±Recent Visitors

Recent Visitors to Com-Central!

±User Info-big


Welcome Anonymous

Nickname
Password

Membership:
Latest: HighestAce
New Today: 0
New Yesterday: 0
Overall: 6648

People Online:
Members: 0
Visitors: 306
Total: 306
Who Is Where:
 Visitors:
01: Photo Gallery
02: Home
03: Member Screenshots
04: Community Forums
05: Member Screenshots
06: Member Screenshots
07: Community Forums
08: Home
09: Member Screenshots
10: Community Forums
11: Community Forums
12: Downloads
13: Community Forums
14: Photo Gallery
15: Search
16: Community Forums
17: Community Forums
18: Home
19: Community Forums
20: Community Forums
21: Downloads
22: Home
23: Home
24: Community Forums
25: Community Forums
26: Home
27: Home
28: Member Screenshots
29: Photo Gallery
30: News Archive
31: Community Forums
32: Home
33: Community Forums
34: Community Forums
35: Home
36: Community Forums
37: Community Forums
38: Photo Gallery
39: Photo Gallery
40: Photo Gallery
41: Home
42: News Archive
43: Community Forums
44: Member Screenshots
45: Community Forums
46: Downloads
47: Community Forums
48: Home
49: Community Forums
50: Community Forums
51: Community Forums
52: Community Forums
53: Community Forums
54: Photo Gallery
55: Community Forums
56: News Archive
57: Statistics
58: Photo Gallery
59: Downloads
60: Community Forums
61: Downloads
62: Photo Gallery
63: Community Forums
64: Community Forums
65: Photo Gallery
66: Home
67: Community Forums
68: News
69: Community Forums
70: Photo Gallery
71: Community Forums
72: Home
73: Home
74: Community Forums
75: Photo Gallery
76: Home
77: Community Forums
78: Member Screenshots
79: Member Screenshots
80: Home
81: Home
82: Community Forums
83: Community Forums
84: Home
85: Home
86: Community Forums
87: Community Forums
88: Your Account
89: Community Forums
90: Community Forums
91: Home
92: Member Screenshots
93: Downloads
94: Member Screenshots
95: Home
96: Community Forums
97: Downloads
98: Member Screenshots
99: Community Forums
100: Photo Gallery
101: Community Forums
102: Photo Gallery
103: Community Forums
104: Home
105: Community Forums
106: Community Forums
107: Community Forums
108: News Archive
109: Photo Gallery
110: Community Forums
111: Downloads
112: Community Forums
113: Home
114: Community Forums
115: Downloads
116: Photo Gallery
117: Community Forums
118: Photo Gallery
119: Home
120: Statistics
121: Photo Gallery
122: Community Forums
123: Photo Gallery
124: Home
125: Community Forums
126: Photo Gallery
127: Home
128: Downloads
129: Home
130: News Archive
131: Home
132: Community Forums
133: Home
134: News Archive
135: News Archive
136: Downloads
137: Home
138: Home
139: Community Forums
140: Downloads
141: Community Forums
142: Home
143: Community Forums
144: Community Forums
145: Photo Gallery
146: Photo Gallery
147: Downloads
148: Home
149: Community Forums
150: Downloads
151: Your Account
152: Community Forums
153: Member Screenshots
154: Home
155: Community Forums
156: Community Forums
157: Downloads
158: Community Forums
159: Photo Gallery
160: Home
161: Community Forums
162: Home
163: Downloads
164: Photo Gallery
165: Community Forums
166: Photo Gallery
167: Home
168: Community Forums
169: Home
170: Community Forums
171: Community Forums
172: Photo Gallery
173: Photo Gallery
174: Member Screenshots
175: Home
176: Community Forums
177: Community Forums
178: Downloads
179: Community Forums
180: Community Forums
181: Photo Gallery
182: Community Forums
183: Community Forums
184: Community Forums
185: Home
186: Home
187: Your Account
188: Community Forums
189: Home
190: Community Forums
191: News Archive
192: News Archive
193: Community Forums
194: Photo Gallery
195: Community Forums
196: Member Screenshots
197: Community Forums
198: Home
199: Home
200: Community Forums
201: News Archive
202: News
203: Photo Gallery
204: Community Forums
205: Community Forums
206: Photo Gallery
207: Photo Gallery
208: News Archive
209: Community Forums
210: Community Forums
211: News Archive
212: Photo Gallery
213: Community Forums
214: Community Forums
215: Community Forums
216: Community Forums
217: Community Forums
218: News
219: Home
220: Community Forums
221: Community Forums
222: Community Forums
223: Community Forums
224: Member Screenshots
225: Downloads
226: Downloads
227: Member Screenshots
228: Community Forums
229: Photo Gallery
230: Community Forums
231: Community Forums
232: Community Forums
233: Photo Gallery
234: Photo Gallery
235: Community Forums
236: News Archive
237: Community Forums
238: Community Forums
239: Community Forums
240: Community Forums
241: Photo Gallery
242: Community Forums
243: Home
244: Home
245: News Archive
246: Community Forums
247: Home
248: Home
249: Home
250: Home
251: Photo Gallery
252: Community Forums
253: Downloads
254: Community Forums
255: Community Forums
256: Community Forums
257: Community Forums
258: Home
259: Community Forums
260: Community Forums
261: Home
262: Community Forums
263: News
264: Photo Gallery
265: Member Screenshots
266: Home
267: Community Forums
268: Community Forums
269: Downloads
270: Home
271: Your Account
272: Community Forums
273: Your Account
274: Community Forums
275: Downloads
276: Home
277: Community Forums
278: Community Forums
279: Community Forums
280: News Archive
281: Community Forums
282: Home
283: Community Forums
284: Community Forums
285: Home
286: Community Forums
287: Community Forums
288: Community Forums
289: Community Forums
290: Home
291: Community Forums
292: Home
293: Community Forums
294: Home
295: Community Forums
296: Community Forums
297: Community Forums
298: Photo Gallery
299: Photo Gallery
300: Community Forums
301: Your Account
302: News Archive
303: Community Forums
304: Community Forums
305: Community Forums
306: Community Forums

