Cluster Bomb Unit - 24

[bmsm]

The CBU-24 (cluster bomb unit-24) was only used in Vietnam. It is 1.80 in. diameter at the center and made of pot metal. This is the only CBU made this small as the rest of them are baseball size or larger. The bomblets are encased inside a large bomb that would split open in the air at a predetermined height scattering the cbu's in the air. Some bombs carried as many as 650 bomblets in each large bomb giving it a total weight of 800 pounds.The cbu's would arm themselves by the two short molded fins on the cast surface catching the air and spinning them on it's axis thus arming them. Some of them would explode on impact and some of them would act as small land mines. They were supposed to self destruct after a period of days if not disturbed before then. Many of them never did self destruct and they cannot be disarmed.

The example shown here is an inert training device that was used to load into a large bomb to show how thw deployment mechanism operates and how the balls behave while falling.

The second picture shows the two small arming fins at the top on the right and left side of the ball.

Bob

[Mervyn Mitton]

Very unusual,Bob - I remember reading that they dropped them in Iraq - presumably they were the larger version. They are obviously very effective, but I have to say that I am surprised the US would use such a weapon where civilians and children could be harmed. One has to wonder who make the decision to drop such awful weapons ?

[Dresden]

Very unusual,Bob - I remember reading that they dropped them in Iraq - presumably they were the larger version. They are obviously very effective, but I have to say that I am surprised the US would use such a weapon where civilians and children could be harmed. One has to wonder who make the decision to drop such awful weapons ?

Those were designed and made by Honeywell at the TCAAP, Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in New Brighton Minnesota, USA. The shrapnel balls were made from wire roughly formed

in a press then tumbled round, at one time Honeywell had the largest die cast department in the USA making these bomblets. Several more were developed, some smaller in diameter and a rather larger one made from a stamping with plastic bonded on the outside. The vanes cause the bomblet to spin flight arming a fuze, the fuze hammer would make contact with a bit of

contact cement and remain held until the bomb hit causing detonation, some bombs would actually delay for up to several hours.

Several more AREA DENIAL weapons were developed by Honeywell most with a scatterable attribute by plane, Helicopter, and Artillery. Some of these were reworked into special hand

thrown mines for the Navy Seals. The cluster bomb used in Iraq was the CBU, Cluster Bomb Unit that dropped an anti- armor/ anti- personal bomb, I recall there were 96 bombs in a

CBU and each bomb-let penetrated nine inches of armor. This was the weapon that that caused the road of death in the first Iraq war.

The other interesting bomb was the Fax, or Fuel Air Explosive that caused massive overpressure when detonated.

Regards

Dresden

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hi - Dresden. Welcome to GMIC - wow ! two new members on this section in one day....

You must be ex-military to know these special details. Very interesting - please tell us more.

[Brian Wolfe]

Those were designed and made by Honeywell at the TCAAP, Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in New Brighton Minnesota, USA. The shrapnel balls were made from wire roughly formed

in a press then tumbled round, at one time Honeywell had the largest die cast department in the USA making these bomblets. Several more were developed, some smaller in diameter and a rather larger one made from a stamping with plastic bonded on the outside. The vanes cause the bomblet to spin flight arming a fuze, the fuze hammer would make contact with a bit of

contact cement and remain held until the bomb hit causing detonation, some bombs would actually delay for up to several hours.

Several more AREA DENIAL weapons were developed by Honeywell most with a scatterable attribute by plane, Helicopter, and Artillery. Some of these were reworked into special hand

thrown mines for the Navy Seals. The cluster bomb used in Iraq was the CBU, Cluster Bomb Unit that dropped an anti- armor/ anti- personal bomb, I recall there were 96 bombs in a

CBU and each bomb-let penetrated nine inches of armor. This was the weapon that that caused the road of death in the first Iraq war.

The other interesting bomb was the Fax, or Fuel Air Explosive that caused massive overpressure when detonated.

Regards

Dresden

Hello Dresden,

First, allow me to echo Mervyn in welcoming you to the forum.

