Recycling Cold War Super Shells

Faced with the need to have of Thousands of Cold War era DPICM (Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition) 155mm artillery shells (each one carrying 88 bomblets) and a demand for more 155mm shells practice, the U.S. Army cam up with a novel and money- saving idea. The shells DPICM Would Be emptied of Their bomblets and filled with high explosives. Not Just Any high explosive, the new goal less sensitive stuff that is less Likely to go off by accident. Recycling this way was cheaper than buying new practice shells.

DPICM was all the rage falling on the Cold War order has gone out of favor Because So Many Were bomblet duds and binds around for years Until Civilians accidentally activate 'em. In theory DPICM is more effective against enemy troops than conventional shells. The bomblets are basically anti-vehicle weapons with a fragmentation effect That Kills or insults Most People Within 6-7 meters (20 feet) of one going off.

In use for over three decades, the DPICM bomblets (also used in cluster bombs) Have a dud rate of about one percent. That means clustering one percent do not explode When They hit something (after Being Expelled from the shell before the shell hits the ground). These duds can later explode if picked up or stepped on. That's a lower rate than for MOST dud munitions, one goal caries shell 88 separate small bombs, while each Stock MLRS rocket caries DPICM 644. Earlier versions of These bomblets HAD Even Higher dud rates. So You have a lot more dud munitions sitting around on the battlefield, ready to insult your own troops and Civilians.


DPICM continued to be used more than bomblets Because the triple of each Stock efficacité the conventional shell (Which is just filled with explosive year charge.) The U.S. HAS stopped using INSTEAD DPICM and switched to even more effective GPS guided high-explosive shells. The huge quantities of DPICM bought shells falling on the Cold War as a war reserve (to supply heavy fighting for at least 30 days) are reaching the end of Their shelf life and Have to be Disposed of. Normally this means clustering extracting the explosive (Which are now stable, and less effective) and the rendering harmless stuff while selling the metal for scrap and electronic components. Instead, the Cold War super shells will be recycled into training ammo.