The dispatch of the so-called to Kiev has been under discussion for a few days cluster bombs (cluster bombs). This decision is “reasoned” by the fact that, as the US Secretary of Defense explained, Colin H. KahlIn a briefing, he said: “We want to make sure that Ukrainians do this.” sufficient artillery to continue theirs counteroffensive which is progressing somewhat more slowly than some had hoped.” On the other side, however, is the foreign minister Antony Blink who instead justified the decision as necessary to ensure the defense of Ukraine from Russian aggression “The ammunition is running out”. And analyzing the characteristics of this type of weapon, the second version seems the most plausible – to create huge minefields It allows you to stop the enemy’s advance, but discards the hypothesis of an advance.
The decision to also supply this type of weapon did not leave indifferent the European allies, who reminded Washington that this was the case Oslo Convention which since 2008 bans cluster bombs, prohibits the use, manufacture, trade and stockpiling of cluster bombs, and also requires governments to destroy existing stocks in military arsenals. However, the United States of America has not signed it. In fact, Blinken said during an interview with Nbc given the worrying situation of Shares rearmament of European countries, thought it appropriate to highlight how the dispatch of cluster bombs had developed in the meantime essential to allow Ukrainians to continue defending themselves against Russian aggression. Therefore, listening to the statements of the American diplomat, one might assume that the Ukrainian counter-offensive has arrived a dead end and that despite the vast amounts of equipment and weapons supplied by the West, the Ukrainians have failed to achieve this significant tactical results.
A reading that emerges from the analysis of the intrinsic properties of cluster bombs. These are weapons designed to satiate (or cover) large areas of land for make them unusable to every enemy. The area prohibition weapon usually consists of one dispenser with several submunitions consisting of small bombs or mines equipped with one or more types of fuzes. The latter can be of type delayed effectthe submunition only becoming active after a predetermined period of time or type self destructivein which the bomb is active immediately after being dropped, but becomes harmless after a certain pre-programmed time (there is no mathematical certainty anyway).
Cluster bombs can be used plane bombsIn grenades medium and large caliber for artillery howitzers (155 and 203 mm), as well as from rockets from 227 mm, which is used by the American system HIMARS. Until a few years ago, European NATO countries used submunition dispensers attached to fighter-bombers Tornado IDs, such as the German MW-1 (which was also supplied to the Italian Air Force) and the English JP-233. For example, a single MW-1 donor was able to transport a combination of these 4,500 small bombs Anti-tank and anti-personnel shaped charge.
L’Usaf, the US Air Force, based on the experience of the Vietnam conflict, has developed a wide range of cluster bombs that can be used as armament for fighter-bombers. An example is the BLU-91/B anti-tank magnetic mines, which are designed to be dropped at high speeds interdict to an enemy force Access to a specific area: It goes without saying that the above area will also remain off-limits to the forces that used this weapon system. For this reason, on closer inspection, the supply of cluster munitions appears to be the result of a tactical change in the field, as the Ukrainians would have to ban the Russians from parts of the territory they still control but where a possible offensive threatens Kremlin could seriously endanger you. Territory which, however, would also become impassable for troops from Volodymyr Zelenskyy.