# Question on modern tank fighting (Red Storm Rising)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-modern-tank-fighting-red-storm-rising/640940>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 14, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-modern-tank-fighting-red-storm-rising/640940 "2012-11-14T01:33:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-modern-tank-fighting-red-storm-rising/640940/21 "2012-11-15T13:30:28Z")

</div>

> [@Mekhazzio](#):
>
> Other way around. Tungsten penetrators tend to have only 90-95% the performance of DU in equivalent designs. In this case, the cheaper material (dirt cheap, as DU is a mostly-useless waste product) is better.

Right; _mass_ is the primary virtue of the penetrator, so uranium’s density makes it the best material for the job.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-modern-tank-fighting-red-storm-rising/640940/22 "2012-11-16T01:43:15Z")

</div>

^  
What I don’t get is a sabot DU is almost as heavy as a full-caliber round. I’m sure it doesn’t travel as fast as a tungsten sabot round.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-modern-tank-fighting-red-storm-rising/640940/23 "2012-11-16T01:50:01Z")

</div>

> [@the\_diego](#):
>
> ^  
> What I don’t get is a sabot DU is almost as heavy as a full-caliber round. I’m sure it doesn’t travel as fast as a tungsten sabot round.

Even if it’s as heavy as a full-caliber round, it retains its velocity through the air and target to a much higher degree than a full-caliber round because its sectional density is much higher.  
I’m not sure how the idea that a DU sabot is as heavy as a full-caliber rounds means that it’s slower than a tungsten sabot. Do you know how heavy a sabot tungsten round is compared to a full-caliber round?

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-modern-tank-fighting-red-storm-rising/640940.md?page=1)