Tanks!! - Page 13

**Nobody1** · May 15th, 2012, 08:43 PM

I have a question. I am a complete layman in matters tanks doing tank stuff. I read the Wikipedia article about chobham armour out of purely technical interest. In this article is mentioned that depleted uranium is a part of the composite armor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chobham_armour

Well, WP is always something to enjoy with caution. I know that depleted uranium is an weak alpha emitter. So basically there is no health hazard as long as it is not inhaled. But if it is inhaled, you will have lung cancer in no time.
In an army blog it was claimed that a fine du-dust is released in the interior of the tank if the armour gets a hit with a certain kind of ammo. A dust which the crew is exposed unprotected. I know that many u.s. army veterans of the first gulf war developed lung cancer, including many members of M1 tank crews. In addition, the symptoms of the gulf war syndrome are extremely similar to those of radiation sickness. The army attributes this to the harmful effects of inhaled exhaust gases.

So my question is : How dangerous is a du composite armor for the crew? Is there someone who knows about it?

Trintron · May 15th, 2012, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nobody1

So my question is : How dangerous is a du composite armor for the crew? Is there someone who knows about it?

I know that the issue of Depleted Uranium dust from ammo used in Tanks and Aircrafts is a big enough issue that the EU has placed a moratorium on it's use in amunition, mind you this is not a ban. There have been a report of increase of illness and disease by the inhabitants in the regions where they were used, like Kosovo and Iraq. The big issue is that many studies conducted have said many different things, some say it's not a health risk but others have contradicted this finding.

mjm1963 · May 15th, 2012, 09:57 PM

The issue of the health risks of depleted uranium is on going. The problem with depleted Uranium is that it is so effective. Towards the end of the 80's the Soviets were developing triple armour for their T80's and T90's (improved versions of the T72). The triple included base metal, a Soviet equivalent of Chobham and ERA (think Israeli Blazer). DU shells fired from the rifled 120mm of the Challenger or the smooth-bored 120 mm M1A1 Abrams and leopard 2s would have had no problem dealing with this.This was confirmed when the Germans (after unification) supplied the US with samples of T90's.

mjm1963 · May 15th, 2012, 09:58 PM

Assuming that the Soviets supplied top of the range T90s to the East Germans, off course.

mjm1963 · May 15th, 2012, 10:10 PM

BTW, the latest Russian breed. T90S and the T95 'Black Eagle';

mjm1963 · May 15th, 2012, 10:42 PM

And here are a couple of pics of the Proposed M1A3. It's an Abrams weighing 12 tons lighter! Also to be equipped with a new fuel efficient diesel engine and improvements to firepower (rumors of a 140mm in the pipeline)

**Nobody1** · May 15th, 2012, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjm1963

And here are a couple of pics of the Proposed M1A3. It's an Abrams weighing 12 tons lighter! Also to be equipped with a new fuel efficient diesel engine and improvements to firepower (rumors of a 140mm in the pipeline)

No stealth?

mjm1963 · May 15th, 2012, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nobody1

No stealth?

No mate, no stealth!

**DTravel** · May 16th, 2012, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nobody1

No stealth?

They couldn't find the stealth tanks to take pictures of them.

**knobby109** · May 16th, 2012, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vcestone

This statement makes no sense. The brits and Americans have been friends since before world war 1. The Americans and the brits have been helping each other since. Just like the Americans have given the brits there fire control systems for British tanks the brits have given the Americans Chobham Armor the the American tanks. This is just one example of cooperation. Britain is one of the few country's that can get American jets with all the bells. and the Americans have access to the great Rolls Royce engines Lets remember at the time these tanks were designed we were in the middle of the colds war and the brits and the Americans were facing a large eastern block tank force

The British tanks were using stabilised gun platforms for a long time before any other country as far as I knew.I remember reading about this a long time ago and the reason given was that the British Army was an all professional force and other countries were employing national servicemen.

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May 15th, 2012, 08:43 PM	#121
Nobody1 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 2,119 Thanks: 16,786 Thanked 22,140 Times in 2,127 Posts	I have a question. I am a complete layman in matters tanks doing tank stuff. I read the Wikipedia article about chobham armour out of purely technical interest. In this article is mentioned that depleted uranium is a part of the composite armor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chobham_armour Well, WP is always something to enjoy with caution. I know that depleted uranium is an weak alpha emitter. So basically there is no health hazard as long as it is not inhaled. But if it is inhaled, you will have lung cancer in no time. In an army blog it was claimed that a fine du-dust is released in the interior of the tank if the armour gets a hit with a certain kind of ammo. A dust which the crew is exposed unprotected. I know that many u.s. army veterans of the first gulf war developed lung cancer, including many members of M1 tank crews. In addition, the symptoms of the gulf war syndrome are extremely similar to those of radiation sickness. The army attributes this to the harmful effects of inhaled exhaust gases. So my question is : How dangerous is a du composite armor for the crew? Is there someone who knows about it?

May 15th, 2012, 09:57 PM	#123
mjm1963 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: UK Posts: 346 Thanks: 5,131 Thanked 7,169 Times in 337 Posts	The issue of the health risks of depleted uranium is on going. The problem with depleted Uranium is that it is so effective. Towards the end of the 80's the Soviets were developing triple armour for their T80's and T90's (improved versions of the T72). The triple included base metal, a Soviet equivalent of Chobham and ERA (think Israeli Blazer). DU shells fired from the rifled 120mm of the Challenger or the smooth-bored 120 mm M1A1 Abrams and leopard 2s would have had no problem dealing with this.This was confirmed when the Germans (after unification) supplied the US with samples of T90's.

May 15th, 2012, 09:58 PM	#124
mjm1963 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: UK Posts: 346 Thanks: 5,131 Thanked 7,169 Times in 337 Posts	Assuming that the Soviets supplied top of the range T90s to the East Germans, off course.

May 15th, 2012, 10:10 PM	#125
mjm1963 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: UK Posts: 346 Thanks: 5,131 Thanked 7,169 Times in 337 Posts	BTW, the latest Russian breed. T90S and the T95 'Black Eagle';

May 15th, 2012, 10:42 PM	#126
mjm1963 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: UK Posts: 346 Thanks: 5,131 Thanked 7,169 Times in 337 Posts	And here are a couple of pics of the Proposed M1A3. It's an Abrams weighing 12 tons lighter! Also to be equipped with a new fuel efficient diesel engine and improvements to firepower (rumors of a 140mm in the pipeline)