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[commedieu]

Officials have confirmed that the U.S. military, despite vowing not to use depleted uranium weapons on the battlefield in Iraq and Syria, fired thousands of rounds of the such munitions during two high-profile raids on oil trucks in Islamic State-controlled Syria in late 2015.

The air assaults mark the first confirmed use of this armament since the 2003 Iraq invasion, when it was used hundreds of thousands of times, setting off outrage among local communities, which alleged that its toxic material caused cancer and birth defects.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Maj. Josh Jacques told Airwars and Foreign Policy that 5,265 armor-piercing 30 mm rounds containing depleted uranium (DU) were shot from Air Force A-10 fixed-wing aircraft on Nov. 16 and Nov. 22, 2015, destroying about 350 vehicles* in the country’s eastern desert.

Earlier in the campaign, both coalition and U.S. officials said the ammunition had not and would not be used in anti-Islamic State operations. In March 2015, coalition spokesman John Moore said, “U.S. and coalition aircraft have not been and will not be using depleted uranium munitions in Iraq or Syria during Operation Inherent Resolve.” Later that month, a Pentagon representative told War is Boring that A-10s deployed in the region would not have access to armor-piercing ammunition containing DU because the Islamic State didn’t possess the tanks it is designed to penetrate.

http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/14/the-united-states-used-depleted-uranium-in-syria/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...ry-depleted-uranium-syria-20170214-story.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/depleted_uranium/

 

[LQX]

Does it really matter being that it was used on vehicles?

 

[Calabi]

Does it really matter being that it was used on armor?

Well doesnt it cause cancer, isnt it dangerous to everyone? It doesnt matter what its used on, your left with tiny irradiated particles floating around or in the ground.

Maybe someone will correct me though, maybe its perfectly safe.

 

[jfkgoblue]

Well doesnt it cause cancer, isnt it dangerous to everyone? It doesnt matter what its used on, your left with tiny irradiated particles floating around or in the ground.

Maybe someone will correct me though, maybe its perfectly safe.

Uranium is radioactive, but it is typically housed in in Halfnium tubes which naturally reduces radiation. If the Uranium is depleted there should not be any noticeable radiation above background.

 

[SerTapTap]

DU's risk is greatly overstated IMO, especially in a non-populated area, but it's such bad PR it's fucking stupid to use it against anything that doesn't actually justify it. Wonder what happened, pretty big oversight.

Well doesnt it cause cancer, isnt it dangerous to everyone? It doesnt matter what its used on, your left with tiny irradiated particles floating around or in the ground.

Maybe someone will correct me though, maybe its perfectly safe.

DU has an extremely long half life and isn't very dangerous outside of extremely prolonged and constant exposure. They still shouldn't have been using it, but unless this is a much more populated area than it sounds like I doubt it will have meaningful effects. Just don't make a jacket out of spent rounds and wear it. The issue in 2003 was it was greatly overused in far more populated areas.

 

[Back-In-Black]

DU's risk is greatly overstated IMO, especially in a non-populated area, but it's such bad PR it's fucking stupid to use it against anything that doesn't actually justify it. Wonder what happened, pretty big oversight.



DU has an extremely long half life and isn't very dangerous outside of extremely prolonged and constant exposure. They still shouldn't have been using it, but unless this is a much more populated area than it sounds like I doubt it will have meaningful effects. Just don't make a jacket out of spent rounds and wear it. The issue in 2003 was it was greatly overused in far more populated areas.

.

 

[BattleMonkey]

Does it really matter being that it was used on vehicles?

It kinda more depends on where it was used. Upon impact the particles get in the air and it spreads. Out in the middle of nowhere against some vehicles, yea it's not a big deal, but near any type of population, and it's pretty bad stuff that builds up in the atmosphere

 

[Fury451]

Well doesnt it cause cancer, isnt it dangerous to everyone? It doesnt matter what its used on, your left with tiny irradiated particles floating around or in the ground.

Maybe someone will correct me though, maybe its perfectly safe.

They shouldn't use it, mostly because it comes up in articles like this and there's always a lot of misunderstanding and unneeded reaction to it.

But it's also not really dangerous- especially in unpopulated regions- unless you're sucking on it for a long period of time or sleeping with it under your pillow or something

 

[Ravensmash]

They shouldn't use it, mostly because it comes up in articles like this and there's always a lot of misunderstanding and unneeded reaction to it.

But it's also not really dangerous, unless you're sucking on it for a long period time are sleeping with it under your pillow or something

Why is it used?

 

[Nephtes]

Depleted uranium ammunition?

I mean like what were they thinking?
This stuff could kill people!!!

