THE HANDSTAND

JUNE 2003

 
Use of cluster bombs in Iraq criticised, by Francis Williams in Geneva. Published May 15 2003

Human rights groups said on Thursday that the widespread use of cluster bombs in Iraq, including in urban centres, had created a humanitarian problem of huge proportions, causing many casualties especially among children and hindering aid and reconstruction efforts.

Stephen Goose of the US-based Human Rights Watch said US and UK forces had acknowledged far wider deployment of cluster bombs than in Afghanistan where the US military air-dropped some 1,200 sub-munitions.

UK forces had admitted using 600 air-dropped bombs and 2,100 launched from surface systems, Mr Goose said. The US had air-dropped 1,500 cluster bombs, but had refused to release a tally for ground-launched weapons, which were likely to have been far more numerous.

Human Rights Watch said it had documented use of cluster bombs in heavily populated areas, including the cities of Baghdad, Nasiriya and Basra. "This dramatically escalates the danger and the horrific impact cluster munitions have, and is highly likely to cause excessive civilian casualties", Mr Goose said.

Human Rights Watch and other groups, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, have called for a moratorium on the use of cluster bombs, and many legal experts believe their use in urban areas violates international humanitarian law which requires combatants to take every precaution to avoid civilian casualties.

Each cluster bomb releases 200-300 bomblets scattered over a wide area, of which between 5 and 30 per cent fail to explode, posing a permanent hazard to civilians once the conflict is over. If accidentally detonated these bomblets, which are designed to pierce armour, can kill people within a radius of 150 metres, making them far more destructive than anti-personnel landmines which are already outlawed by the Ottawa convention.

Mr Goose said the coalition forces had not used landmines in the Iraq campaign but Iraq had done so in "a particularly dastardly way" that put civilians at risk. Even before the war, Iraq was one of the most heavily-mined countries in the world.

Though there are no reliable figures on post-war casualties from unexploded ordnance in Iraq, humanitarian groups say anecdotal reports suggest hundreds of civilians may have been killed or injured in recent weeks. FINANCIAL TIMES

CLUSTER BOMBS

ANTITANK BOMB CLUSTER MK 20, CBU-99, AND CBU-100

The antitank bomb cluster is an air-launched, conventional free-fall weapon. The Mk 20, CBU-99, and CBU-100 are used against armored vehicles. The CBUs are delivered to the fleet as completely assembled all-up-rounds (AURs). Fuzes, suspension lugs, arming wires, wire extractors, and all other necessary components are installed. The Mk 20 bomb cluster weighs 490 pounds and contains 247 Mk 118 antitank bombs. The information on configuration, functional description, and shipping and storage containers of the Mk 7 bomb dispenser and its associated components can be found in NAVAIR 11-5A-3, also information on decanning, preparation for use, and recanning procedures are found in NAVAIR 11-140-9. MK 20 MODS/CBU-99/CBU-100, BOMB CLUSTER CONFIGURATIONS The configurations of the Mk 20 Mods/ CBU-99/CBU-100 are listed in the table below. Mk 7 and Mods Bomb Dispenser The cargo section of the Mk 7 bomb dispenser is the main structure of the weapon and contains the bombs/bomblets. A nose fairing is attached to the forward end of the cargo section for aerodynamics and fuze installation. It has an observation window for viewing the safe/arm indicator on the installed fuze. The dispenser has two linear-shaped charges secured longitudinally inside the walls. When initiated, these shaped charges cut the dispenser in half, from front to rear, and the bombs/bomblets spread in free-fall trajectories.

To stabilize the weapon after release from the aircraft, a tail cone assembly is attached to the aft end of the cargo section. The tail cone assembly houses four, spring-actuated folding fins. The fins are spring-loaded to the open position and secured in the closed position during ground handling by a fin release-band assembly. The fin release band is secured in the closed position by a safety cotter pin and by the fin release wire. A yellow band around the forward end of the cargo section indicates the explosive content of the weapon. The Mk 7 Mods 3, 4, and 6 bomb dispensers have the Mk 339 Mod 1 fuze, which provides the pilot with in-flight selection of the fuze function time. The Mk 7 Mod 4 bomb dispenser differs from the Mk 7 Mod 3 by modifying the dispenser and giving interface capabilities with a wider range of military aircraft. The Mk 7Mod 6 bomb dispenser is the same as the Mk 7 Mod 3 except that the outside of the Mod 6 cargo section is coated with a thermal protective coating and has an additional yellow band around the forward end of the cargo section. The addition of the thermal coating increases the overall weight of the Mod 6 to 505 pounds.

Mk 339 Mod 1 Mechanical Time Fuze

The purpose of the Mk 339 Mod 1 mechanical time fuze is to initiate the linear-shaped charges located in the cargo section walls. 1-35

Mk 118 Mod 0 and Mod 1 Antitank Bomblets

The antitank bomblets Mk 118 Mod 0 consists of a Mk 1 Mod 0 fuzing system, a shaped-charge warhead, and fixed stabilizing fins. It is loaded in the Mk 20 Mod 3 bomb clusters only. In the antitank bomb Mk 118 Mod 1, the fuzing system is a Mk 1 Mod 1, and the bombs are loaded in the Mk 20 Mod 6 bomb clusters only.

FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION

When the Mk 20 bomb cluster is released from the aircraft, the arming wires (primary and/or optional arming) are pulled sufficiently to arm the Mk 339 fuze and release the fins. The positive armed fin release arming wire frees the fin release band, and the movable fins snap open by spring-force. Functioning of the fuze initiates the linear-shaped charges in the dispenser; that cut the dispenser case in half, and disperses the bombs/bomblets. When the Mk 339 Mod 1 primary fuze arming wire is pulled, the fuze will function 1.2 seconds after the arming wire has been extracted. If the pilot selects the option time (4.0 seconds), both the primary and option arming wires must be pulled. If the pilot selects the option time and the primary arming wire is not pulled, the fuze will be a dud.

Mk 118 Mods 0 and 1 Antitank Bomb

When the Mk 118 bomb separates from the dispenser case, the base fuze-arming vane rotates and the fuze is armed. If the bomb strikes a hard target, such as concrete or armor, the electric detonator ignites the shaped-charge warhead immediately. If the bomb strikes a soft target, such as earth or sandbag, the bomb penetrates the targets until deceleration lets the inertia firing pin strike and initiate the stab detonator, causing warhead denotation.

SHIPPING AND STORAGE CONTAINERS

The Mk 427 Mod 0 and Mod 1 shipping and storage containers encase one fully assembled Mk 20 bomb cluster. The reusable containers consist of metal upper and lower shell assemblies that are secured with either 16 quick-release latches (Mod 0) or 18 "T" latches (Mod 1). A rubber gasket provides an environmental seal when the upper and lower shells are mated. External framemembers are welded to each half of the container so the containers can be stacked six high and provide the necessary fittings for ground-handling equipment. The reusable weapon cradle Mk 18 Mod 0 is used to ship and store two fully assembled Mk 20 bomb clusters. The cradle consists of plastic upper and lower shell assemblies, which are shock-mounted on a metal cradle assembly. The weapon cradle has forklift guides, lifting eyes; hand truck brackets, and lifts devices to permit the use of handling equipment. Four supports are provided on each cradle to aid in stacking the cradle assemblies.