Europe needs cluster munitions to defend itself from Russia, two military analysts say.
If the US backs away from NATO, European militaries will need them to knock out Russian air defenses.
Bomblets can degrade air defenses by spreading damage. They also endanger civilians.
Cluster munitions have earned a reputation as one of the ugliest weapons. By scattering lots of small bombs over a wide area, they killed and maimed so many civilians that more than 100 nations —
But if Europe is serious about defending itself from a potential Russian invasion, it will need to bring back cluster munitions, a British think tank warns.
The problem is that Europe lacks the ground forces to stop a massive Russian invasion. NATO would need to compensate — as it did during the Cold War — with airpower to pound Russian troops and supply lines to give its much smaller armies a fighting chance. The Warsaw Pact fielded 295 divisions and 69,000 tanks as compared to NATO's 170 divisions and 28,000 ta
If the US backs away from NATO, European militaries will need them to knock out Russian air defenses.
Bomblets can degrade air defenses by spreading damage. They also endanger civilians.
Cluster munitions have earned a reputation as one of the ugliest weapons. By scattering lots of small bombs over a wide area, they killed and maimed so many civilians that more than 100 nations —
But if Europe is serious about defending itself from a potential Russian invasion, it will need to bring back cluster munitions, a British think tank warns.
The problem is that Europe lacks the ground forces to stop a massive Russian invasion. NATO would need to compensate — as it did during the Cold War — with airpower to pound Russian troops and supply lines to give its much smaller armies a fighting chance. The Warsaw Pact fielded 295 divisions and 69,000 tanks as compared to NATO's 170 divisions and 28,000 ta
4 months ago
