A/HRC/3/2
page 115
based on the world’s leading thermal technology. The tank carries an ammunition store of
50 rounds of 120 mm ammunition. The tank carries a store of 10,000 rounds of 7.62 mm
ammunition. The tank also utilizes a sophisticated Battle Management System (BMS).
Cluster Munitions
Cluster munitions consist of a canister which breaks apart above the ground to release a
large number of small bombs. These are known as “bomblets” if delivered by air or “grenades”
if delivered by artillery or rocket systems. A single artillery shell disperses these grenades over
an area as large as two football pitches. Air-delivered cluster bombs saturate an area twice that
size. A range of this ammunition has been developed and is designed specifically to target
military objectives such as tanks, artillery locations, vehicles or troops; some have an incendiary
capability. There is a significant “dud rate”. Official figures place this generally at between
1 and 5%. However in the Lebanon conflict, dud rates as high as 40% have been reported.295
In other words, many of the bomblets did not explode but, rather like anti-personnel mines, they
litter the ground with the potential to explode at any time later. Dud rates of 40% translate into
approximately 250 unexploded bomblets for each MRLS rocket fired. The number of M 85 duds
is most striking as this ammunition has a built-in self destruct feature which apparently did not
function correctly.
From the information made available to the Commission, Israel has in its arsenal cluster
munitions which can be delivered by aircraft, artillery and rockets. The following cluster
munitions were used by Israel in Lebanon during the conflict:
Ground Based
•
M483A1 155mm artillery shells each of which deliver 88 dual-purpose (anti-material
and anti-personnel) grenades.
•
M 395 and M 396 Israeli manufactured 155 mm artillery shells. These contain 63
and 49 M85 cluster grenades respectively. They also have a built-in self destruct device.
•
The Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). The MLRS is a versatile weapon
system that supplements traditional artillery. It delivers large volumes of firepower in a
short time against critical, time-sensitive targets. The system consists of a tracked
launcher capable of launching two munitions pods of six rockets. Each rocket
(US manufactured M26) contains 644- M77 cluster grenades, designed to detonate on
impact. The anti-materiel capability is provided through a shaped charge which can
penetrate up to four inches of armour. Its steel case fragments and produces
antipersonnel effects with a radius of 4 m. A volley of 6 rockets would release
3,864 cluster bombs over an area covering a one kilometre radius.
Air Dropped
Israel also used the CBU-58 cluster bomb. It is loaded with 650 bomblets (BLU-63).
These bomblets contain 5-gram titanium pellets, making them incendiary and useful against
flammable targets.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents