US includes depleted uranium rounds in new assistance package for Ukraine

The United States government has announced another military aid package for Ukraine.

The US Department of Defense announced that the package includes depleted uranium rounds.

The package also includes, among other things, air defense equipment and additional ammunition.

Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) is also provided.

Ukraine is actively using this equipment to destroy Russian artillery systems.

This package also includes 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds.

81mm mortar systems and rounds are also transferred.

The capabilities in this package, valued at up to $175 million, include:

• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
• over 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition;
• tactical air navigation systems;
• tactical secure communications systems and support equipment;
• demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing;
• spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment.

Depleted uranium rounds

The 120-mm depleted uranium rounds are intended for future Ukrainian Abrams tanks.

The M829 armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot tank rounds with a depleted uranium penetrator are standard for the Abrams tank. The U.S. Army currently uses its modern versions of M829A3 and M829A4.

M829A was developed in the early 2000s. The total length of the penetrator is 800 mm, while the front part of the steel is 10 cm, and the rod of depleted uranium is 70 cm. The diameter of the core is 25 mm, and the weight is up to 10 kg.

At an initial velocity of 1,550 m/s, such a projectile is able to penetrate at least 700 mm of tank armor at a distance of 2 km. Currently, the latest version of the M829A4 is in serial production. The shell has received improvements that allow it to penetrate even thicker tank armor.