Cluster munitions are conventional weapons designed to disperse multiple explosive submunitions from bombs, artillery shells, rockets, or missiles. Their wide-area effect made them militarily useful, but unexploded remnants and civilian-harm concerns drove the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions ban for states parties.
In the 2014 Second Libyan Civil War, Human Rights Watch documented banned cluster munitions used by the Libyan National Army and affiliated foreign forces in Tripoli's southern suburbs in 2019-2020.
In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Cluster Munition Monitor documented Saudi-led coalition cluster munition attacks in Yemen from 2015 to 2017, including CBU-105, CBU-87, CBU-58, M26, ASTROS II, and BL755 examples.
Role detailsThese launcher systems are documented carriers for cluster rockets in recent conflicts.
| Launcher | Launcher type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 300 mm multiple rocket launcher | Human Rights Watch documented 9M55K cluster rockets launched from BM-30 Smerch systems in Ukraine and Syria, with 72 submunitions per rocket in the Kharkiv case. Sources: Ukraine: Cluster Munitions Launched Into Kharkiv Neighborhoods, Russia/Syria: Extensive Recent Use of Cluster Munitions |
 | 160 mm multiple rocket launcher | Human Rights Watch documented LAR-160 cluster rockets used by Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh and identified M095 submunitions and rocket remnants on the ground. Sources: Azerbaijan: Cluster Munitions Used in Nagorno-Karabakh, Technical Briefing Note: Cluster Munition Use in the Karabakh Conflict |
Delegates from 107 states adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Dublin, creating the modern treaty ban.
Sources: Convention on Cluster Munitions - Oslo Process
The treaty became binding international law on 1 August 2010 after the ratification threshold was reached.
Sources: Convention on Cluster Munitions - States Parties
The convention and Human Rights Watch both emphasize two features that define the category: a broad area of effect and the long-lived danger from unexploded submunitions.
| Topic | Source-backed point |
|---|---|
| Treaty rule | The Convention on Cluster Munitions prohibits use, stockpiling, production, and transfer for states parties. |
| Civilian risk | Submunitions or bomblets are scattered over a wide area, and duds can remain hazardous after the attack. |
| Operational appeal | The weapon class is valued for area coverage against troops, vehicles, or dispersed targets. |
Sources: Convention on Cluster Munitions text; Human Rights Watch cluster munitions topic.
