Does the a10 still use depleted uranium?
American A-10 Warthogs have not and will not shoot any depleted uranium—or DU—ammunition when attacking militants in Iraq and Syria, according to the Pentagon. Numerous countries have used the material to make both armor-penetrating aircraft and tank ammunition, as well as protective plates.
Do we still use depleted uranium rounds?
Most military use of depleted uranium has been as 30 mm ordnance, primarily the 30 mm PGU-14/B armour-piercing incendiary round from the GAU-8 Avenger cannon of the A-10 Thunderbolt II used by the United States Air Force.
What is depleted uranium & is it banned?
The International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (ICBUW) is a global coalition of 160 groups in 33 countries. ICBUW campaigns for a ban on the use, transport, manufacture, sale, and export of all conventional weapon systems containing uranium (usually called depleted uranium weapons).
Which countries use depleted uranium?
At least 18 countries are thought to have weapon systems with DU in their arsenals. These include: UK, US, France, Russia, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Pakistan, Oman, Thailand, China, India and Taiwan.
Are a-10 rounds explosive?
The A-10’s GAU-8/A Avenger rotary canon fires 3,900 armor-piercing depleted uranium and high explosive incendiary rounds per minute — and you can almost feel it in the video.
Are DU rounds illegal?
Typically, depleted-uranium rounds are used on armored vehicles, such as tanks and troop transports, and there is no international treaty or rule that explicitly bans their use. Whether exposure to depleted uranium causes adverse health effects has been debated.
How many rounds can an A-10 carry?
Using the cannon, the A-10 is capable of disabling a main battle tank from a range of over 6,500m. The cannon can fire a range of ammunition, including armour-piercing incendiary rounds (API) weighing up to 0.75kg, or uranium-depleted 0.43kg API rounds. The magazine can hold 1,350 rounds of ammunition.