Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Weapons that changed the world

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Weapons that changed the world

    Discovery Channel just ran a program that counted down the ten most influential weapons of the last 60 years. Basically they put together a list of ten weapons and let people vote on their site to rank them 1 to 10, this is the final order as votd by 120,000 people:
    • 10 - RPG-7
    • 9 - Tomahwak cruise missile
    • 8 - JDAM
    • 7 - AK-47
    • 6 - Apache Longbow
    • 5 - R-7 ICBM
    • 4 - B-52
    • 3 - BMP-1
    • 2 - F-117
    • 1 - Nimitz class CVN


    Even the host (Richard Machowitz from Futureweapons) was surprised at the AK's low rank and the BMP's high rank.

    Your thoughts?

  • #2
    Without all the "it's Soviet therefore it svcks", the AK-47 is the undisputed number one. It appeared on national flags, people called their children Kalash. Even today, in some regions of the world more people know how to clean one than there are people able to read.
    Yes, it is not as good as modern american weapons, but hell, it operates in every circumstance, and somehow people who only have the resources to maintain flintlock muskets can maintain this weapon. Imagine a world without the AK. Then imagine the world without ANY weapon above it on the list. Can you feel the difference?
    I do understand that the Nimitz really did show the world what power projection means, but the change on warfare that eg. F-117 gave is neglectable compared to the AK.

    I would rank the JDAM second and the aircraft carrier third. The BMP did nothing except teaching people that there is a better way of transporting soldiers than Sd. Kfz derivatives.
    What the Longbow does on the list is a mystery. I guess those who made the list don't know much about warfare. Neither do I, but some things are really not on their place.
    And where is the Gavin?:D

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by entropy View Post
      Without all the "it's Soviet therefore it svcks", the AK-47 is the undisputed number one. It appeared on national flags, people called their children Kalash. Even today, in some regions of the world more people know how to clean one than there are people able to read.
      Yes, it is not as good as modern american weapons, but hell, it operates in every circumstance, and somehow people who only have the resources to maintain flintlock muskets can maintain this weapon. Imagine a world without the AK. Then imagine the world without ANY weapon above it on the list. Can you feel the difference?
      I do understand that the Nimitz really did show the world what power projection means, but the change on warfare that eg. F-117 gave is neglectable compared to the AK.

      I would rank the JDAM second and the aircraft carrier third. The BMP did nothing except teaching people that there is a better way of transporting soldiers than Sd. Kfz derivatives.
      What the Longbow does on the list is a mystery. I guess those who made the list don't know much about warfare. Neither do I, but some things are really not on their place.
      And where is the Gavin?:D
      I agree the AK is number one.

      I rank the Nimitz second, because it not only can fight an win wars, it can actually prevent them.

      The JDAM is a solid pick.

      The R-7 and B-52 are too. Of course the R-7 has just as much impact putting satellites in orbit as a weapon.

      The F-117 introducded stealth to military appplications, now we see lots of stealth aircraft and even ships using similar principles. It's impact is much further reaching than simply as a bomb dropper.

      RPG-7 is similar to the AK in global reach, but not quite as prolific.

      Apache really doesn't belong on the list.

      The BMP-1, I can see at maybe number 10, as it did introduce the IFV concept, and without it vehicles like the Bradley, Warrior, CV90, and Marder would have never been developed. Would you have wanted to fight the Iraq War (either one) in a M-113?

      Comment


      • #4
        I have to agree on the F-117. But then, is the B-52 anything special? It is merely a bombtruck, though a powerful one, it does not possess any special capabilities. The concept, in fact, is that of the Flying Fortress.
        Correct me if I'm wrong on this statement, but I think that the Stratofortress is useless against any country that has a respectable air defence and/or Mig-31 class interceptors.

        I would replace the B-52 with a airtanker. I do not know which tanker is the most important, so I leave it up to you to decide. But the entire concept of air refueling is very revolutionary, and far more innovating that just the trucking of bombs.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by entropy View Post
          I have to agree on the F-117. But then, is the B-52 anything special? It is merely a bombtruck, though a powerful one, it does not possess any special capabilities. The concept, in fact, is that of the Flying Fortress.
          Correct me if I'm wrong on this statement, but I think that the Stratofortress is useless against any country that has a respectable air defence and/or Mig-31 class interceptors.

          I would replace the B-52 with a airtanker. I do not know which tanker is the most important, so I leave it up to you to decide. But the entire concept of air refueling is very revolutionary, and far more innovating that just the trucking of bombs.
          I'm assuming it's enormous longevity has something to do with it.

          As far as tankers go, the KC-10 is proably the best (I still wanna see a
          KC-17 though), but I don't know what the first one was.

          Comment


          • #6

            Where are H-bomb and nuclear ballistic submarine on that list?

            If you want to burn some country those two devils are best choses.
            Last edited by SRB; 08 Apr 07,, 10:14.

            Comment


            • #7
              The AK-47, without a doubt.
              "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

              Comment


              • #8
                Tank about a junk list

                My list in order of age

                caveman Spear
                caveman atlatl
                Egyptian Chariot
                Greek Pike
                Roman Gladius
                Turko-Mongol Horse Bow
                Brown Bess Musket
                Maxim machine Gun
                Mk 1 Male
                B-17
                P-51D
                Atom bomb
                Ohio class SSBN
                Challanger 1/ Abrams/ Leo 2
                B-2
                F-22

                Honrable mention

                T-34 medium tank
                T-44 medium tank
                JS-III
                M-4 Sherman
                mk IV Pz
                Mk VI pz
                F-86
                F-4
                Mig 21
                B-29
                B-52

                Comment


                • #9
                  In the last 60 years (since 1947) -

                  10 SS-20
                  9 B52
                  8 Mig 21
                  7 Ticonderoga class cruisers
                  6 Tomahawk
                  5 Los Angeles class SSN
                  4 AK-47
                  3 F-117
                  2 Polaris SSBN
                  1 Nimitz class CVN

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by zraver View Post
                    Tank about a junk list

                    My list in order of age

                    caveman Spear
                    caveman atlatl
                    Egyptian Chariot
                    Greek Pike
                    Roman Gladius
                    Turko-Mongol Horse Bow
                    Brown Bess Musket
                    Maxim machine Gun
                    Mk 1 Male
                    B-17
                    P-51D
                    Atom bomb
                    Ohio class SSBN
                    Challanger 1/ Abrams/ Leo 2
                    B-2
                    F-22

                    Honrable mention

                    T-34 medium tank
                    T-44 medium tank
                    JS-III
                    M-4 Sherman
                    mk IV Pz
                    Mk VI pz
                    F-86
                    F-4
                    Mig 21
                    B-29
                    B-52
                    The list was limited to weapons introducded after the beginning of the Nuclear Age.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I'd replace the Apache with the first precision guided bomb, the Walleye, I believe. It revolutionized the way we bomb things. Instead of talking "planes per target" we moved to "targets per plane" with precision weapons.

                      AK-47 is undisputed #1 on my list. The reasons are too many to list.
                      "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I miss a tank on the list. And no, not the Abrams.
                        I was thinking about the T-55 or the Centurion, tanks that gave birth to the Main Battle Tank.


                        And yes, the nuclear submarine deserves at least a honorable mention.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Who cares about the BMP?
                          "The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. So wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes." G-Man

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            The infantry in every IFV does.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              But yes, the BMP-1 was a horrible vehicle. In Afghanistan, the soldiers hanged their body armor on it to provide additional armor.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X