New times - old weapons Cluster munitions and change of eras

Cluster weapons were created during the confrontation between the USA and the USSR. It was supposed to be used in a possible WWIII. Later, the Americans planned to abandon the use of these munitions and destroy their stock. However, the world has changed again...

Cluster munitions, like the ones the US is about to hand over to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, were widely used by Israel during the first Lebanese-Israeli war in 1982. With their help, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) covered entire areas where the military from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was located.

As reference books characterise this type of weapon, a cluster munition ejects smaller submunitions when it explodes. As a rule, such projectiles are used to destroy personnel and vehicles, since they can dramatically increase enemy losses.

Although they were once actively used by Israel, the warehouses that are now being opened to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine were created by the Americans for specific purposes.

To complete the description of this weapon, we note that, first, the stock of cluster munitions in the United States is huge: according to media reports, it amounts to 3 million units. And if Washington decided to use them, this means that the problem of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with ammunition, perhaps, will be removed for the next six months or a year. Although, in fact, a few years ago, America was going to destroy these weapons.

At the same time, the Americans are restricting Ukrainians' access to certain types of weapons, and this suggests that they do not so much want to contribute to the victories of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but rather seek to quickly end the matter by freezing the conflict. Therefore, there is no certainty that a sufficiently large amount of these shells will be provided to Ukraine. But this option cannot be ruled out, and in any case, the position of the Ukrainian army with ammunition will be significantly improved.

Second, three million munitions are stocks from the Cold War. Yes, and they were developed precisely to fight the Soviet army, that is, with the army, plus or minus, armed and organized in the way that the Armed Forces of Russia now. These weapons were supposed to compensate for the numerical superiority of the Soviet Union in manpower and armored vehicles. Moreover, the shells have different purposes - some for the destruction of personnel, others for disabling guns and equipment.

Cluster bombs are quite effective, as they are capable of hitting huge areas. At the same time, it has a serious disadvantage - it is possible that some of the submunitions will not work, which becomes a kind of mine. This can pose a serious threat to their military during offensive operations, as well as to the civilian population. In addition, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which entered into force in 2010, should not be discounted. It prohibits the use, production, transfer, and possession of cluster munitions. This international treaty has been signed and ratified by many countries, but not by all. Some countries, including the US, Russia, and China, have not signed this treaty.

After the Iraq war, the United States abandoned such shells, turning to high-precision weapons - because, as they believed, the need to fight an army similar to the Soviet one disappeared. To eliminate three militants who hid in a house in the center of a big city or a mountain cave, cluster munitions are not needed, different types of drones, cruise missiles, etc. are more suitable for this.

The fact that today the United States is unpacking stockpiles of cluster weapons is quite logical from the point of view of armed confrontation, but also very symbolic... I wonder if the United States will continue to increase the production of cluster munitions. For example, in the light of the confrontation with China? I think, more likely yes than no.