The plane is designed to give air support to ground forces, for example by destroying enemy tanks. In the nose of the fighter plane a gun is mounted that fires uranium munitions.

The gun fires 30mm rounds (PGU-14/B API), at a rate of 3900 rounds per minute. The US army usually fires a mix of munitions that is high explosive (HEI) and armour piercing (API). The armour piercing munitions contain a core of depleted uranium. Each round contains 0.3 kg (0.66 pounds) of DU.

Armour piercing munition of the 30mm calibre is often characterised by a small, round entry hole in the target.

At times DU rounds misfire. These ?hangfires? are cleared and removed from the gun barrel, potentially exposing ground crews to airborne uranium particles.

Alliant Techsystems (ATK), in Edina, US, is one of the top suppliers of ammunition to the US and its allies. So far Alliant has produced over 15 million 30mm PGU-14 shells for the US Air Force. This accounts for 4,5 millions of kilos (9.9 millions of pounds) of uranium.