US upgrading its nuclear weapons programme

US Agrees to Send Controversial , Uranium Tank Rounds to Ukraine. Fox News reports that the United States has agreed to send depleted uranium anti-tank rounds to support Ukraine. . The news coms after the United Kingdom agreed to send the controversial munitions to aid Kyiv's counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces. Fox News reports that the 120 mm rounds are munitions for the 31 MIAI Abrams tanks the U.S. has pledged to deliver to Ukraine this fall. . The armor-piercing rounds were first developed by the U.S. amid the Cold War to counter Soviet tanks. The depleted uranium used in the rounds is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process necessary for creating nuclear weapons. . According to RAND nuclear expert and policy researcher Edward Geist, while the rounds retain some radioactive properties, they cannot generate a nuclear reaction. Depleted uranium is extremely dense, which adds to its potency as a projectile. . It’s so dense and it’s got so much momentum that it just keeps going through the armor — and it heats it up so much that it catches on fire, Edward Geist, RAND nuclear expert and policy researcher, via Fox News . In March, the U.K.'s announcement that it would send depleted uranium rounds was met with a Russian warning that doing so would open the door to further escalation. Fox News reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already suggested that the war could be escalated to the deployment of nuclear weapons. Fox News reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already suggested that the war could be escalated to the deployment of nuclear weapons