The CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition is a cluster bomb used by the United States Air Force. Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a number of smaller submunitions a cluster of bomblets CBU stands for Cluster Bomb Unit.
It was developed by Aerojet General/Honeywell. Aerojet is a major Rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer based primarily in Sacramento California with divisions in Redmond WA; Orange VA Honeywell ( is a major American multinational conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products engineering services and aerospace systems In 1986, the bomb was introduced to replace the earlier cluster bombs used in the Vietnam War. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia The list price is set at $14,000 per bomb.
When dropped from an aircraft, a cluster bomb unit separates into several smaller bombs and makes many little explosions covering a larger area than a typical bomb would cover. An explosion is a sudden increase in Volume and release of Energy in an extreme manner usually with the generation of high Temperatures and the release The bomb is not necessarily used for precision, but for destroying multiple targets at once or making sure something gets hit along with the outer perimeter of the target getting hit as well.
The bomb is designed to be dropped by plane at any altitude and any air speed. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data Airspeed is the speed of an Aircraft relative to the air There are several different measures of airspeed indicated airspeed calibrated airspeed equivalent airspeed and true It is a free-falling bomb and relies on the aircraft to aim it before it drops. Once it is dropped, it needs no further instruction, as opposed to guided munitions or smart bombs. The bomb can be dropped by a variety of modern-day aircraft. It is 92 inches long, 15. 6 inches in diameter, and weighs 950 pounds. Inside the cluster bomb unit, there are mini-bombs (or bomblets) that deploy before it hits the ground. Each cluster bomb unit contains 202 armor-piercing shaped charge bomblets. A shaped charge is an Explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a number of smaller submunitions a cluster of bomblets
Manufacturers have claimed that the failure rate for each bomb is about 5%. This would mean that of the 202 bomblets dropped, about 10 will not explode on impact. In reality however, the failure rates of the CBU87 have been much higher. [1]
The bomblets are stored in an SUU-65B canister. While descending in the air, the bomb starts spinning. After it drops to a certain altitude, the bomb breaks open and drops the mini-bombs. When the mini-bombs hit the ground, they will cover a large area and have separate explosions within that area. The CBU-87 can be adjusted so it can cover a smaller or wider area of land. Depending on the rate of spin and the altitude at which the main bomb opens, it can cover an area between 70 x 70feet and 400 x 800 feet. Decreasing these adjustments causes a lower surface area to be hit. Increasing them allows a wider surface area to be hit. There are 6 speeds that can adjust the bomb's rate of spin.
The CBU-87 is fused with an FZU-39/B proximity sensor. The sensor has 12 time selections which tell when the bomb is to be dispensed and discharge the bomblets. When the bomb opens up while falling, it separates into three pieces, not including the bomblets, and the BLU-97/B bomblets fall out. The BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb is the Submunition used in several Cluster bomb type weapon systems
When the CBU-87 is used in conjunction with the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser guidance tail kit, it is designated as CBU-103. The Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser system is a tail kit for use with the TMD (Tactical Munitions Dispenser family of Cluster bombs to convert them to Precision-guided [2]
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Operational use
During Operation Desert Storm, the US Air Force dropped 10,035 CBU-87s. During Operation Allied Force, the US dropped about 1,100 cluster bombs, and most of these were CBU-87s. The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia (code-named Operation Allied Force) was NATO 's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that
On May 7, 1999, a CBU-87 was responsible for one of the most serious incident involving civilian deaths and the use of cluster bombs, the Cluster bombing of Niš. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) See also Civilian casualties inflicted during Operation Allied Force The Cluster bombing of Niš was an event that occurred on May 7,
References
- ^ (February, 2007). "Cluster munitions in Kosovo: Analysis of use, contamination and casualties". . Landmine Action
- ^ Lockheed Martin WCMD (Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser) - Designation Systems
Bibliography
External links
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