Pros and cons of booking Abrams depleted uranium tanks
One of the features of the American tank "Abrams" is the presence of armor plates, which include depleted uranium. In 1988 in a modification M1A1NA used the first generation uranium armor - Uranokramika UO87. In 1990, a second-generation uranium armor was installed on a tank - UO100 in aluminum bags. To date, in the modifications M1A2SEP used third generation armor - UO100 with graphite coating in titanium bags. Announced and the imminent transition to the uranoceramics generation 4.
Equivalent resistance of such armor to BOPS (armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectile) is 960 mm, and to cumulative shells - up to 1600 mm steel armor. For comparison, the first generation uranium armor had 470 mm against BOPS and 650 mm against cumulative projectiles. That is, the new parameters for security can be safely attributed to the pluses.
But uranium armor, despite its good durability, has its drawbacks.
The density of depleted uranium is about 1,7 times the density of lead, and therefore heavier. Due to the large mass of such armor, it is used only in the frontal part of the tower and the front part of the body. The design feature of uranium armor eliminates the bending of sheets, which causes the "angularity" and large dimensions of the Abrams. This is one of the downsides.
An important aspect is the safety of the crew. Although depleted uranium is less radioactive than ordinary uranium and its radiation is blocked by lining, it, like any other heavy metal, is a danger to human health.
When a tank is fired and uranium elements are damaged, microscopic radioactive dust can concentrate inside the car, inhalation of which adversely affects health. Hits, even without breaking through the armor, lead to scatter of dangerous elements near the tank and pollution of the area.
Also, the toxicity and parameters of radioactive damage from uranium armor significantly increase during a fire. The crew inhales dangerous products, which negatively affects the health of tankers.
Earlier in the US, independent physicians attempted to assess the effect of depleted uranium on tank crews that have been using armored vehicles with urano-ceramic protection for a long time.
Began to cheerfully, but then the research was unexpectedly folded. There was an opinion that the doctors were simply not allowed to modify it, so that the real state of things with the impact on health would not be the reason for refusing to use the technology. Because the technology is used and developed, despite many of its critics in the United States. And no biomedical research is officially conducted. At least in the public domain about them is not reported.
Equivalent resistance of such armor to BOPS (armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectile) is 960 mm, and to cumulative shells - up to 1600 mm steel armor. For comparison, the first generation uranium armor had 470 mm against BOPS and 650 mm against cumulative projectiles. That is, the new parameters for security can be safely attributed to the pluses.
But uranium armor, despite its good durability, has its drawbacks.
The density of depleted uranium is about 1,7 times the density of lead, and therefore heavier. Due to the large mass of such armor, it is used only in the frontal part of the tower and the front part of the body. The design feature of uranium armor eliminates the bending of sheets, which causes the "angularity" and large dimensions of the Abrams. This is one of the downsides.
An important aspect is the safety of the crew. Although depleted uranium is less radioactive than ordinary uranium and its radiation is blocked by lining, it, like any other heavy metal, is a danger to human health.
When a tank is fired and uranium elements are damaged, microscopic radioactive dust can concentrate inside the car, inhalation of which adversely affects health. Hits, even without breaking through the armor, lead to scatter of dangerous elements near the tank and pollution of the area.
Also, the toxicity and parameters of radioactive damage from uranium armor significantly increase during a fire. The crew inhales dangerous products, which negatively affects the health of tankers.
Earlier in the US, independent physicians attempted to assess the effect of depleted uranium on tank crews that have been using armored vehicles with urano-ceramic protection for a long time.
Began to cheerfully, but then the research was unexpectedly folded. There was an opinion that the doctors were simply not allowed to modify it, so that the real state of things with the impact on health would not be the reason for refusing to use the technology. Because the technology is used and developed, despite many of its critics in the United States. And no biomedical research is officially conducted. At least in the public domain about them is not reported.
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