Method and device for dispersing submunitions

A method for engaging a pre-determined target with submunitions propelled towards the target from an airborne carrier in the form of a rocket, missile or equivalent (1) whereby the submunitions (17) are of the type whose main in-target effect is by means of impact in the target and whereby the submunitions are given both a lateral motion vector (34) relative to the direction of flight of the carrier and a motion vector (35) in the direction of flight of the carrier which jointly give the submunitions a resultant motion vector (36) in a direction towards the target wherein a large number of the said submunitions (17) in initial mode are confined in the carrier in a state of preparedness in a dedicated magazine (5) in which they are arranged in a number of concentric layers around each other and prior to dispersion the said magazine is rotated to a rate of rotation appropriate to the desired dispersion, rotating around a rotation axis (7) coincident with the longitudinal axis of the carrier while the submunitions (17) are confined in the magazine (5) until it has reached the desired rate of rotation around the said axis (7) at which point the confining force (16) is eliminated and the submunitions (17) are enabled to leave the magazine layer by layer in the direction (34) defined by the centrifugal force at the same time that they acquire a corresponding motion vector (35) imparted by the carrier (1) in the direction of flight of the said carrier.