Depleted uranium tank shells: Why are they used and how do they work?

The UK is giving Ukraine armour-piercing ammunition containing depleted uranium alongside its donation of 14 Challenger 2 tanks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the shells contain "a nuclear component" - a claim the UK said is deliberate misinformation, adding they have been standard equipment for decades and are "nothing to do with nuclear weapons or capabilities".

But what are these shells and how do they work?

#forcesnews #tanks #ukraine #depleteduranium

[philchristmas]

If a Russian tank gets hit by a DU round the occupants will never have to worry about cancer again.

[bbbb]

Bananas are slightly radioactive too. It's no big deal. Bananas make terrible tank rounds, though

[biddyboy]

Russia Used Novichok in Salisbury so this is fair game.

[sotonteve]

"The great russian cook off" still presented by Mary Berry

[teardrop]

Using this, is a crime against humanity

[rickster]

All you need to know about Depleted uranium ammunition...is...when Russians use it, which is all the time in this conflict ...it is acceptable...when Ukraine is offered them...its a Nucleur bomb to Russia

[thijshagenbeek]

DU shells are used becouse the army wants a shell that does the job. Warfighting is no equallity playground. You want to win.

[hw]

Let's trust the MOD and DOD there's no link at

[jacobbaumgardner]

A few corrections. As is mentioned DU’s “radioactivity” is highly debated, as what it deemed radioactive and what is simply toxic is a blurred line, as DU is not much more deadly than lead, meaning you can pick it up and hold it with your bare hands with little consequence.
Simply being hard does not make a good round, otherwise we’d be making them out of diamond. DU is dense, very dense, though not more so than tungsten on its own, but as an alloy (which is required as pure metal isn’t conducive for a tank round) it is more dense than Tungsten.
As for the self sharpening part that is true, but not that Tungsten doesn’t and DU does. A more accurate description is that they both blunt, DU simply blunts much less.
They armour isn’t pushed in as much as it is displaced, with only the last bit at the end of the penetration being pushed and scattered throughout the tank. Tungsten does this as well, it isn’t unique to DU. DU is however pyrophoric but only above a certain temperature, this is the most correct part of the video.

As side note is that the A-10 does not use a Gatling Gun, which is a very specific model of weapon created by the Mr. Gatling. This is a common error made worse by Hollywood. The technical term is a Rotary Cannon, as opposed to Revolver Cannons used by many European jet aircraft or Recoil Operated Autocannons used by the Russians.

[David-tmyj]

In Iraq we were told not to go near any wrecked tanks as DU could have been used, i think it's something to do with when it gets very hot. I still wouldn't stand on top of a wrecked tank for a photo if i were you. We're also sending HESH rounds as well, good luck to the Ukrainian tank crews ( and all the rest of Ukraines armed forces) in the coming Spring counter attack. 🟦🟨

[geraint]

Somewhat absurd to complain that an armour-piercing shell used to annihilate an invading army unit could cause long-term health problems. Environmental contamination? It’s Ukraine’s land - let’s ask them whether they want the shells.

[PHDarren]

Russia use depleted uranium shells in the T-80BVM and said in 2018 that it does not violate any international treaties.

[f.anvary]

if depleted uranium 40% less radioactive is, it means it still pretty radioactive. So how is it possible that it's not harmful for the livings and environment? I'm really curious who funded those researches which say otherwise!! No doubt defense industry!!

[Talus-Gort]

I think that long-term health "risks" attributable to alpha particles would be the least of a tank crew's worries after being penetrated by one of those shells.

[NeroontheGoon]

And uranium doesn’t “burst into flame” when exposed to oxygen! Uranium is a pyrophoric metal which when compressed reaches a temperature of approximately 5000 deg due to sub critical mass of the projectile. It is a very efficient penetrator of armor and that is why it’s used. The pyrophoric effect is an added benefit after penetration!

[cm]

The Russians better play it safe around all that DU and return home. Everybody wins.

[ULHIS]

Bastards attacked the UK on their own soil. Those shells should be signed with messages of kind regards from Britain.

[dougcoombes]

Think the UK still holds the record for the longest tank kill ever at 4.7 kilometers in Iraq in 1991 using a DU round fired from a Challenger 1.

DU rounds fired from Challenger 2s in Ukraine are going to be highly effective at long range. These tanks and all the Leopard 2s and Abrams going to Ukraine are going to be force multipliers. They will allow Ukrainians to take out Russian tanks at ranges where the Russians can't shoot back effectively.

[neoper]

1000도에서 우라늄 총알이 녹겟지, , ,
3000도 텅스텐👍🏻

[trevortrevortsr]

UK used less than 100 DU rounds in the gulf wars - they prefer to use Hesh - some DU was used in the keel of racing yachts