What kind of weapon can pierce armour? What sort of projectile can pentrate a bunker? The answer is depleted uranium munitions – ammunition with a uranium core. Uranium ensures the greatest amount of penetrating power. It has a very high density, which is 1.7 times that of lead. Missilelike uranium weapons will pierce any target they hit at 3,600 km/h.
Uranium weapons contain depleted uranium (DU) which is a by-product of the uranium enrichment process. DU contains proportionally less of the fissionable uranium isotope U235, and more of the isotope U238 than natural uranium. As a material it is highly dense and pyrophoric, meaning that it has an incendiary effect, bursting into flames upon impact. This effect can generate an aerosol of tiny particles that can spread between tens and hundreds of metres from the target. DU is used by a number of states in armour-piercing tank shells and bullets.
DU weapons have been controversial since their first major use in the 1991 Gulf War. The radioactive and chemically toxic nature of DU weapons has meant that their use has been followed by claims that they are responsible for increased rates of cancer and birth defects in the areas where they have been used.
The use of DU creates hotspots of persistent contamination that present a hazard to civilians long after conflict ends, particularly when used in populated areas. Buildings and civilian infrastructure have been targeted with DU and its use can contaminate soils and groundwater and create vast quantities of contaminated military scrap. Effectively managing DU's post-conflict legacy places a significant financial and technical burden on affected states.
Since 2007, the United Nations General Assembly has passed a number of resolutions on DU weapons. They recognise their potential risks to health and the environment and call for a precautionary approach to their use and clean-up. The resolutions also call on users to release data on where the weapons have been used to help aid clean-up. The most recent resolution, in 2016, was supported by 151 states and opposed by just four - the US, UK, France and Israel.
The European Parliament has repeatedly called for a moratorium on DU munitions, a sentiment echoed by the Latin American Parliament. In 2016, the European Parliament called on EU members to develop a common position in favour of a ban and to support affected communities and decontamination efforts in Iraq.
The developing global consensus on the unacceptability of DU weapons has led to changes in state practice and DU weapons' growing stigmatisation. The US and UK are investing heavily into research to find alternative materials, while users and their partners have avoided using DU in recent conflicts or have sought to distance themselves from allegations of use.
The DU story is far from closed, on the contrary a mixture of laboratory and field research continues to provide new insights into the operational use and legacy of DU munitions. ICBUW has identified a range of key DU issues based on this research, which are summarised below.
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