The M134 bomblet was a U.S. chemical
cluster munition
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill personnel and destroy veh ...
designed for use in the
MGR-1 Honest John rocket during the 1950s. The weapon was never mass-produced and was supplanted in 1964 by an improved design, the
M139.
History
The M134 bomblet, developed as the E130, or E130R1 bomblet,
[ began development in the early 1950s.][ While the weapon was not yet battle-ready, or ready for mass-production, in 1960, work on the bomblet dated back to at least 1953.][ By 1964 the bomblet design had been improved and the smaller M139 was adapted for use with the rocket warheads utilized by the M134.][ Thus, the M134 was never mass-produced; by the time the missile warhead and the M134 were ready for production they had been supplanted.][
]
Specifications
The M134 bomblet was designed for the M190 Honest John rocket warhead.[ The bomblets carried ]sarin
Sarin (NATO designation GB nerve_agent#G-series.html" ;"title="hort for nerve agent#G-series">G-series, "B" is an extremely toxic organophosphorus compound.[nerve agent
Nerve agents, sometimes also called nerve gases, are a class of organic chemistry, organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanisms by which nerves transfer messages to organs. The disruption is caused by the blocking of acetylcholinesterase (ACh ...]
and after the missile was fired the bomblets were released above their target.[ At the time of the sub-munitions' release a mechanical time fuze would cut the warhead's skin and the bomblets were released.][ The weapon could effectively saturate an area in diameter with ]chemical agent
A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as a ...
.[
The Honest John held 356 of the 115 mm M134s.][Kirby, Reid.]
The CB Battlefield Legacy: Understanding the Potential Problem of Clustered CB Weapons
", ''Army Chemical Review
''Army Chemical Review'' is prepared twice a year by the United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) School and the Maneuver Support Center, Directorate of Training, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. This magazine presents ...
'', pp. 25-29, July-December 2006, accessed January 5, 2009. The spherical M134 was 4.5 inches around and constructed of ribbed steel. Its interior held about of sarin
Sarin (NATO designation GB nerve_agent#G-series.html" ;"title="hort for nerve agent#G-series">G-series, "B" is an extremely toxic organophosphorus compound.[U.S. Army Chemical Corps
The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against and using chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. The Chemical Warfare Service was established on 28 June 1918, combining activiti ...]
originally planned to use the M134 as a VX dispersement method also, but later regarded this use as ineffective and scrapped the plan.[Summary of Major Events and Problems - United States Army Chemical Corps: Fiscal Year 1960]
, April 1961 U.S. Army Chemical Corps Historical Office, via Office of Scientific & Technical Information, U.S. Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear we ...
, accessed January 5, 2009.
Issues
The warhead meant to carry the M134 was classified and went into production on April 14, 1960; the M134, however, was not yet ready for production.[ The M134 had a host of issues which impeded its development. Problems with the fuze system, and a tendency toward unacceptable pressure build-up in filled munitions were among the problems encountered during development.][ The problems with the M134 delayed the rocket-delivered nerve agent program.][ By 1964 the successor ]M139 bomblet
The M139 bomblet was an American sub-munition designed for use in warheads as a chemical cluster munition. Each spherical bomblet held of sarin nerve agent.
History
A spherical chemical cluster munition, the M134, had been developed for the ...
was ready for production.[Smart, Jeffery K. ]
Medical Aspects of Chemical and Biological Warfare
'': Chapter 2 - History of Chemical and Biological Warfare: An American Perspective,
PDF
: p. 51), ''Borden Institute
The Borden Institute is a U.S. Army “Center of Excellence in Military Medical Research and Education”.
In 1987, U.S. Army Colonel Russ Zajtchuk conceived the idea for a “Center of Excellence in Military Medical Research and Education,” u ...
'', Textbooks of Military Medicine, PDF via Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. ...
, accessed January 5, 2009. The M139 was superior to the M134: its glide angle of 22° allowed it better agent coverage.[
]
See also
* M139 bomblet
The M139 bomblet was an American sub-munition designed for use in warheads as a chemical cluster munition. Each spherical bomblet held of sarin nerve agent.
History
A spherical chemical cluster munition, the M134, had been developed for the ...
* M143 bomblet
The M143 bomblet was a biological cluster bomb sub-munition developed by the United States during the 1960s. The spherical bomblet was the biological version of the Sarin-filled M139 bomblet, M139 chemical bomblet.
History
The M143 bomblet was pr ...
References
{{U.S. chemical weapons
Chemical weapon delivery systems
Submunitions
Chemical weapons of the United States