Britain accused Russia of disinformation because of Vladimir Putin’s words about depleted uranium.
London will supply Kyiv with depleted uranium shells for Challenger 2 tanks, Annabelle Goldie, Deputy Defense Minister, said on March 21.
Shorty Putin reacted to the statement:
The West is already beginning to use weapons with a nuclear component.
A spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense explained in response:
The British Army has been using depleted uranium in its armor-piercing rounds for decades.” “It’s a standard component that has nothing to do with nuclear weapons or potential. Russia knows about it, but is deliberately trying to misinform,” he said.
Background
The Challenger 2 tanks, which the UK has pledged to hand over to Ukraine, are armed with a 120mm L30 tank-threaded cannon with a 55-caliber barrel.
Although the caliber of this gun matches those used by other countries of the NATO bloc, it is nevertheless rifled, which makes it impossible to use other ammunition than those made specifically for it.
The ammunition of the L30 tank gun includes armor-piercing sub-caliber shells L23, L26, L27, L28 and the most modern L29A1.
The first armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile L23 was developed in 1984 and had an armor-piercing core made of tungsten alloy in its design. It was withdrawn from service due to low efficiency and is not used by the British Army.
Later created ammunition L26, L27, L28 and L29 are equipped with an armor-piercing depleted uranium core. Also in recent years, modern L29A1 armor-piercing ammunition began to enter service with the British armored forces.
The term “depleted uranium” is understood as a by-product for the separation of the radioactive isotope of uranium U-235 for nuclear power and weapons. This metal, after the extraction of the active isotope, becomes less radioactive than natural uranium and its ore and has 40% less radiation.
The main military application of depleted uranium is armor-piercing ammunition. The use of this metal in ammunition is associated with its properties – high weight, density and pyrophoricity. Due to these characteristics, the shells have a high armor-piercing effect and cause significant armor damage.
In countries with a developed nuclear industry and large accumulations of depleted uranium, such as the UK, the US and France, its use in the defense industry is much cheaper than the use of alternative materials such as tungsten.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.