Iran Launched Atleast One Ballistic Missile With Cluster Bomb Warhead: Israeli Defence Forces

The attack demonstrated the missile’s ability to endanger a broad area, with one submunition striking a residential home and others scattered across the region. The warhead caused heavy damage in a wide area.

Iran has developed and deployed ballistic missiles equipped with cluster or fragmenting warheads, which are designed to split into multiple smaller munitions during their descent. These warheads function by breaking apart at a specific altitude—recently reported at around 7 kilometres above ground—dispersing approximately 20 submunitions over a wide area, with an impact radius of about 8 kilometres.

Each submunition acts as a small bomb, lacking its own propulsion and falling randomly to the ground, thereby posing a threat to a larger area compared to a conventional single warhead. The destructive power of each submunition is significantly less than that of a standard ballistic missile warhead, but the area covered is much greater.

The warhead separates at altitude, releasing multiple smaller munitions (submunitions or bomblets). The submunitions spread over a radius of roughly 8 kilometres, increasing the missile’s effectiveness against area targets.The bomblets rely solely on their initial momentum and gravity, resulting in a random distribution pattern.

While each submunition causes less damage individually, the collective effect can endanger a wide region and complicate missile defense efforts.

The IDF have not identified the type of the missile but sources here said that Iran’s Khorramshahr medium-range ballistic missile is capable of carrying such cluster warheads.

The Khorramshahr has a range of up to 2,000 km and can carry a warhead of up to 1,800 kg, making it suitable for delivering a large cluster warhead.