As the CBU-97 approaches its designated aim-point, the TMD skin is severed into three separate panels by an explosive cutting charge. Aerodynamic forces "peel away" these panels exposing the 10 BLU-108 submunitions inside. An airbag system then sequentially ejects the forward bay of 5 submunitions then the aft bay of 5 additional submunitions. Each submunition has a parachute that is sequentially deployed resulting in a linear spacing of submunitions approximately 100' apart. Each submunition then goes through a prescribed sequence of releasing its parachute, firing a rocket motor that stops the submunitions decent and also spins the submunitions on its longitudinal axis and releasing pairs of Skeet’s 90 degrees apart. Each Skeet has a spin/coning motion that results in a circular ground scan pattern. The laser sensor detects changes in height such as the distinctive contour of a vehicle. At the same time, infrared sensors detect heat signatures, such as those emitted by the hot engine of a target vehicle. When the combination of height contours and heat signatures indicative of a target are detected the Skeet detonates, firing an explosively formed penetrator into the target vehicle at high speed, enabling it to penetrate armor plating and destroy what is underneath the armor plating. Note that SFW disables targets using the kinetic energy of the EFP, not an explosive charge.
EFFECTIVENESS:
In more than 100 tests of CBU-97s, each weapon, or dispenser, delivered against a representative column of armored vehicles and trucks, has damaged, on average, three to four armored vehicles. Average spacing between the armored vehicles in these columns has been around 50 meters. Thus, for the eight armored vehicles that fall within a single weapon's 400-meter "footprint," we can expect that nearly half of them will be damaged to at least an "availability kill" (or "A-kill") level. This means that some component of the vehicle has been damaged to the extent that the vehicle must be withdrawn from the line of march and repaired before continuing on.
See also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua3nLmE7Kow
35 Comments
Claytonsays...49 nations to press for cluster weapons ban:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/49_nations_to_press_for_cluster_weapons_ban/articleshow/1672149.cms
Britain has already banned "dumb" cluster munitions, which wouldn't apply to the above.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,,2037264,00.html
I personally, don't agree with the ban. The problem is the munitions that have deployed, armed, and yet don't detonate. The "dumb" cluster bomblets typically arm by centrifugal force, flutes around the bomblets spin them in flight arming them. Failure to subsequently detonate on impact points to a problem with the design of the detonating mechanism. The solution is simple, redesign the detonators.
EnzoblueNotice how the military guys here are so easy in front of the camera and communicate so well what's going on. They've been fully trained for public relations by the company making these things. Being a salesman is a nice gig for a grunt.
choggieNo shit, ya get to be at all the toy presentations as well....it's the SAC pilots that scare the shitouttaya....any folks they can find who won't flinch when the time comes.......ewwwwwwwww!
choggiecourse there's no mandate or unspoken rule even that states one must provide a reason for a downvote....unless yer one of those, "No War Anywhere,Anytime" folks.....yer time is coming, the Holey Blabbel says, "Peace for a thouuuuuusand years....Happy times ahead!"
(above to be read with yer favorite NIN song playing in a mental backdrop)
NordlichReiterHey, I look at this and i don't see any real damage on those tanks? The tanks arent moving, and they are old tanks whats to say that the new tanks with that new retroactive armor plating wont take one of those bombs and chew it up then spit it back out? I also have to say that good old fashioned HE explosive bombs are better than this cluster bomb crap, give me a crater and see if that tank can get out of there when its in pieces. It just seemed to me that the munitions carried in that bomb were just fireworks compared to the stuff they show in Tomahawk missiles, those are cluster munition capable as well.
The daisy cutter? Now thats a bomb, big and fat and really delivers a boom.
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/blu-82.htm
conansays...oh choggie i am one of those poor individuals. what a shame.
but so what, i don´t like you either.
Traconsays...@ Fuses aren't the problem its the explosive degrading over time that is the problem. As all explosives degrade including HE it becomes more unstable over time. There is no way you could manufacture 5000 bomblets per cluster bomb and not have some fail. If there's to sensitive and the cloud explodes before it hits the ground. Plus the economy of scale means the fuse's need to be cheap to manufacture or you might as well just make 1000 pounders or rockets. The biggest problem with cluster bombs happens years later when some kids play in that field were the battle was and find a little cylinder and play with it. That's why there being banned. Even if there coloured orange and the explosive sign was plastered all over them i guarantee you kids will play with them.
@ NordlichReiter Retroactive doesn't mean what you think it means. You mean Reactive armor. Reactive armor uses an explosive to push the explosive charge away from the the tank. Things like EFP and HEAT rounds that us liquid metal to cause the majority of damage can't penetrate because of the force being thrown back at the enemy explosive. The problem is they are panels. And once a panel is used up it has to be replaced. It would be hard to hit the same target twice in the same spot but the panels are large enough that it is definitely possible using shoulder fired rockets and missiles at close range within a city.
This entire show is nice but honestly every time i see it, it screams marketing by company's and less about what will actual see action. Not to mention the guy needs to calm down seriously you don't need epic music and epic narration every time. If its being researched and tested now it might see action in 5 years. Plus only a very small fraction will actually be bought by the DoD.
sometimesboy, those sure did blast the heck out of the dirt around those tanks.
antPart 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6flb913SR90
Why is part 2 used?
Wingoguysays...Cool, but I don't think we need this. No country is stupid enough to field a line of tanks and trucks against the US. Look what happened to the Iraqis when they did it, twice.
pappleDropping munitions while cruising at 500ft on un-manned, stationary, Soviet-era vehicles is not a realisitic scenario
BigboomerHad they used brand new tanks with computers driving them etc... everyone would be crying its a waste of tax payers money
PaybackAt 4:22 some techs are "heating the tanks"... obviously with urine...
renwow I was so inspired by that clip.
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