US explains why its cluster munitions pose less of a threat to civilians – CNN
The US military has stated that its cluster munitions have a lower percentage of unexploded submunitions that could pose a threat to civilians.
Source: CNN with reference to a US military official, European Pravda writes.
Details: It is noted that the US military has been testing cluster munitions, which the administration of US President Joe Biden plans to send to Ukraine, in order to ensure that the munitions have a "dud rate" of 2.35% or lower.
According to the official, the munitions were tested "via live fire" and not through simulated or virtual tests.
He added that the cluster munitions the US plans to send, the M864 and M483A1 models, were last tested in 2020 and 2017, respectively.
The official explained that the ammunition was tested in various ways.
US President Joe Biden's administration is trying to emphasise that the cluster munitions it will provide to Ukraine pose less of a risk to civilians than the cluster munitions currently in use by Russia.
On Friday, the United States officially announced a new US$800 million military aid package to Ukraine, which included Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM), or cluster munitions.
Cluster munitions usually release a large number of small elements, so they are considered more dangerous to the civilian population. These munitions also have an equally high percentage of failure, making them dangerous for years after the end of a conflict.
In 2008, more than 120 countries adopted a treaty banning the production, use, and stockpiling of cluster munitions. The United States, Russia and Ukraine refused to join it.
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