Flechette

A flechette is a small, dart-like projectile used in specialized ammunition that fires many such darts at once. Flechettes are typically slender steel darts carried in a shell, cartridge, or warhead, released when the munition is fired. Some designs stabilize the darts with fins, while others rely on rapid separation from a sabot or carrier.

In artillery and rocket munitions, flechettes are dispersed in large numbers to create a broad pattern over a target area, aiming to increase the probability of wounding personnel. In shotgun applications, a shell may contain dozens of flechettes intended to improve lethality at close range compared with conventional buckshot, though with high dispersion and significant collateral risk.

Performance-wise, flechettes travel at high velocity and can produce multiple wound channels. However, accuracy and effective range are often limited by dispersion, yaw, and environmental factors. The darts can over-penetrate or deviate unpredictably, raising concerns about civilian harm.

History and use, in a broad sense, indicate that flechettes were explored and prototyped by several countries during the mid- to late 20th century for anti-personnel purposes. They never achieved widespread standard-issue status in major armed forces due to questions about effectiveness, safety, and collateral damage, and have been subject to regulatory restrictions in many jurisdictions.

Regulation varies by country; because flechette munitions can cause indiscriminate injuries, many places restrict or ban their use in civilian contexts, and production or sale is often tightly controlled as cluster-like submunitions. See also: ammunition, anti-personnel weapons.