The White House has made a historic decision and allocated a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, announced on July 7, 2023, which includes 155mm DPICM cluster munitions.
Moreover, it seems that they have finally abandoned the concept of providing Ukraine with any potentially dangerous weapons. This adds a certain optimism regarding the prospect of receiving ATACMS for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. President Joseph Biden stated, "If we don't provide such weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (DPICM cluster munitions, ed.), it will be the civilian population of Ukraine who will suffer at the hands of Russian occupiers."
Read more: Ukraine’s Defense Minister Spoke in Detail About How the Armed Forces Will Use Cluster Munitions on the Battlefield of War With russia
According to reports from Western media, we will receive a significant quantity of DPICM cluster munitions, potentially numbering several hundred thousand units. This will have a notable impact on the course of events on the battlefield.
It is important to clarify the specific characteristics of the 155mm DPICM cluster munitions and how they can accelerate the pace of eliminating the occupiers. The answer to this can be found in an article on The Drive portal dedicated to DPICM.
Firstly, the authors of the publication specify that these are essentially the second generation of cluster munitions used by the US Army. The previous generation had the ICM index, but those munitions were designed solely for engaging enemy infantry. While, DPICM is intended for both destroying enemy armored vehicles and engaging "soft targets" such as non-armored vehicles and enemy infantry.
Another important clarification is that the Americans may have DPICM munitions in storage not only in the 155mm caliber but also in 105mm and 203mm calibers.
There is a possibility that the US Army may still have a certain quantity of unguided rocket projectiles of the M26 type for M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS systems in storage. This means that, under favorable political conditions, the range of US deliveries of cluster munitions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine could increase in the future.
The Drive authors describe the general principle of operation of the clusters in DPICM munitions as follows:
"Though there are multiple types of DPICM submunitions, they are all designed in the same basic way, with a shaped charge intended to defeat armor surrounded by a casing specifically structured to send lethal fragments flying in all directions. The submunitions, which are similar in size and weight to a typical hand grenade, are unguided, but each one has a tassel-like piece of cloth at the top that helps stabilize it as it falls. DPICM-filled artillery rounds and other munitions generally eject the submunitions from the rear of the projectile or warhead after it reaches a set point in its trajectory.
Depending on the exact type of DPICM munition and how it is employed, each one can saturate a target area encompassing many thousands of square feet. For example, a single M26 227mm artillery rocket, loaded with 644 M77 DPICM submunitions, can spread submuntions across a circular-shaped area roughly 656 feet (200 meters) in diameter — nearly 50,000 square feet. The effected area can also vary based on the dispersal height and other dynamics.
For Ukrainian forces, there are a number of clear potential use cases where DPICM-loaded munitions could be very useful. Ukraine already has M142 HIMARS and variants and derivatives of the M270 in service, as well as an array of NATO-standard 155mm and 105mm howitzers, that can fire different DIPCM types. There is also evidence of U.S.-made 203mm high-explosive artillery shells in Ukraine being used as ammunition for the country's Soviet-era 2S7 Pion howitzers".
DPICM cluster munitions are important not only because they can cover Russian infantry in trenches, but also because their use provides occupiers with less time to find cover for their troops and limits opportunities for reserve maneuvering. This grants the Armed Forces of Ukraine more operational possibilities to exhaust the defensive lines of the Russian army in the South and near Bahmut.
As Defense Express reported, With a New Security Aid Package From the US Ukraine Got Cluster Munitions, Armored Vehicles, Artillery.
Read more: Ukraine’s Ground Forces Commander Says His Troops Effectively Destroy russian Forces Near Bakhmut, Advance on Flanks