Staff Online:

No staff members are online!
No More DU?
The AFV ASSOCIATION was formed in 1964 to support the thoughts and research of all those interested in Armored Fighting Vehicles and related topics, such as AFV drawings. The emphasis has always been on sharing information and communicating with other members of similar interests; e.g. German armor, Japanese AFVs, or whatever.
Post new topic    Reply to topic    Printer Friendly Page     Forum Index ›  AFV News Discussion Board

View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
mike_Duplessis
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 236

PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:52 pm
Post subject: No More DU?

I found this quote in an article at 'The Gun Zone'. It came as quite a surprise! I guess DU was a good idea as long as you didn't have to occupy the territory afterward. Has anyone witnessed this supposed ammo changeover actually taking place?

"Now, the Army has disclosed plans to expand the "green ammo" program to fill all 120mm tank rounds with tungsten, instead of depleted uranium. Depleted-uranium ammunition afforded American ground forces an advantage over their Iraqi targets during the Gulf War. But, since the material is indisputably an environmental hazard, it's soon to be replaced by tungsten, which will give shells a smaller effective range. So a tactical edge is also being thrown out the window along with the depleted uranium... ...Incidentally, as the United States lacks tungsten reserves, it is obliged to purchase the metal from China."
Back to top
View user's profile
C_Sherman
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 590

PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:22 pm
Post subject: Re: No More DU?

Hmmm...color me skeptical, until I hear it officially. I can't see tossing out any advantage just for some perceived environmental benefit, but I've been wrong before. As far as contamination, I don't recall ever hearing any discussion about it while I was there, aside from the basic safety measures of "wash your damn hands, etc.". I don't know of any contamination problems that have come up at all.

Truthfully, I doubt that many DU rounds have been fired since the initial invasion, since it's virtually exclusive purpose is anti-armor. A sabot dart of any material is pretty useless against mud huts, cinderblock buildings, and automobiles. It would make a pretty hole, but not much else.

