Why Ukraine needs American cluster bombs

Editor’s note: On July 7th, after this story was published, the Biden administration confirmed that it had decided to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions. The Pentagon said that it would not provide older variants with “dud rates” higher than 2.35%.

AMERICA AND its allies have constantly debated whether to send Ukraine the next big thing: first artillery, then tanks and after that jets. Each taboo has crumbled in turn. But as Ukraine’s counter-offensive approaches its second month, with progress still slow, a few weapons remain on its wish-list. One is the 150km-range Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which America has pledged but not yet dispatched. The second is the 300km-range ATACMS missile, which America remains wary of supplying. The third may be the most important: the humble cluster bomb.