As in so many of our delightful killing machines, the credit goes to the Third Reich. They are primarily an antipersonnell device used to spread low-level killing power over a wide area, rather than concentrate massive explosive force in one spot. The bomblets can also be deliberately designed as mines, to deny the enemy use of a large piece of ground.

Like most munitions, in order to make them safe to handle and transport, they have multiple built-in fail-safe safeguards which make them relatively innocuous until armed and deployed, but which add greatly to their unreliability. As in all explosive-loaded shells, about 10% fail to go off, which is why they litter the battlefield afterwards, posing a threat to everyone for years to come. Lately, it has become fashionable to paint bomblets in bright colors so they can be located and disposed of after the battle, but this just seems to make them more appealing to children.

Ball bearings and other shrapnel have been a feature of antipersonnel artillery shells, aereal bombs, and even hand grenades since the 19th century. They are nothing new. An interesting wrinkle on this theme was one missile used in Vietnam, which used fiberglass needles. Since these light fibers cannot travel very far it makes one wonder why that material was chosen. The only answer seems to be that they won't show up on X-Rays.