Thread View: sci.military
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Started by dehaney4905
Thu, 21 Jan 1993 18:38
Uranium depleted shells
Author: dehaney4905
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 18:38
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 18:38
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From dehaney4905@mtroyal.ab.ca
Is there anyone reading this who may be (or know of someone who is)
knowledgeable on the properties of depleted uranium shells? Specifically,
I'm writing about the A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) and its 30mm GE GAU-8
seven barrel cannon. I believe the shells to be a composite mixture of HE
and depleted uranium. With a muzzle velocity of approximately 3500 ft/sec
it would seem that 2 1/2 pound shells would just ram their way through
various types of armor. But because of the shells composition, is it
actually a fusion-reaction that would enable surprisingly deep penetration
into armor?
Theoretically, only 7 of these shells would be required to disable a tank
(such as the Russian built T-72) but even this seems a little unrealistic.
Would a tank really have armor thin enough that an A-10 Gatling-like gun
could be effective?
I would prefer E-Mail responses if possible.
Thank you in advance..
Leigh Dehaney
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Dehaney4905@MtRoyal.Ab.CA ~-_)
Re: Uranium depleted shells
Author: MegaZone
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 17:44
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 17:44
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From MegaZone <megazone@granite.wpi.edu> In article <C17vrs.F0F@law7.DaytonOH.NCR.COM> dehaney4905@mtroyal.ab.ca writes: >various types of armor. But because of the shells composition, is it >actually a fusion-reaction that would enable surprisingly deep penetration >into armor? There are API shells which are DU. You do not get 'fusion' with Uranium in any case, especially DU. What happens in on contact the KE of the round becomes heat, melting the armor and the round and forming a high-temperature molten metal jet that slices through the armor. The temp is high enough that on exiting the back of the armor the DUY ignites. DU burns extremely hot, and will set off ammo, etc inside the vehicle. >Theoretically, only 7 of these shells would be required to disable a tank Theoretically you only need one in the right place. Blow of a tread, hit the main gun (I've seen pictures of a tank with a chunk of gun tube missing after an A-10 attackck, one round is all it take, hit the engine or ammo storage, there are many ways to disable a tank. >Would a tank really have armor thin enough that an A-10 Gatling-like gun >could be effective? Hell yes. The A-10 can kill an M-1A1, the A-10 attacks from the weakest side, the top. Top armor is VERY thin compare to the front slope. Have you ever seen films of the A-10 Strafing old M-48s and M-60s? The tanks a shoved about by just a few rounds. Quite impressive. ############################################################################### # I have one prejudice, and that is against stupidity. Use your mind, think! # #Email megazone@wpi.wpi.edu Moderator, WPI anime FTP site 130.215.24.1 /anime# ###############################################################################
Re: Uranium depleted shells
Author: William Logan Lee
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 17:52
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 17:52
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From William Logan Lee <bill@extro.ucc.su.oz.au> In article <C19ny5.3IE@law7.DaytonOH.NCR.COM> MegaZone <megazone@granite.wpi.edu> writes: >There are API shells which are DU. You do not get 'fusion' with Uranium in any >case, especially DU. What happens in on contact the KE of the round becomes >heat, melting the armor and the round and forming a high-temperature molten >metal jet that slices through the armor. The temp is high enough that on >exiting the back of the armor the DU ignites. DU burns extremely hot, and >will set off ammo, etc inside the vehicle. It is not even the heat of the impact that penetrates the armour, just the plain KE of the impacting round. High velocity impacts behave very much like the interaction of two liquids as the pressures generated far exceed the yield strength of the materials. Impacts are usually modelled on this assumption and this appears to be a reasonable model. After the pressures fall below their previously extreme levels, the materials again behave like the solids they are. They will be very hot from the conversion of KE into heat, but the heat generated is not the method of penetration. On penetration, the pressures generated by the impact cause a spray of material from around the exit point (as well as the remaining projectile exiting). This material is very hot and ignites on contact with the oxygen in the air. Even without the heat, "uranium metal in thin layers ignites at room temperature within a few minutes after exposure" and "powdered uranium [is] 'usually pyrophoric'" [_Military and Civilian Pyrotechmics_, page 32]. This accounts for the incendiary nature of the impact. The use of DU in a round is dictated by its physical characteristics (like density) and its availibility, rather than the chemical nature (such as pyrophoricity). Non-nuclear countries do quite well with tungsten penetrators. Bill Lee
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