Unexploded aerial bombs
Bombs dropped from aircraft during the bombing around the time of the Vietnam War that remain in the ground or underwater without having exploded.
History
According to the Landmine Monitor, the US military dropped more than 1 million tons of conventional bombs during the Vietnam War, mainly on eastern Cambodia. The Cambodian government's extension request, based on US State Department data, puts the amount dropped in 1965-1973 at about 2.75 million tons (including cluster submunitions), while CMAC explains that 539,129 tons of bombs were dropped in 1970-1975. The figures differ by source because the periods covered and the counting methods differ. The bombing was carried out to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail and to support ground troops, and after US bombing stopped in August 1973, bombing by the Khmer Republic's air force continued into early 1975. (Target year: 2019) [Ref 0096][Ref 0101][Ref 0102][Ref 0104]
Features
These are large bombs dropped from aircraft, and they can remain unexploded in the soil or in rivers and ponds. Cambodian government documents cite an estimate that roughly 30 percent of the bombs failed to explode on impact.
Current status
Through its operations since 1992, CMAC has found and destroyed 2,931 aerial bombs (cumulative total as of January 2024). Across Cambodia, an estimated 1,856 km2 of contaminated area, including minefields, is thought to remain (as of January 2024). (Target year: 2024) [Ref 0101]