3% is miniscule compared to the 40% reported for the Russian munitions. Given the quantity of DPICMs and their far lower dud rate, it’s basically just an accounting error at that point.
It’s also a false equivalence to compare DPICM vs no DPICM – the longer the war drags on, the more low-grade munitions will be used from deeper stockpiles which will inevitably have a substantially higher dud rate.
I have no problem with Ukraine using the cluster munitions, I’m just pointing out that 5 shells will lay an area with 15 duds turned into landmines. Ukraine will be careful where they use them.
“The original M77 has a relatively high dud rate (about 5%), and the M85 is a derivative with a self-destruct fuze to lower this rate significantly (< 1%).”
We consider 5% to be a high, unacceptable dud rate. These submunitions were reworked to improve that to less than 1%. For each rocket dispensing 544 submunitions, less than 6 would be duds on average. I think cluster munitions have gotten a bad rep overall (not that it hasn’t been deserved) but you’re right, this is apples to oranges.
3% is miniscule compared to the 40% reported for the Russian munitions. Given the quantity of DPICMs and their far lower dud rate, it’s basically just an accounting error at that point.
It’s also a false equivalence to compare DPICM vs no DPICM – the longer the war drags on, the more low-grade munitions will be used from deeper stockpiles which will inevitably have a substantially higher dud rate.
I have no problem with Ukraine using the cluster munitions, I’m just pointing out that 5 shells will lay an area with 15 duds turned into landmines. Ukraine will be careful where they use them.
They also can and will use some for drone bombs.
This is specifically about the DPICM rounds:
https://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/mlrs.html
“The original M77 has a relatively high dud rate (about 5%), and the M85 is a derivative with a self-destruct fuze to lower this rate significantly (< 1%).”
We consider 5% to be a high, unacceptable dud rate. These submunitions were reworked to improve that to less than 1%. For each rocket dispensing 544 submunitions, less than 6 would be duds on average. I think cluster munitions have gotten a bad rep overall (not that it hasn’t been deserved) but you’re right, this is apples to oranges.