Military History - Inventions

The atomic bomb has been used only twice in warfare. How do you think about nuclear weapons?

The history of small firearms history. Samuel Colt invented the revolver. The Thompson submachine or Tommy gun was invented by General John Thompson.

Thermal imaging gives the ability to see targets in complete darkness

A grenade is small explosive, chemical, or gas bomb. The word grenade comes from the French word for pomegranate, early grenades looked like pomegranates.

The history of war submarines World War I World War II and beyond

The first World War brought about the magical development of all kinds of airplanes.

Rocket and missile systems are a variety of weapons systems that deliver explosive warheads to their targets by means of rocket propulsion.

Military helicopters - photo tour and background information.

Bombers - photo tour and background information.

Information on CH-53 Sea Stallion - CH-53E Super Stallion Helicopter Sea Dragon

Information and photos on the AH-64D Apache Helicopter

Daisy cutter bomb - BLU-82 - the world's largest bomb the daisy cutter has to be parachuted from a cargo plane.

Updated with modern technology the B-52 will be capable of delivering the full complement of joint developed weapons and will continue into the 21st century as an important element of U.S. defenses.

Tomahawk cruise missiles are designed to fly at extremely low altitudes at high subsonic speeds, and are piloted over an evasive route by several mission tailored guidance systems. The first operational use was in Operation Desert Storm, 1991.

The F-14 entered the fleet in 1973.

The B-1B was first used in combat in December 1998.

The first B-2 was publicly displayed on Nov. 22, 1988, when it was rolled out of its hangar at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, Calif

The F-16A, a single-seat model, first flew in December 1976.

The first F-15A flight was made in July 1972.

The single-seat F/A-18 Hornet is the United States' first strike-fighter.

Better known to the world as the stealth fighter, the Nighthawk made its combat debut Dec. 19, 1989, when six F-117As left their base in Nevada, headed for Panama.

The AC-130 gunship has a history dating to Vietnam.

The Combat Talon first flew in 1966.

The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a guidance tail kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurate, adverse weather "smart" munitions.

The GBU-28 is the famed bunker buster first used in Desert Storm.

The GBU-28 is the famed bunker buster first used in Desert Storm.

The AGM-86B air-launched cruise missiles and AGM-86C conventional air-launched cruise missiles were developed to increase the effectiveness of B-52H bombers.

JSOW is currently flying on the F/A-18 and F-16 aircraft.

Tomahawk cruise missiles are designed to fly at extremely low altitudes at high subsonic speeds, and are piloted over an evasive route by several mission tailored guidance systems.

The world's largest bomb the daisy cutter has to be parachuted from a cargo plane.

USS Cowpens, an 11,000-ton Independence class small aircraft carrier built at Camden, New Jersey, was commissioned in May 1943 with the hull number CV-25.

The UH-60 Black Hawk was fielded by the Army in 1979. The Navy received the SH-60B Seahawk in 1983 and the SH-60F in 1988.

The Pave Hawk is a highly modified version of the Army Black Hawk helicopter which features an upgraded communications and navigation suite.

The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest helicopter in the western world.

The CH-46 Sea Knight was first procured in 1964.

The AH-64D Longbow Apache is the most advanced, versatile, survivable, deployable and maintainable multi-role combat helicopter in the world.

Through the years, the KC-135 has been altered to do other jobs ranging from flying command post missions to reconnaissance.

The C-17 is the newest, most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force.

Four decades have elapsed since the Air Force issued its original design specification, yet the remarkable C-130 remains in production.

The RQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle system.

Aircraft and aircraft carriers included in Operation Enduring Freedom, originally named Operation Infinite Justice.