Cluster Munitions: Background and Issues for Congress
Abstract
Cluster munitions are air-dropped or ground-launched weapons that release a number of smaller submunitions intended to kill enemy personnel or destroy vehicles. Cluster munitions were developed in World War II and are part of many governments weapons stockpiles. Cluster munitions have been used frequently in combat, including the early phases of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cluster munitions have been criticized for causing a significant number of civilian deaths. The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which bans the use of cluster munitions, entered into force in 2010; the United States is not a party to this convention. The Department of Defense (DOD) continues to view cluster munitions as a military necessity, but in 2008 instituted a policy to reduce the failure rate of cluster munitions (a major contributor to civilian casualties) to 1 percent or less after 2018. In November 2017, DOD issued a new policy that essentially reversed the 2008 policy. The 2017 policy permits combatant commanders, in extreme situations to meet immediate warfighting demands, to use cluster munitions that do not meet the1 percent or less unexploded submunitions standard. In addition, the 2017 policy does not establish a deadline to replace cluster munitions exceeding the 1 percent rate and states that DOD will retain cluster munitions currently in active inventories until the capabilities they provide are replaced with enhanced and more reliable munitions. A number of governments, UN agencies, and nongovernmental organizations have accused Russia of using cluster munitions during its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The United States transferred cluster munitions to Ukraine in July 2023.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 06, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1210790
Entities
People
- Andrew Feickert
- Paul K. Kerr
Organizations
- Library of Congress