A-10 warthog not being retired until 2022...and oh btw we're using depleted uranium bullets

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter this week confirmed what had been rumored for months: The Air Force's ground attack jet, the inelegant but well-armed and well-armored A-10 Thunderbolt, nicknamed the "Warthog," will not face retirement until at least at least six years....

Air Force to keep A-10 flying

Was reading CNN & saw an article about the A-10 Warthog getting a recent reprieve from retirement.

For the record, I love the Warthog...it's an ugly, mean son-of-a-beotch and by all rights deserves a place in the US arsenal until something that actually does a better job at low-altitude ass kicking can take as much of a beating and deliver as much punch replaces it.

But then about halfway thought the article CNN just casually mentions that we're using depleted uranium bullets...?
Is that a normal thing now?

...A-10 pilots can skim hillsides day and night, under any type of weather, and accurately and punishingly engage ground targets with its powerful 30 mm, seven-barrel Gatling gun, which fires depleted uranium bullets at 3,900 rounds per minute...

For some reason, I thought that was something the world in general frowned upon

Just thought I'd share

a reply to: coldkidc

Good thread and great news, Cold. More flags, grunts!
The Gatling cannon and those maraging barrels could always handle
the glowing Coke bottles.. but I did'nt know they got the Avenger's
rate of fire up to almost 4K a minute. Hoot mon, bend over...
EDIT:: As a personal disclaimer I do not advocate irradiating the
surface of the planet with anything remotely as perpetually toxic.

a reply to: derfreebie

The A-10 has always been one of my favorite - love the flying tank & glad they're keeping it around a little longer

I think purpose built will always be a better option then the multi-role fighters

But...depleted uranium? Is it necessary?

a reply to: coldkidc

The A-10 has used them from the start. Deleted uranium is naturally armor piercing, and they were designed to stop tanks.

I was a 462 (2W1X1 to you new guys...) on the A-10. I worked that airframe for nearly 9 years... one of the MOST capable aircraft that I ever had the pleasure of turning a wrench on... and BTW, depleted uranium rounds are no big secret. We have been using them for decades and they absolutely SHRED enemy armor...

a reply to: madmac5150

it causes genetic damage (various cancers and birth defects) and your body hangs on to it like a life raft (can be detected in urine 7-8 years after exposure)
its also chemically toxic

any sane person would consider its use a war crime

I remember a tour on the HMCS Regina 20 years ago. It had a "sea-wiz" , they called it and I believe they shot the same stuff. I remember the guy saying the deck had to be cleared for 30 min after shooting it. You on the ocean though. If you shoot it, its likely at something bad, with nothing good anywhere near it. Can the same be assumed for ground assaults?

originally posted by: fartlordsupreme
a reply to: madmac5150

it causes genetic damage (various cancers and birth defects) and your body hangs on to it like a life raft (can be detected in urine 7-8 years after exposure)
its also chemically toxic

any sane person would consider its use a war crime

Any heavy metal poisoning presents itself in the same manner. The risks to the weapons handlers is quite minimum. The risks to enemy combatants is insane. I would move to ban it, but this government will NEVER give up a game changer...

a reply to: madmac5150

its not really a huge game changer
they wont move to ban it because at least a few of them are making some money on its sale and use

(and its not just combatants that it effects that # will pollute the entire area effecting everyone no matter how innocent for generations to come)

originally posted by: coldkidc

But then about halfway thought the article CNN just casually mentions that we're using depleted uranium bullets...?
Is that a normal thing now?

For some reason, I thought that was something the world in general frowned upon

it has been a normal thing for us to use depleted uranium in the middle east since before 9-11, it isnt new, the middle east has been crying foul for us to stop using irradiated rounds for many many years, we have ignored those crys. the UN has demanded we stop using them too, going so far as to say it may be a war crime (wasn't a panel ruling. more like a threat of a panel ruling which never came) there have been documentaries made documenting thousands of victims of these rounds, usually infants born with mutations due to the mother unknowingly ingesting it during pregnancy (of course theres no way to prove this so the US pretends the 1000% rise in birth defects is just a coincidence) the rounds after they hit the ground get washed into their water table, we are poisoning their drinking water. this was never about helping anyone in the middle east, we are over there to kill everyone there, man women child all alike. if you dont believe that then have a conversation with a handfull of troops who have been deployed over there, ask how they feel about middle easterners, sure a few aren't racist, but racism toward middle easterners is common place in the military, you fit in if you have that racism, you are actually considered an outcast in the military if you dont have that same racism, they foster it, for obvious reasons, it makes it easier to accept killing them....


so yeah lets obsess over how awesome the A10 warthog is, Oorah right? RIGHT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: coldkidc

The A-10 has used them from the start. Deleted uranium is naturally armor piercing, and they were designed to stop tanks.

that is the excuse, but really we have many many types of ammunition which accomplishes the same feat, armor piercing, we even have toxic ammo which is designed to loose its toxicity in days as opposed to the thousands of years it takes for uranium to decay. the reason we use the uranium for this though is its the cheapest option, is it really any surprise the true reason is money? its always money.

a reply to: MALBOSIA

I always wondered how much of the Gulf War Sickness could be related to DU contamination among other things. All the burning oil in the atmosphere probably didn't help either....

a reply to: pryingopen3rdeye

Well... that answered my question.

Ain't that great, we can get rid of all that junk uranium laying around. All you have to do is shoot something and eat it. Hit two birds with ONE stone so to speak. We get rid of depleted uranium every time you shoot your gun.

a reply to: MALBOSIA

Yes. It's the same with the Warthog. They fire in training, like on the ships, but generally if they shoot they're shooting at someone doing bad things to other people.

a reply to: coldkidc
The plane will retire about 500,000,000,years before the bullets reach half life.....not good ....that's half a billion yrs...
But they sure sound beefy don't they......Yay US!

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: MALBOSIA

Yes. It's the same with the Warthog. They fire in training, like on the ships, but generally if they shoot they're shooting at someone doing bad things to other people.

I worked on the A-10 as a weapons loader for nearly 10 years, and I NEVER once loaded depleted uranium rounds. THAT is the honest truth.

Your ALL gonna glow.

a reply to: madmac5150

I have occasionally heard of them being used for training by some units, but it's very rare. The only time I've heard of them being used a lot was Desert Storm and the early days of OIF when they were used against armor. They use the HE more against soft targets.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: madmac5150

I have occasionally heard of them being used for training by some units, but it's very rare. The only time I've heard of them being used a lot was Desert Storm and the early days of OIF when they were used against armor. They use the HE more against soft targets.

I worked A-10s from 1992-1994 (combat squadron) and 2004-2010 (training units) and have never once touched a D.U. round.

a reply to: madmac5150

Which was after Desert Storm, and OIF. Like I said, those were the two times I heard they used them. Both had Hog units that hit armor hard.