I designed parts for the cluster-bombs that ultimately were dropped on Libyan beaches and when I saw them "staked" into the ground, my hope was that they'd prove their worth as a deterrent - and that the beaches would remain empty of humans until they had all "gone safe".
I dunno, if I tried to do your job, I'd just feel like I was just flicking matches onto gasoline. I mean, it might just be possible that you guys are overdoing it on the defense and could spend a bit less time on the gun designs. I understand that things that go bang are fun, but you already have a reasonable number of different cluster munitions and have a large enough army to take on all the others at once, so I am not sure I see the excess utility to your society in spending too much time in designing a new one.
No ... this was in the late '80s or early '90s. We were a contract engineering shop and these were the only weapon parts we ever made. Most of my work was much more rewarding (Controllers for thermal storage systems, Opthalmic Ultrasounds, Controllers for nuclear reactors, etc).
Did you regret doing it beyond hoping that civilians didn't stray into the affected areas? Cluster bombs can be pretty indiscriminate and are often a major contributor to child injuries, while adults are less likely to go and play with random metal objects in a war zone, kids just aren't wary enough.
edit - I just don't know that the principle of deterrence works that well unless the person being deterred is sufficently informed, otherwise they are not deterred, they just end up dead.
reply