Does Britains new weapon break Geneva Convention?
Britain is to spend around 50m on a new shoulder-fired “bunker-buster” to bolster the infantry’s street-fighting capability. The new weapon fires grenades able to punch through reinforced concrete from a distance of around 550 yards. Military officials say the need for the launcher has become increasingly pressing as British troops face the insurgency in Iraq. Currently infantrymen must often call in air-strikes against snipers holed up in buildings within residential areas. But such strikes risk civilian casualties and depend on close air cover being available. The procurement of the so-called anti-structure weapons is to be officially announced in Parliament tomorrow by the defence procurement minister, Lord Drayson. It is understood the contract for the new system, worth around 50m, is to be awarded to a consortium led by the Dynamit Nobel defence firm. The new weapon will be around 3ft long, weigh less than 20lb but be capable of accurately firing wall-busting grenades from hundred
