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[–] 88 points 1 month ago (3 children)

According to the article, it's depleted uranium.

Which is the leftover part that's not useful for making nukes with.

Still radioactive, it's basically hazardous waste... That weighs more than lead.

So you put it in munitions, and the same size projectile has more force, more stopping power. So you get more damage out of each round, plus convenient disposal of toxic waste, plus the radiological contamination around your targets, which either ties up more resources or gives the people you're shooting at cancer later. Or both! Or your own guys! veritable carnival of excitement

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  • [–] 20 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    But this is weird because drones arent projectiles in that sense. This is pretty much equivalent to putting very slightly radioactive lead ballast in a drone. All it is doing is slowing the drone down and reducing it's range. Very odd.

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  • [–] 14 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    If they're not expecting the drones to return, this could be a 'salting the earth' tactic.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 month ago* (1 child)

    Its a terrible way of doing that though, if you wanted to do that there are far lighter materials (i.e. you can carry more) and you'd disperse it as a powder from altitude.

    Like I said, its weird.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    They're putting it in the munitions on the drones

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago*

    Ah, I misunderstood. Its a missile ON another missile (the one way drone) for shooting down other drones that try and take it down and that missile has a usually tungsten fragment warhead which is being replaced with DU.

    Still weird but not completely baffling in that case.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

    The drone is a kamikaze drone. It delivers the warhead and destroys itself.

    The uranium is armor piercing. That's why they use it.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    As I said, drones arent projectiles in that sense.

    A uranium (or tungsten, or even jacketed lead) dart hitting a target straight on with a sharp point while going multiple times the speed of sound is armour penetrating. Just putting a heavy metal in a subsonic aircraft carrying high explosive does nothing to help it penetrate armour and likely would impede it.

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  • [–] 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 child)

    DU is far less radioactive than natural uranium.

    EDIT:

    According to the article, the uranium found gives off between 8 to 24 microsieverts (µSv) per hour.

    Let's take some real world examples and compare:

    A transatlantic flight typically exposes you to 0.08 millisieverts (mSv), or 80 µSv.

    Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ionising-radiation-dose-comparisons/ionising-radiation-dose-comparisons

    This means that you would need to stay next to the piece of Uranium for 3,5 - 10 hours to get the same dose as one transatlantic flight.

    Is it bad? Sure! Is it a crisis? Nah.

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  • [–] -2 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    Cool. I routinely did 18+ hour long missions in iraq. Next to our munitions.

    So fuck you.

    You fucking apologist piece of shit

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  • [–] 1 point 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    What?

    Why am I an apologist for posting facts?

    Please re-read my comment, I only really focused on the radiation as I felt that more info was needed.

    Since you seem to have actual experience with DU, I would be very interested in hearing if you ever checked how radioactive the DU munitions were?

    I never said that DU wasn't dangerous, it absolutely is, the toxicity is absolutely a large issue, as is its effect when hitting a target vehicle, absolutely devastating.

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  • [–] -1 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    "Oh oh, DU's not that bad! I did math about bananas!"

    Yes it fucking is. In every possible conceptual space. You goon. You know what you're saying is wrong. Fuck you.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 weeks ago

    Damn, go and have a Snickers and relax, you are obviously angry at something, but it isn't me you should direct your anger at.

    This is just a random argument you decided to start two weeks after my comment.

    It is obvious that you have other crap going on that is taking a toll, I do as well, but that doesn't mean it is ok to start bashing people just because you have a shitty day.

    If you want to argue facts about DU, then please, present some facts and skip the attitude.

    Then we can have a decent discussion.

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