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The CBU-107 Passive Attack Weapon is the Air Force's modern answer to the classic bow and arrow: a high-speed volley of more than 3,000 metal arrows, projected from a single canister, meant to destroy a "soft" target with a minimum of damage to surrounding structures.

Because it is not an explosive, it was designed to be especially useful against targets where an explosion would be a bad thing -- say at a chemical plant or a suspected biological weapons laboratory. A plume of smoke from such targets could carry with it deadly gases or pathogens.

Just two CBU-107s were used in the war during the first two weeks of April. The Air Force put $40 million toward the CBU-107 in September. By January, Knox and his team had delivered the first of the 1,000-pound weapons for use on the F-16 fighter, the B-52 bomber and the F-15E strike fighter.

Each weapon packed into a standard bomb dispenser has three types of metal projectiles: 350 15-inch long rods, 1,000 7-inch long rods; and 2,400 small penetrators, about the size of a 10-penny nail. The bomb itself is propelled by the forward motion of the plane from which it is dropped and the force of gravity. Gliding toward a target, the bomb's path is "corrected" for the effect of the wind by an inexpensive tail kit, which gives the weapon accuracy of closer than 30 feet. Before impact, however, an inner chamber containing the rods begins to rotate and the "arrows" are flung out in rapid succession by the centrifugal force, attacking the target within a "footprint" of less than 200 feet.

Instead of an explosive effect these penetrators punch holes in targets. Explosives cause unintended damage and leave dangerous "duds" behind. Anything attacked with the Passive Attack Weapon could be easily targeted with a 1,000-pound or 2,000-pound explosive Joint Direct Attack Munition, or even a cement-filled version of the weapon -- but not without unwanted consequences.

The U.S. military used 19,948 precision munitions in the war and 9,251 unguided weapons. Most of the precision weapons were laser-guided bombs (8,716) and JDAMs of various sizes (6,542), according to a report on the conduct of the air war prepared April 30 for Lt. Gen. Michael Moseley, who commanded that portion of the effort.