I have seen the photos of the devistation on what you refered to as the "road of death in the first Iraq War" and never knew that these were the little buggers that were responsible. Like so many such weapons they don't look all that harmful until they are deployed. Thanks for the historical background, it was quite interesting.

Regards

Brian

[Hugh]

Those were designed and made by Honeywell at the TCAAP, Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in New Brighton Minnesota, USA. The shrapnel balls were made from wire roughly formed

in a press then tumbled round, at one time Honeywell had the largest die cast department in the USA making these bomblets. Several more were developed, some smaller in diameter and a rather larger one made from a stamping with plastic bonded on the outside. The vanes cause the bomblet to spin flight arming a fuze, the fuze hammer would make contact with a bit of

contact cement and remain held until the bomb hit causing detonation, some bombs would actually delay for up to several hours.

Several more AREA DENIAL weapons were developed by Honeywell most with a scatterable attribute by plane, Helicopter, and Artillery. Some of these were reworked into special hand

thrown mines for the Navy Seals. The cluster bomb used in Iraq was the CBU, Cluster Bomb Unit that dropped an anti- armor/ anti- personal bomb, I recall there were 96 bombs in a

CBU and each bomb-let penetrated nine inches of armor. This was the weapon that that caused the road of death in the first Iraq war.

The other interesting bomb was the Fax, or Fuel Air Explosive that caused massive overpressure when detonated.

Regards

Dresden

A bit of clarification - the weapons used in Iraq I were primarily a later development, not the bomblets shown. I've forgotten the nomenclature, but the name was Rockeye, and they looked like a large lawn dart. The dart's "point" provided the standoff distance which allowed the explosive jet of the shaped charge to develop at proper distance to the armor. This gave excellent penetration to the top armor of armored vehicles. However, the dud rate was unacceptable, littering the battlefield with unexploded ordnance.

The follow-on weapon was the CBU-87. If memory serves, it carried 282 bomblets (BLU-97) about the size of a beer can. The weapon was a nominal 1000 pound store for the aircraft. The rotation of the canister could be pre-set so that, in connection of the height of bursting, you could tailor the size and shape of the impact area. The warhead included a shaped charge inside a scored case for more effective fragmentation, and a zirconium ring for incendiary effects. This weapon was much more effective in anti-armor, anti-material and anti-personnel usage, and the dud rate was much lower.

A different form of multiple warhead weapons was the Family of Scatterable Mines (FASCAM). These were dispersed by artillery (155MM), aircraft or helo dispenser, or by hand. There were two primary warheads - anti-armor and anti-personnel. In the 155MM shells, they were called Area Denial ---- Munition (ADAM) and Remote Anti-Armor Munition (RAAM), respectively. (Sorry, forgot the expansion of the ADAM acronym). These weapons included a very highly reliable self destruct mechanism, by which the munition timed out and exploded after a pre-selected time. This virtually eliminated the issue of UXO on the battlefield.

Fuel-Air Explosive (FAE) was an extremely effective weapon. We used the massive overpressure to collapse bunkers and tunnels in Viet Nam. Unfortunately, the weapon is now out of service, as is napalm.

Best,

Hugh

Edited May 2, 2010 by Hugh

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hugh - Very interesting and quite frightening. As I get older, mans' 'inhumanity to man', never fails to amaze me....

[Dresden]

A bit of clarification - the weapons used in Iraq I were primarily a later development, not the bomblets shown. I've forgotten the nomenclature, but the name was Rockeye, and they looked like a large lawn dart. The dart's "point" provided the standoff distance which allowed the explosive jet of the shaped charge to develop at proper distance to the armor. This gave excellent penetration to the top armor of armored vehicles. However, the dud rate was unacceptable, littering the battlefield with unexploded ordnance.

The follow-on weapon was the CBU-87. If memory serves, it carried 282 bomblets (BLU-97) about the size of a beer can. The weapon was a nominal 1000 pound store for the aircraft. The rotation of the canister could be pre-set so that, in connection of the height of bursting, you could tailor the size and shape of the impact area. The warhead included a shaped charge inside a scored case for more effective fragmentation, and a zirconium ring for incendiary effects. This weapon was much more effective in anti-armor, anti-material and anti-personnel usage, and the dud rate was much lower.

