[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Humor for some, not for the overly sensitive
Interesting questions Brian! I realize you are joking of course but for those who just might think seriously about it. A bit of discussion is in order.
First, ARMY does not use DU in small arms which are 5.56mm (M-16), 9mm (M-9 Barretta sidearm) 7.62 mm is used in the M-60 and SAW machine guns. Of course we also have the venerable (and revered) 50 cal for heavier work against vehicles and harder targets.
Moving up scale you have the 37 mm weapon systems and 105mm Anti Tank round. These systems have DU rounds. While it is not kosher to use the .50, 37 and 105 against "soft" targets, hitting a "troopie" with any one of these will make your calculations very difficult , if not impossible....not to mention totally un-necessary. It also completely ruins the "troopies" day.
I've seen quite a few DU rounds that were fired into a butt at a test range. Most were intact. They only fragment if they hit something pretty hard but that's the point. You want them to fragment after they pass through the skin of a vehicle. Worst problem with this stuff is corrosion and flaking after they have laid around for awhile. Its real messy.
>>> Brian Rees <brees@lanl.gov> 12/16 9:32 AM >>>
NB98.49-19] 'Gulf War Syndrome: An Iraqi
Ministry of Health official claims a link has been
established between depleted uranium ammunition used in
the Gulf War and ailments including congenital defects,
muscle disorders, fatigue and cancer cases. At a
conference in Baghdad, Iraqi officials alleged cancer cases
had soared in parts of southern Iraq and radiation levels
were unusually high. (Reuters, 2 December)
Since nobody's ever successfully accused me of being Politically correct:
(modified from a colleague)
Part II Question:
What is the EDE of a 500 gram U238 slug as it passes through the torso of
an Iraqi solder at 914.4 meters/sec (3000 fps)?
What will the TEDE be if it strikes the soldier's backbone on its path?
At what concentration of spent ammunition (kg/km2) does the natural
background radiation level double?
Calculate the ratio of excess risk, comparing living around spent ammunition
vs. being struck by moving projectiles.
(Obviously) my own opinion.
Brian Rees
brees@lanl.gov
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
!
!
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html