So, assuming that no new U-238 is "created" as a result of the radioactive decay of other (heavier) elements, we should have almost exactly half the amount of that isotope left that existed when the earth was formed?

Now, as far as the "depleted" part of DU goes, I've always taken it to mean there's no measurable radioactivity left. Why, then, were vehicles hit by DU or (possibly) contamintated by DU treated as "hot?" Lack of understanding, or "just in case?"

An extract on armor performance written by Andrew Jaremkow

"Depleted uranium is for several reasons. First, it is cheap. The US has thousands of tons of it lying around as a result of the nuclear industry, so material costs are minimal, unlike tungsten which is significantly more expensive. Second, it is dense so it maintains velocity well down range and excellent penetrating power. Third, it is pyrophoric. When small fragments of uranium are exposed to air they burst into flames spontaneously, creating a useful incendiary effect inside target vehicles. The fourth reason has to do with the way uranium acts under pressure. When it is alloyed with small amounts of titanium, depleted uranium becomes susceptible to adiabatic shear, it forms very narrow bands of weakness under pressure and shears off along those lines. As a result, the front of a depleted uranium rod tends to flake off in small fragments during penetration, self sharpening leaving a sharp tip to face the oncoming armor. Tungsten alloys, on the other hand, do not fail by adiabatic shear. Although much research has been done to make them do so. Instead, the front end of a tungsten alloy rod squashes out into a broad mushroom shape during penetration. Since the tungsten alloy rod forms a wide nose, it has to force a more armor aside to penetrate. The narrow point of a depleted uranium rod makes a narrower, more energy efficient penetration. Thus, a depleted uranium rod can make a narrower deeper hole in the target than a tungsten alloy rod can with the same amount of kinetic energy."


Armd
That is the Leo 2A5 or A6, cannot tell without seeing the whole tube.  It is an upgrade of the Leo 2, the front of the turrent is part of the upgrade package on the armor.  It is called "wedge armor" and gives what is claimed equal protection as you find in a M1A1 (HA) or later tank.  The orignal Leo 2 had slightly less protection than the M1.

100 kph or 100 mph, either way it seems like a quicker trip from the Kuwaiti desert to the Baghdad suburbs than otherwise. Godspeed - pun intended.

All it suggests is that stories and legends spread like wildfire in the military. Since everybody has fancy sounding job titles and a lot of people like to shoot off at the mouth, a lot of misinformation is passed.

Heck, just last week I heard two soldiers at the TMC (I was in a bad way and getting an IV) talking about how they heard two tanks from one of our battalions had fallen into a stream. I found this particularly amusing, since that particular battalion had submerged a tank about 6 months ago. (As one of the people whose job it was to chase the parts to bring it back into operation, I was very familiar with the constant references to the specific tank as the "U-boat" intead of by its bumper number. In addition, the other Bn CDRs had begun to call that Bn's commander, "Admiral.")

Anyway, long story short, I made a quick phone call and learned that no tanks went in to any creeks. Just a typical story that must have been embellished as it went from Joe to Joe. This was peacetime when information flow is extremely good. I can only imagine what it must have been like in the Gulf War.


Adam

Well, War by it very nature is an enviromental unfiendly act. If you think the whole DU deal is a threat to soldiers lives. I would relate to you the following story about the enviromental movement and war fighting.

Years ago, I used to charge automotive AC systems with Freon 12, When the goverment ban came along, I ran across this little jewel of a govement enviro horror story.

The United States Air Force in the 80's caved in to pressures from the global warming enviromentalist crowd and spent $12 million dollars to retro fit it nuclear Peacekeeper missle fleet, From a missle guidance system that used freon, To a guidance system that used a less efficient enviro freindly coolant.

You see to save weight the missle vents the coolant to the outer atmophere as it takes off to deliver it's payload of ten 250 kt nuclear weapons mounted on a mirv package to generate more explosive force than was used in every war in the last century.

Now call me silly, but if we ever have to fire one of these things at somebody, I would really prefer that it had the best, most efficient guidance system ever devised by the mind of man.

And I doubt very much that the freon emmisions from the missle would really be much of an issue. In fact I think that would be the least of our problems.

My hat is off to the brainiac at EPA, Who thought that one up.

In a totally unrealed story.  I can remember flying in Germany in a UH-1 Sky-Pig and having cars on the Autobahn pass buy us.
My favorite M-1 story is the tanks moving thru a bivwack with no ground guide and running over dudes in thier sleeping bags.  The one time I had to sleep on the ground I got next to the biggest tree I could find

That was one advantage to being an MLRS crewmember - the top of the track was flat and about 10'x13', meaning the 3-man crew had plenty of room for their cots [:D]

While suffering through maintenance classes at IOBC, I noticed an old poster on the wall showing the "right" and "wrong" way for soldiers to sleep.  The wrong soldier was sleeping in an open field, the right soldier was sleeping near a big tree.  Both soldiers had 548s looming in the background.  

Anyway, they were both wrong.  DuH!  Sleep in the back of the 548.  That's what we did.

Having driven an M1 the best I ever got out of one was 55 mph on a paved section of a road. The speedometer reads both on MPH and KPH, some people read the KMH and think MPH. They do get touchy steering wise at speed, but they are a blast compared to the M60's. Fastest I ever got a 60 up to was 32 mph and it took awhile. Some I drove would only go around 20 mph, but these were subject to poor maint. Boy did I love running around in all that iron.

Of course we don't know anybody that's broken down in a Mustang lately, do we?[;)]

i grew up on Aberdeen Proving Ground and DvlDog's Army pop still works there. there isnt a road on the whole base where 120mph could be attained.possible on Tank Rd by the main gate but this is by housing etc and not an access road. you cant go more than 1/4 mile without an intersection, roalroad track, or 90degree turn. there is however a high-bank oval back in the range areas that would make NASCAR proud.  once at 29 Palms i raced an M1 in my buick rent-a-car. he was able to get it up to about 60mph.  im calling bullshit on this one.

hey gus, i didnt know you were a local boy! i blew up the engine in my jeep horsing around at the churchville test site. sucked mud into the airbox. i got it towed to the bank on the corner in churchville where it sat for 3 days until Adams jeep came to get it. HAHAHA you're right about APG though. a lot of heavy-heavy secret shit goes down there. the sheep would be amazed. the reactor, the sub pen, the environmental dome, CBDCOM. the list goes on and on

Yep - nothing like going deer hunting behind the fence, sitting quietly among the radio activity danger signs! So did you ever get to take your jeep on the pumpkin run?
APG is quite a spot! I haven't been behind the gate since they finished the super pond though.