Explain Like I'm Five

14243 readers

28 users here now

Simplifying Complexity, One Answer at a Time!

Rules

Be respectful and inclusive.
No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
Engage in constructive discussions.
Share relevant content.
Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
Use appropriate language and tone.
Report violations.
Foster a continuous learning environment.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

ELI5: How are unexploded cluster munitions not a solved problem? (pawb.social)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

11 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I really don't have a lot of background on cluster munitions; it only really came into my perception in response to the controversy over the US providing them to Ukraine. As I understand it, the controversy is because they often don't all explode reliably, and unexploded munitions can then explode months or years later when civilians are occupying the territory, making it similar to the problems caused by landmines.

In an age where things like location trackers, radio transmitters, and other such local and long-range technology to locate objects are common place, what's stopping the manufacturers of these munitions from simply putting some kind of device to facilitate tracking inside each individual explosive, to assist with detection and safe retrieval after a conflict? I get that nothing is a 100% effective solution, but it seems like it'd solve most of it.

Can someone with actual knowledge explain why this is still a problem we're having?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Ah, that's a great point - I hadn't considered that we'd still be using the same cluster bombs that were made in the Cold War era, but that does make sense.