What is DPICM - Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions

DPICM or Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions is an artillery delivered shell that breaks open when near the target releasing "bomblets" or "Submunitions." The US M483A1 155mm howitzer round contains 88 of these submunitions - 64 M42 and 24 M46.
The rounds are shape charge rounds which can penetrate roughly 4 cm of armor and have secondary blast effects that can be devastating to troops in the open.

However, between 2-4% of these munitions fail to explode when they hit the ground because they collide with each other and are damaged during the release process. These rounds are "duds" but can still explode, which effectively turn any area saturated with DPICM into a minefield.

DPICM are not particularly useful for clearing trenches because they lack explosive power, nor are the good at destroying buildings. But they are devastating to infantry and armor in the open. Ukraine may also break the rounds open and use the submunitions individually on drones.

Sources:
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/m483.htm
https://cat-uxo.com/explosive-hazards/submunitions/m42-submunition

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