Flechette

A small, pointed metal dart designed to be fired as a projectile, individually or in large numbers from a munition. Its narrow body and stabilizing fins help it fly point-first.

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Fin stabilization: A method of stabilizing a projectile in flight with fins that keep its nose aligned with the airflow. Flechette fins help the dart maintain a point-first orientation after launch.
World War I: A global war fought from 1914 to 1918, centered on Europe and involving countries across the world. Flechettes were developed and used as aerial weapons during the war.
Beihive round: An anti-personnel artillery or tank round that ejects a dense cloud of flechettes. It is a prominent military munition designed specifically to deliver flechettes.
International humanitarian law: Rules governing conduct during armed conflict, including limits on weapons and methods of warfare. Its rules frame disputes over flechette use and civilian harm.
Projectile: An object launched or thrown through the air, especially one intended to strike a target. A flechette is a specialized, fin-stabilized kind of projectile.
French air-dropped flechettes: Small metal darts dropped from aircraft by French forces during World War I. They are an early documented military use of flechettes.
M546 anti-personnel round: A U.S. 105 mm artillery round that releases flechettes above a target area. This named round shows how flechettes were adapted to field artillery.
Principle of distinction: A rule of armed conflict requiring parties to distinguish civilians from combatants and civilian objects from military objectives. Area effects from dispersed flechettes can complicate efforts to limit attacks to military targets.
Shotgun shell: A cartridge designed for a shotgun, containing a primer, propellant, and one or more projectiles. Some shells carry many flechettes and disperse them when fired.
Boulanger flechette: A French World War I steel dart associated with early experiments in aerial flechette weapons. This named design illustrates the development of aircraft-dropped darts.