Russian forces in Kursk targeted by potent cluster rockets
The Russian personnel in the Kursk region were struck by M30 version GMLRS rockets carrying a mix of several hundred anti-armour and anti-personnel bomblets. We present their capabilities and discuss the impact of the attack.
The Russians, along with soldiers from North Korea, are tirelessly attempting to retake the areas of the Kursk region occupied by Ukrainians. Despite their numerical advantage, they have been unable to advance in recent weeks. Ukrainians are trying to neutralize the opponent's superiority using, among other methods, GMLRS M30 version missiles with a cluster warhead.
The video below shows how three M30 GMLRS missiles fall on the forest area occupied by the Russians and/or Koreans, creating distinct death zones with hundreds of bomblets.
M30 GMLRS rockets — a controversial weapon with immense destructive force
The M30 GMLRS missiles with a cluster warhead were produced from 2004 to 2009, until transitioning to a less controversial Alternative Warhead in the M30A1 version, which eliminated duds.
The cluster variant M30 contains a classic cluster warhead with precisely 404 M101 DPICM bomblets released in the air over a specific area. They are quite similar to the more common M85 DPICM (Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition) weighing approximately 310 grams, capable of piercing armour thickness of about 10 to 13 centimetres and affecting soft targets with fragments within a range of a few metres.
As seen in the footage, three M30 missiles resulted in a shower of 1,212 bomblets over the area occupied by Russians or Koreans, which can essentially only be protected against by armour cover or an armoured vehicle with a roof. The latter is meant to induce the detonation of a bomblet, for instance, 20 centimetres from the actual armour, which in turn protects against fragments.
In contrast, the precise delivery of the cluster warhead at distances up to about 80 kilometres is ensured by a guidance system combining inertial and satellite navigation, achieving precision within a few metres under optimal conditions. Although GPS signal jamming reduces precision by a few metres, for this type of area-effect warhead, it is not of major significance.
