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From: bash@ihlpb.ATT.COM (Basham)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: What is a "depleted uranium round"
Message-ID: <8027@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 7 Jul 89 04:38:12 GMT
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From: bash@ihlpb.ATT.COM (Basham)


This type of ammo seems to be pretty common with the Navy, but,
what is it?

Tom


[mod.note:  I'll give the quick answer, and leave it to others to
elaborate.  Depleted Uranium, or DU, is the byproduct of the production
of enriched uranium (for reactors).  It consists of the relatively
stable uranium isotope, and so is only mildly radioactive.  DU is
extremely hard, and denser than tungsten (or lead); these two properties
make it an excellent choice for kinetic energy armor penetrators.  It
is typically used as the penetrator of a discarding sabot (DS) round,
and so achieves tremendous muzzle velocities (upwards of 4000 fps),
which means it also has a very flat trajectory.  This makes it a good
round for the Phalanx missile defense system.  In the US Army, DU is
used for all tank guns (APFSDS); I'm uncertain if it's used by other
nations.   An added bonus of DU is that it is somewhat pyrophoric;
that is, it is easy to ignite (say, by slamming it into a metal plate
at a few thousand feet per second 8-); this gives it an added incendiary
effect, which may or may not be useful against tanks.  -  Bill ]

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Tom Basham   	     AT&T Bell Laboratories        (312) 979-6336
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