Cluster Bombs are munitions that release smaller bomblets when they are dropped. They can be either air dropped or delivered by artillery. We are more familiar with dual purpose cluster bombs because they are used more often.
A dual purpose cluster bomb scatters munitions while it is yet airborne over a wide area. They contain munitions which can destroy either vehicles or personnel. The “bomblet” normally is a shaped charge which explodes on contact with an enemy tank or vehicle. The shaped charge explodes downward to penetrate the armor of the vehicle. If it dosen’t land on a vehicle it has a spring loaded mechanism in the bottom which causes it to bounce up off of the ground. It then explodes when it is about chest high spreading deadly shrapnel over a wide area. Each bomb when dropped may contain hundreds of individual bomblets so you can see why this weapon is so effective.
One major problem with cluster bombs is that you will have a lot of unexploded bomblets laying around after the fact so you don’t want to use them over an area that you may have to send soldiers into later. You also don’t want to use them in an area where innocent people will be passing thru.
Cluster bombs can be configured to contain flame producing, chemical, and runway destroying bomblets. They can also contain chemical munitions, or propaganda leaflets.
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