective against armor, personnel and material, contains a shaped charge, scored steel casing and zirconium ring for anti-armor, fragmentation and incendiary capability.
The bomblet case is made of scored steel designed to break into approximately 300 preformed ingrain fragments for defeating light armor and personnel.
A total of 202 of these bomblets are loaded in each dispenser enabling a single payload attack against a variety and wide area coverage. The footprint for the CBU-87 is approximately 200 meters by 400 meters. The body of the submunition is cylindrical in shape, approximately 20 centimeters long, and has a 6 centimeter diameter.
The army estimates 5% of the bomblets fail to explode on initial contact as designed. Other experts put the rate as high as 20%. This means for every 1,000 pound bomb dropped, 10 to 40 live bomblets are left on the ground – waiting to explode if picked-up or disturbed.
During Desert Storm (Gulf War I) the US Air Force dropped 10,035 CBU-87s. During Allied Force (Kosovo) the U.S. dropped about 1,100 cluster bombs. Most of these were CBU-87s.
With the high dud rate of this munition and its use in Iraq, it could also be a possible source of materials for roadside bombs (IED). |
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| Cluster Munitions and International Law |
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Cluster munitions pose specifc problems under the following three rules of customary international humanitarian law to which all parties to all conflicts must adhere:
• Distinction – this rule prohibits indiscriminate attacks. Indiscriminate attacks are attacks that are not directed at a specific military objective; attacks that use weapons that cannot be directed at a specific military objective; and attacks that use weapons whose effects cannot be limited and that strike civilian as well as military objectives. Indiscriminate attacks are also attacks that treat distinct military targets located in populated areas as one target, the clear example being the carpet-bombing of large cities during WWII.
• Proportionality – this rule means that the concrete military advantage gained from an attack must be greater than the damage to civilians foreseeable at the time of the attack. It is a complicated rule that is interpreted differently by different armed forces.
• Feasible precautions – this rule means that all feasible precautions must be taken to minimise incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects. This includes warning civilians about the threat of unexploded submunitions. |
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| ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE NOW! |
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Sign Handicap International's Petition to ban cluster munitions - click here
Contact your congressperson to support legislation on cluster munitions.
Friends Committee on National Legislation with bills and updates - click here |
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 The Cluster Munition Coalition calls for the conclusion of an international treaty banning cluster munitions by 2008.
Cluster munitions are understood to be unreliable and inaccurate weapons that are prone to indiscriminate use and that pose severe and lasting risks to civilians from unexploded submunitions.
Therefore the CMC urges all Governments to: join the international process launched in Oslo in February 2007 toward an effective and comprehensive treaty; take immediate national steps to stop the use, production and transfer of cluster munitions; commit resources and capacities to assist communities and individuals affected by cluster munitions. |
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