Posted on 01/10/2017 11:33:26 PM PST by BenLurkin
A solicitation on the Department of Defense's Small Business Innovation Research web site is looking for a smart company to develop biodegradable ammunition. The military would like to see projectile cartridgeswhich are rarely all cleaned up after a live-fire exercisemade out of biodegradable plastic. The military also references a research paper on the use of biodegradable plastics reinforced with bamboo fibers.
But the Pentagon isn't stopping there. It also wants spent ammunition and casings to contain bioengineered seeds that would, after several months, grow environmentally friendly plants that would remove soil contaminants. The proposal even specifies that animals "should be able to consume the plants without any ill effects".
It's important to note that this is not ammunition that would be used in combat, but rather on training ranges here in the United States and friendly countries such as Germany, Italy and Japan. Ammunition used in combat is too important to tinker with, but at friendly training ranges where ammunition is expended for years and even decades, the issue of pollutant contamination is a real one.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
Isn’t that just peachy?
Yeah, it’s the military that wants this. Holy moley what a load of bunkum!
Depending on the performance and cost, it might enable them to get more practice.
WTF. The world has gone insane.
Is there a season for harvesting new bullets?
Are they plucked from trees or bushes?
It’s not too far fetched with reality.
I used to sell wood pulp to a company that made tank/artillery/mortar casings from a nitro-cellulose infused paper “tube”.
It became part of the charge and was spent when the round went off. No waste nor hot brass to deal with inside the tank.
Good grief!
Wonder why they don't use aluminum cases (CCI). A lot lighter
Okay, I’ll play, so what happens when a drop of sweat or water hits the casing? Is it no longer any good. Don’t get me wrong; if something like this is doable in a practical way out on the range or practice fields I’m all for it. Practice exercises need to be as real as possible and that means doing it in the rain sometimes.
It would great if it just dissolved without growing anything so it could be used at ranges where you would not want the area to be seeded with anything. It would need to be water proof for, oh let’s say, a week once removed from the air tight package it comes in. If they could do that; a lot of ranges would be happy about it over time but only if it was practical and affordable.
The Insanity continues...
here’s an idea, it should e a country’s objective not to have ammo and casings scattered on the ground..
Another waste of money.. nothing new here.
I would use it.
Paper-cased bomb!
Of course Harrison Ford had to look it up in a binder, while the Cuban agent had a computer at his fingertips.
Flower bombing for real. Probably will turn out that the resulting plants are invasive species wreaking environmental havoc...
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