OSMP1035

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ID

OSMP1035

Date

27 April 2015

Source

Ole Solvang/Human Rights Watch ↗

Reported Location

Yemen › Sa'ada Governorate

Year

2015

Munition Category

Submunition

Functional use

Blast Munition Cluster Munition Fragmentation Munition Shaped Charge Munition

Tentative Model

BLU-108

Research Organisation

Human Rights Watch

Base Colour

Grey / Silver Orange

Condition

Delivered Munition Functioned Munition Part

Mechanical Feature

Hydraulic and/or Electronic Components

Guidance

Guided Munition

Domain

Air-to-Surface

Analyst Note

12 January 2025

This image shows two BLU-108 submunitions. Each BLU-108 contains 4 smaller submunitions, or ‘skeets’. The BLU-108 at the top has deployed all four skeets, while the bottom example has two skeets still attached. The BLU-108 is fitted with a parachute that is deployed after the submunition separates from its dispenser (e.g., the CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon) to slow its descent, as well as a rocket motor that is thereafter fired to increase the munition’s altitude before it deploys the skeets. Each skeet is able to independently seek out targets using an infrared sensor. (ARES)

External Research

Human Rights Watch

“At least two civilians were wounded when CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons were used near al-Amar village in Saada governorate on April 27, 2015, according to local residents and medical staff.”

Armament Research Services (ARES)

“The Skeet submunitions require the BLU-108 post to arm, and cannot arm independently. If, for example, a BLU-108 submunition were to fail to function and crash intact, the Skeet submunitions would not have armed, as they would not have proceeded through the requisite mechanical and electrical processes. The BLU-108 submunition must spin at the correct rate before the explosive bolts releasing the Skeet submunitions are able to function. The Skeets then continue to spin, and require a certain amount of centripetal force in order to arm.”