Cluster Munition Monitor: report 2019

The Cluster Munition Coalition has released their 2019 report, covering the impact of cluster munitions around the world, and the countries that continue to manufacture cluster munitions. 16 countries that produce cluster munitions are yet to commit to never producing them in the future, a figure unchanged since the 2018 report. None are party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The report acknowledges it is unclear if all of the countries listed actually produced cluster munitions, and some (Greece, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Turkey and the USA) have indicated no active production.

The following countries are listed as “cluster munition producers”:

• Brazil
• China
• Egypt
• Greece
• India
• Iran
• Israel
• Korea, North
• Korea, South
• Pakistan
• Poland
• Romania
• Russia
• Singapore
• Turkey
• United States of America

The report highlights India as likely to be one country where production appears to be ongoing, with purchase order records listing at least one company providing components for 130mm “cargo shells”. An Indian defence company called Hyderabad Precision displayed components for cluster munitions during the Eurosatory arms fair in Paris in June 2018.

There is also evidence of ongoing research and development of new types of cluster munitions. Russia tested the “Drel” RBK-500U gliding cluster bomb. In 2018 the USA spent $2.5 million testing the 155mm M999 “Advanced Anti-Personnel Munition”, made up of M99 explosive submunitions produced by Israel Military Industries (IMI).

Read the full report online here: http://the-monitor.org/media/3047840/Cluster-Munition-Monitor-2019_online.pdf