| CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition | |
|---|---|
 CBU-103 (CBU-87 with Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser kit) | |
| Type | Cluster munition |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | Since 1986 |
| Used by | |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Honeywell Defense and Marine Systems |
| Designed | Early 1980s |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 950 lb (430 kg) |
| Length | 7 ft 8 in (2.33 m) |
| Diameter | 15.6 in (396 mm) |
| Warhead | 202 BLU-97/B submunitions bomblets |
Launch platform | AV-8B,A-10,B-1B,B-52,F-15E,F-16,F/A-18C/D &F/A-18E/F |
| References | Janes[1] |
| BLU-97/B CEM | |
|---|---|
| Type | Cluster submunition |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designed | Early 1980s |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) |
| Length |
|
| Diameter | 2.5 in (64 mm) |
| Warhead | 70/30cyclotol/zirconium |
| Warhead weight | 10.1 oz (287 g) |
| References | Janes[1] |
TheCBU-87 Combined Effects Munition (CEM) is acluster bomb used by theUnited States Air Force, developed byAerojet General/Honeywell and introduced in 1986 to replace the earlier cluster bombs used in theVietnam War. CBU stands for Cluster Bomb Unit. When the CBU-87 is used in conjunction with theWind Corrected Munitions Dispenser guidance tail kit, it becomes much more accurate, and is designatedCBU-103; and when the CBU-87 is used in conjunction with the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser-Extended Range guidance tail kit, it is designatedCBU-113/B.[2]
The basic CBU-87 is designed to be dropped from anaircraft at anyaltitude and anyair speed. It is afree-falling bomb and relies on the aircraft to aim it before it drops; once dropped it needs no further instruction, as opposed toguided munitions orsmart bombs. The bomb can be dropped by a variety of modern-day aircraft. It is 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 meters) long, has a diameter of 16 inches (41 centimeters), and weighs roughly 951 pounds (431 kg). The price is US$14,000 per bomb.[citation needed]
Each CBU-87 consists of an SUU-65B canister, afuze with 12 time delay options and 202 submunitions (orbomblets) designatedBLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb. Each bomblet is a yellow cylinder with a length of 20 centimeters and a diameter of 6 centimeters. The BLU-97/B bomblets are designed to be used against armor, people and soft skinned targets and consist of ashaped charge, a scored steelfragmentation case and azirconium ring forincendiary effects. The CBU-87 can also be equipped with an optional FZU-39/B proximity sensor with 10 altitude selections.
When dropped from an aircraft, the bomb starts spinning. There are 6 speeds that can adjust the bomb's rate of spin. After it drops to a certain altitude, the canister breaks open and the submunitions are released. Each bomblet has a ring of tabs at the tail end; these orient the bomblet and deploy an inflatable decelerator to decrease the falling speed of the bomblet. When the submunitions hit the ground, they will cover a large area and the CBU-87 can be adjusted so it can cover a smaller or wider area. Depending on the rate of spin and the altitude at which the canister opens, it can cover an area between 20×20 meters (low release altitude and a slow rate of spin) to 120×240 meters (high release altitude and a high rate of spin).
Manufacturers and the Department of Defense have claimed that each bomb's failure rate is about 5%.[3] This equates to about 10 bomblets not exploding on impact of the 202 bomblets dropped. Landmine Action claimed the failure rate of the BLU-97/Bs used in the Kosovo campaign was higher, between 7 and 8 percent.[4]
During OperationDesert Storm, the US Air Force dropped 10,035 CBU-87s. DuringOperation Allied Force, the US dropped about 1,100 cluster bombs, mostly CBU-87s.
On 7 May 1999, a CBU-87 was used in one of the most serious incidents involving civilian deaths and cluster bombs, theNiš cluster bombing.
-CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon, a cluster bomb with smart submunitions.