A different form of multiple warhead weapons was the Family of Scatterable Mines (FASCAM). These were dispersed by artillery (155MM), aircraft or helo dispenser, or by hand. There were two primary warheads - anti-armor and anti-personnel. In the 155MM shells, they were called Area Denial ---- Munition (ADAM) and Remote Anti-Armor Munition (RAAM), respectively. (Sorry, forgot the expansion of the ADAM acronym). These weapons included a very highly reliable self destruct mechanism, by which the munition timed out and exploded after a pre-selected time. This virtually eliminated the issue of UXO on the battlefield.

Fuel-Air Explosive (FAE) was an extremely effective weapon. We used the massive overpressure to collapse bunkers and tunnels in Viet Nam. Unfortunately, the weapon is now out of service, as is napalm.

Best,

Hugh

[Dresden]

A bit of clarification - the weapons used in Iraq I were primarily a later development, not the bomblets shown. I've forgotten the nomenclature, but the name was Rockeye, and they looked like a large lawn dart. The dart's "point" provided the standoff distance which allowed the explosive jet of the shaped charge to develop at proper distance to the armor. This gave excellent penetration to the top armor of armored vehicles. However, the dud rate was unacceptable, littering the battlefield with unexploded ordnance.

The follow-on weapon was the CBU-87. If memory serves, it carried 282 bomblets (BLU-97) about the size of a beer can. The weapon was a nominal 1000 pound store for the aircraft. The rotation of the canister could be pre-set so that, in connection of the height of bursting, you could tailor the size and shape of the impact area. The warhead included a shaped charge inside a scored case for more effective fragmentation, and a zirconium ring for incendiary effects. This weapon was much more effective in anti-armor, anti-material and anti-personnel usage, and the dud rate was much lower.

A different form of multiple warhead weapons was the Family of Scatterable Mines (FASCAM). These were dispersed by artillery (155MM), aircraft or helo dispenser, or by hand. There were two primary warheads - anti-armor and anti-personnel. In the 155MM shells, they were called Area Denial ---- Munition (ADAM) and Remote Anti-Armor Munition (RAAM), respectively. (Sorry, forgot the expansion of the ADAM acronym). These weapons included a very highly reliable self destruct mechanism, by which the munition timed out and exploded after a pre-selected time. This virtually eliminated the issue of UXO on the battlefield.

Fuel-Air Explosive (FAE) was an extremely effective weapon. We used the massive overpressure to collapse bunkers and tunnels in Viet Nam. Unfortunately, the weapon is now out of service, as is napalm.

Hugh,

Thanks for reminding me about some of this , There were actually two Rockeyes, a smaller one about 1.5" x 8" , and a larger 2" x 10", both had a stand off nose with two cross rivets

that sheared giving the fuze time to respond and not deforming the nose at all. The CBU-87 had a nylon drag chute and the stand off was a large spring in a collar.

I worked in several of these programs as a machine repair man/maintenance machinist. The ADAM mine was rather interesting and I worked in the building where it was made,

We had pallets of 155mm shells on hand as test samples to check the fit in the shell. I even have an ADAM desk ornament made of clear plastic with the parts cast inside.

The ADAM could be exploded after dropping by a signal to allow friendly troops in the area, I always felt that we made the safest mines, the ordnance could do it's job and then be

cleared when not needed. Everybody knows war is hell but if it can be made less so all the better.

Regards

Dennis

Best,

Hugh

[Kev in Deva]

Two pictures that might be of interest:-

An Israeli Air Force Cluster Bomb Container used as a

Irish Batt U.N.I.F.I.L. Location sign

in the village of At-Tiri in South Lebanon.

I think its over 2 meters long.

Inner sereated fragment of one of the actual cluster bombs.

Sorry for the quality of pictures, I took them back in 1980 when stationed in At-Tiri

with "C" Company 46th Irish Batt. U.N.I.F.I.L.

Kevin in Deva. :cheers:

Edited May 6, 2010 by Kev in Deva