Cluster munitions spread from Russia’s Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Oct. 21./Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters
2023.07.13 Thu posted at 20:15 JST
(CNN) Pentagon officials have revealed the testing methods to determine the performance of the cluster munitions that the Biden administration decided to deliver to Ukraine.
In an interview with CNN, he said the main goal is to reduce the failure rate to 2.35% or less, which is also a concern for civilians.
The problem of unexploded bombs has led to an international ban on the use of cluster munitions, which, like landmines, pose a long-term threat to civilians. More than 100 countries have banned it, including allies of the United States and countries that support Ukraine.
A Pentagon official told CNN that cluster munition test launches were conducted live, not through simulated or virtual devices. The most recent test launch was reportedly conducted in 2020 by the U.S. Army Command, which is involved in weapons operations and management, at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
The number of submunitions that did not detonate during the test launches was evaluated and recorded, and the resulting data on the misfire rate was included in the development report.
The official said the cluster munitions to be destined for Ukraine were both M864 and M483A1, the most recent of which had been tested in 2020 and 2017.
A total of 11 groups of cluster ammunition are stored, and a total of 40 rounds from each group were used for test firing. The ones used for testing were randomly selected by the command staff.
Cluster munitions capsule used in Ukrainian front-line city Audiiyka
He said that there are many ways to determine the results of test launches, but he also mentioned the ratio of “detonation in the air” and “detonation when landing on the ground,” and the effectiveness at a distance of 15 to 30 kilometers. Regarding the calculation of the failure rate, there are means such as photographic tracking, acoustic analysis and human sighting.
The Biden administration has stressed that it will deliver cluster bombs to Ukraine that pose less danger to civilians than what Russia is currently using. White House National Security Adviser John Sullivan said the failure rate for Russian-made aircraft is as high as 40%.
However, some have questioned the validity of the data obtained from test-firing of cluster munitions by the US military. It also raises the issue of data discrepancies when conducted in environmental and topographical conditions that differ from those suitable for live fire, such as climatic conditions.
Pentagon officials declined to say whether the test was conducted under different environmental conditions.
Sullivan also said the supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine would be a “temporary” measure and would be for “months” while the country’s ammunition shortages were being filled.
Ukrainian artillery stocks are at low levels, he said. While mentioning that he chose to hand over the cluster munitions, he said he was aware of the risk of civilian casualties being harmed, but said, From the point of view of the
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2023-07-13 11:15:00
