The cluster submunition, which is part of the missile, is a green, spherical object about the size of a tennis ball, with a casing that has projections along a circumferential axis.
"M74 cluster submunition. An ATACMS long-range missile has 275 of these. The [warhead's] cassette opens about 200 meters [656 feet] above the ground. Due to the protruding feathers, overtaking flow starts rotating it. When it gains about 2,000 revolutions, the centrifugal stoppers separate to the sides, and the engine inside rotates. The primer/detonator is placed opposite to the striker. The munition explodes upon impact with the surface," a Russian military specialist told Sputnik.
The expert clarified that the submunition cannot be moved because it is likely to go off at any moment, even if it does not explode immediately after being dropped.
"So civilians have to be very careful because it is painted green and is very hard to see in the grass. Any physical pressure on it can have dire consequences," he stressed.
The ATACMS fragments can be scattered in a radius of 20 meters, but some fragments can even penetrate metal doors from a distance of 50 meters. So the ammunition has a smaller fragmentation field and a lower hit probability, but the lethality of the fragments is an immense threat.
"Each munition falls within five meters from each other, causing complete destruction all at once. When it rains down, it is almost impossible to hide from it," the expert highlighted.
Russian specialists also established that the warhead was originally developed for an anti-ship missile, but was later installed on the ATACMS missile. They found out that it has three ring laser gyroscopes and a GPS antenna that corrects its ballistic trajectory.
"It has been almost completely examined. There are no secrets left for us," he concluded.
President Vladimir Putin has called the move "another mistake by the United States". He believes that these weapons pose an additional threat, though not one large enough to radically alter the situation on the front lines.