Spoiler

 

[KHarvey16]

Why is it used?

Because it's extremely dense.

 

[Woorloog]

The issue with DU is not the radiation. The issue is that it is a heavy metal, and heavy metals are pretty damn toxic. And it doesn't help there are likely fine particles of DU around when it is used in ammo. You get DU residue to your lungs, you're dead, later anyway.

Not sure how anyone is gonna stop the US from using it though. Pretty effective for armor piercing projectiles.

 

[lastplayed]

Why is it used?

It's hard and dense. They also use it in M1 armor.

 

[Armaros]

Why is it used?

Its extremely dense so it good for penetrating armor. (also good AS tank armor)

 

[Fury451]

Why is it used?

Density. It has a lower drag with higher impact giving deeper penetration, and it also has incendiary affects. They've used it in tank armor as well as munitions, both because it can stop projectiles as well as hit a lot harder than lead.

 

[Ravensmash]

Density. It has a lower drag with higher impact giving deeper penetration, and it also has incendiary affects. They've used it in tank armor as well as munitions, both because I can stop projectiles as well as hit a lot harder than lead.

Its extremely dense so it good for penetrating armor. (also good AS tank armor)

It's hard and dense. They also use it in M1 armor.

Because it's extremely dense.

Thanks!

Genuine question.

 

[KHarvey16]

The issue with DU is not the radiation. The issue is that it is a heavy metal, and heavy metals are pretty damn toxic. And it doesn't help there are likely fine particles of DU around when it is used in ammo. You get DU residue to your lungs, you're dead, later anyway.

Not sure how anyone is gonna stop the US from using it though. Pretty effective for armor piercing projectiles.

That's not really improved by using lead though.

 

[FrankCanada97]

Depleted uranium used to be used as counterweight in older model 747s. When an El Al cargo plane crashed in Amsterdam, 152kg of DU was released. Apparently, a case study found that there wasn't any health problems linked to the release.

 

[yanipheonu]

I didn't even know we unlocked that upgrade.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I didn't even know we unlocked that upgrade.

Trump bought the season pass.

 

[Aureon]

DU's risk is greatly overstated IMO, especially in a non-populated area, but it's such bad PR it's fucking stupid to use it against anything that doesn't actually justify it. Wonder what happened, pretty big oversight.



DU has an extremely long half life and isn't very dangerous outside of extremely prolonged and constant exposure. They still shouldn't have been using it, but unless this is a much more populated area than it sounds like I doubt it will have meaningful effects. Just don't make a jacket out of spent rounds and wear it. The issue in 2003 was it was greatly overused in far more populated areas.

The issue with DU isn't about radiation, it is about it's toxicity.
But yeah, it never made particular sense - Lead is about as toxic, and nobody gives a shit about using it as projectiles

 

[Yoritomo]

My cousin is dying from lung cancer related to his deployments during the Iraq war. Not sure if depleted uranium is a possible cause.

Also not considered a combat injury. He's leaving 5 kids behind. Best guy I've ever known.

His story isn't unique. Google Iraq war lung cancer.

 

[Kin5290]

Why is it used?

DU is super dense and so works very well as the penetrating core of armor piercing ammunition.

 

[aeolist]

american-made cluster bombs are being dropped by USAF-fueled saudi bombers in yemen too

we've never given a single fuck about dangerous weaponry, despite our high moral horse

 

[Kin5290]

american-made cluster bombs are being dropped by USAF-fueled saudi bombers in yemen too

we've never given a single fuck about dangerous weaponry, despite our high moral horse

Unexploded munitions have been a hazard since some genius out there came up with the idea of stuffing some explosive filler and a fuse into a metal casing and shooting it out of a cannon. People are still digging unexploded WW1 shells out of the fields of France. Explosive munitions aren't going away until mass driver technology improves significantly.

And as for America "not giving a fuck", we actually funnel a lot of money towards unexploded munitions cleanup across the world.

 

[Madness]

american-made cluster bombs are being dropped by USAF-fueled saudi bombers in yemen too

we've never given a single fuck about dangerous weaponry, despite our high moral horse

No one spends more money than the US in terms of weapons cleanup and stopping proliferation of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. You literally don't know what you're talking about.

What do you think happens in an active warzone or wars in which allies are involved. Also, if the US didn't give a fuck, they would ACTUALLY use their military and level entire cities if they wanted. But they can't. They have the moral high ground against ISIS here which is why unlike Russia which started to level entire buildings and hospitals and killed hundreds, maybe thousands of civilians, US casualties are far lower than others.

Those cluster bombs being dropped is a Saudi choice. The US can't force the Sauds not to destroy the Iran funded Houthi rebels.