Does Canada Have Depleted Uranium Munitions?
The HMCS Athabaskan and the HMCS Terra Nova were both fitted with the Phalanx Close in weapon Systems (CIWS, the rapid-firing anti-missile defence system, an acronym creatively pronounced “Sea-Whiz”) prior to departing Halifax harbour for the Gulf War. The Naval Blockade did not see enemy action during this conflict. Depleted uranium requires special storage restrictions, which created logistical problems aboard our ships. It was eliminated from our weapons inventory in 1998. Canadian munitions now use tungsten to “harden” projectiles.