I'd rate this as an unlikely rumor, without completely discounting the possibility it is true.

C

_________________
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it
will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
-Herm Albright

Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc!
Back to top
View user's profile Photo Gallery
JimWeb
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 1439
Location: The back of beyond
PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:23 pm
Post subject: Re: No More DU?

There was a report awhile back in B.A.R. that spaced armour was proving to be effective against DU rounds it didn't go into specifics but its one of the reasons the UK has already abandoned DU.

Cool

_________________
TTFN
Jim

If your not a member of JED then your
not serious about anything military..

***********************
www.jedsite.info
JED Military Equipment
***********************
Back to top
View user's profile Visit poster's website ICQ Number
mike_Duplessis
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 236

PostPosted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:49 pm
Post subject: Re: No More DU?

Once DU penetrates it supposedly shatters and burns. That could 'theoretically' be its achilles heel against properly spaced armor I suppose. Also, aerosolized DU might be a problem for battlefield cleanup and disposal. I vaguely recall a report about a soldier involved in cleanup dying from exposure - but I may be wrong about that. If they're not partiicularly concerned about the outskirts of Bagdhad they may be pretty concerned about accumulated DU at firing ranges over time.
Back to top
View user's profile
JimWeb
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 1439
Location: The back of beyond
PostPosted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:02 pm
Post subject: Re: No More DU?

- mike_Duplessis
Also, aerosolized DU might be a problem for battlefield cleanup and disposal. I vaguely recall a report about a soldier involved in cleanup dying from exposure - but I may be wrong about that.


At the time of the liberation of kuwait I recall that orders not to climb/approach vehicles knocked out by DU rounds were quite widely distributed so the aerosolized DU must have been a known problem.

Cool

_________________
TTFN
Jim

If your not a member of JED then your
not serious about anything military..

***********************
www.jedsite.info
JED Military Equipment
***********************
Back to top
View user's profile Visit poster's website ICQ Number
C_Sherman
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 590

PostPosted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:19 pm
Post subject: Re: No More DU?

- JimWeb
- mike_Duplessis
Also, aerosolized DU might be a problem for battlefield cleanup and disposal. I vaguely recall a report about a soldier involved in cleanup dying from exposure - but I may be wrong about that.


At the time of the liberation of kuwait I recall that orders not to climb/approach vehicles knocked out by DU rounds were quite widely distributed so the aerosolized DU must have been a known problem.

Cool


There was a long thread about this in the misty past. The primary hazard of DU isn't the direct radiation hazard, as DU is relatively stable and not particularly radioactive. The problem is that Uranium is a heavy metal and behaves as such in the body if it is ingested (mainly by swallowing the dust). The Uranium concentrates in the soft tissues, organs and glands. The effects are uncertain, but concern is twofold: 1. The Uranium may cause systemic problems similar to lead or other heavy metals, and 2. The low level radioactivity, concentrated in soft tissues, may (slightly) increase the chances of some types of cancer.

Physiologically, the effects of uranium ingestion are not really clearly known, but no one wants to take chances with heavy metals. The radiation hazard is very, very low, but anything that mentions "radiation" scares some folks to the point of hysteria. There has been a great deal of effort in the international Green community to find some imminent hazard from the US use of DU, with no appreciable scientifically verifiable results.

It is instructive that the primary action for possible exposure to DU is "keep your hands out of your mouth, and wash your hands/skin with soap and water".

Hope this helps!
C

_________________
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it
will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
-Herm Albright

Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc!
Back to top
View user's profile Photo Gallery
mike_Duplessis
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 236

PostPosted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:04 pm
Post subject: Re: No More DU?

Another heavy metal you might not want to injest is Arsenic Smile
The populace/press generally tends to confuse and conflate threats. Sure uranium might cause cancer but its more likely to poison you first! Its like confusing global warming with the ozone hole. The both might be from the same source but it's totally different threats.
Back to top
View user's profile
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic    Reply to topic    Printer Friendly Page    Forum Index ›  AFV News Discussion Board
Page 1 of 1
All times are GMT - 6 Hours



Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum