In the United Kingdom, Hunting Engineering Ltd. developed the BL.755 air-dropped cluster bomb, which was subsequently adopted by the air forces of many nations. This includes Germany, Italy, Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands, highlighting its widespread international acceptance.
BL.755 Technical Specifications
The BL.755 cluster bomb, when fully loaded, weighs approximately 280 kg. It measures about 2.5 meters in length and has a body diameter of 0.4 meters, giving it a compact aerodynamic profile for efficient transport and deployment.
Dispersion Mechanism and Impact Area
This weapon is armed with 147 small-caliber cumulative-fragmentation bombs, each weighing approximately 1 kg. The cluster bomb opens with the assistance of pyrotechnic charges, and the bomblets are ejected at specific intervals from its cylindrical compartments by a pneumatic mechanism.
The elliptical impact area of a single BL.755 cluster bomb ranges from 50 to 200 square meters. This variation is directly dependent on the dropping height and the specific program of the intervalometer, allowing for operational flexibility.