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 Honest John rocket but not deployed, owing to a variety of problems. In 1964, a new warhead size was standardized for the smaller, diameter, Little John rocket. The warhead held 52 M139 bomblets. When the MGM-29 Sergeant was deployed in the 1960s, it had the capacity to deliver a warhead carrying 330 M139 bomblets. In total, about 60,000 M139s were produced and stored; almost all were destroyed between April and November 1976. Specifications The M139 was a spherical bomblet that was filled with of sarin (GB). On the outside of the device were "vanes"; the vanes created a spin which armed the impact fuze. This "spin-to-arm" type fuze required between 1,000 and 2,000 rotations per minute to arm, which made handling the bomblets simpler because they were insensitive to normal movements. The bomblet's interior contained a central explosive burster charge, containing of composition B, and two outer compartments which contained the sarin. Tests involving the M139 The M139 bomblet was used by