Military Use of Depleted Uranium (DU)
BBC News 2002
Depleted Uranium (DU) is an extremely heavy substance, 1.7 times denser than lead, and is used in a nation to penetrate armor. Several countries deploy DU munitions or armor, including the U.S., UK, France, Russia, China, and Israel. The vapor created by DU after impact settles as a dust that is chemically poisonous and radioactive. DU is a by-product of the enrichment of natural uranium, either for weapons-making or for reactor fuel.
[also see other nuclear files Pre-2002 | 2002 | 2003 ]
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M1 Abrams battle tank
DU's density and physical properties also make it ideal for use as armor played. The high-density of DU also makes it useful as a counterbalance in yacht keels. DU is only used in the weapon systems or armor plating of tanks such as the M1 Abrams battle tank, or aircraft like the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The UK military uses DU only in tanks such as the Challenger battle tank. |
| The A10 Thunderbolt II
Designed for "tank busting" and close support of ground forces, the A10 has a Gatling gun the size of family car. In Kosovo and more recently in Afghanistan, A10s fired thousands of DU rounds. Fuel tanks seal themselves punctured by any fire. Cockpit protected by titanium plating. The 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger which fires that DU ammunition. Hydraulic controls backed up by manual systems in case power is lost |
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The GAU-8 Avenger
The A10 is the only type of aircraft that is armed with the avenger. This 7-barrel Gatling gun is used primarily to attack targets on the ground. The GAU fires 65 rounds per second, and has a range of over 1250 m. A typical combat ammunition load is 1100 rounds of DU and High Explosives Incendiary (HEI) bullets. Ammunition is loaded in a sequential mixture in which one HEI round is followed by four DU rounds. |
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How DU Penetrate Armor
DU armor piercing round shot at tank armor |
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DU round hits armor at 1067 meters per second |
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The less dense outer shell of the DU round stopped by the armor |
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That DU penetrate is more dense than outer round and continues through the armor |
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As the DU penetrate tears through the
armor it begins to heat up and melt.
The piercing forests of the DU can be seen on the interior wall of tank |
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The DU penetrate your bursts through and showers the interior with white hot DU and shrapnel |
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Remaining outer shell has completely
disintegrated
That DU and bursts into flames igniting diesel fumes in the tank killing all inside |
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When DU ammunition has been fired at a target tiny dust particles are left, which are radioactive and chemically poisonous. The best is said to pose a serious health risk to persons to come into contact with it, and is the source of the controversy surrounding DU. |
source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/world/02/military_fact_files/du/html/flash.stm 17apr03
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