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Functional use
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Analyst Note
External Research
Human Rights Watch
“The most recent known attack in Yemen involving the use of a CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon was on February 15, 2016, near a cement factory in Amran governorate, 40 kilometers northwest of the capital, Sanaa. The Amran Cement Factory employed about 1,500 people prior to the current conflict but reduced its staff significantly after a July 12, 2015 attack wounded 12 workers.”
Armament Research Services (ARES)
“Each SFW contains ten BLU-108 submunitions, sometimes referred to as ‘posts’. Each post contains an additional four submunitions. When the munition functions, the dispenser panels are separated by a linear bursting charge, before the BLU-108 submunitions are ejected from the munition by a gas bag ejection system. The five submunitions contained in the forward bay are ejected first, shortly followed by the five in the aft bay. A drogue parachute precedes a main parachute, which brings the BLU-108 to a vertical position. When the munition has descended to the correct height above the ground, the parachute is released and the four “smart Skeet warhead” submunitions pivot into an exposed position … A rocket motor within the BLU-108 then initiates, imparting spin to the submunition. The BLU-108 halts descent and begins to climb. The individual Skeet submunitions are then released, and spin rapidly whilst descending, searching within their own target areas. The target is identified using a combination of passive IR and active laser sensors. Once a target that meets the targeting parameters has been acquired, the warhead functions.”