The weapon[s]

Cluster munitions, which break apart in flight to scatter hundreds of smaller bomblets, are what the International Committee of the Red Cross calls a "persistent humanitarian problem."

Most of a cluster bomb's bomblets are meant to explode on impact, but many do not. Estimates show the weapons fail to explode on impact between 10 and 40 percent of the time, the Red Cross says.

[link]

Can I replace the plural weapons with the singular to mean the type of weapon in this context?

Thanks in advance!

I would say no.

The "weapon" here is one "cluster bomb."  The percentage of "weapons" which fail to explode on impact refers to the hundreds of smaller bomblets.  Let's say one cluster bomb comprises 300 bomblets.  Lets say that 25% of those bomblets do not explode.  That means there are 75 bomblets lying around on the ground waiting for kids to accidently detonate them.

I don't know, N2g.  I suppose technically you could, since the term "weapon" is not used in the sentence to refer to the cluster bomb, but only to the "bomblets."  Yes, okay, go for it!

  - A.

Before your reply, I was quite certain the weapons referred to cluster bombs, not their bomblets. Could you help me understand why the weapons refer to the bomblets instead of the bombs themselves in this context?

I wrote a whole bloody edit on that subject but they zapped it.  Dang!  CSO = cheerfully start over.

Avangi

That means there are 75 bomblets lying around on the ground waiting for kids to accidently detonate them.

I believe the word in bold is a typo. It should be 'accidentally'.