The Barrett M82 is a semi-automatic anti-material sniper rifle that is used to take out heavy targets from long distances. It’s used in many countries, although the United States uses a special version of the gun called M107.
The Barrett M82 was used throughout many American wars, including the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It weighs roughly 30 pounds and costs almost $9,000. M82’s support two types of ammo, .50 caliber rounds and .416 Barrett bullets. It can pierce just about any armored vehicle when shot at the right angle, and is highly dangerous, even from a great distance.
The LOCUST
LOCUST drones got their cool acronym thanks to their ability to swarm battlefields and jam communications from afar. These future warfare aircraft are folded into tubes and shot into the sky. Their main purpose is to hurt the enemy's ability to fire accurately, while also wasting much of their ammo.
These flying saucers cost around $15,000 per unit, and can be used as disposable firing targets for enemy forces, which distracts the enemy, wastes their precious ammo and saves soldiers’ lives. These drones also jam hostile signals and communications, making them one of the coolest inventions that will soon appear in the battlefield.
The Mark 48 Heavyweight Torpedo
When Mark 60 CAPTORs aren’t enough, the U.S. Navy employees the Mk 48 Heavyweight Torpedo. This is a fast torpedo that can travel at 32 miles per hour. While it may not sound very fast, remember that the world’s fastest submarine only moves at 40 mph. These torpedoes be used from a fair distance, as they have a range of over five miles.
Whether the target is above water or deep inside the ocean, the Mark 48 torpedo will find and track its target. This is due to a smart homing system used to track hostile vessels. If that’s not enough, this 650 pound monster also features an advanced sonar system and remote digital controls.
Joint Direct Attack Munition
Joint Direct Attack Munitions are guidance kits that are used to convert "dumb” (low tech) bombs into all-weather precision bombs. These can be installed on almost any bomb from 500 pounds up to 2,000 pounds and instantly override the nomenclature of the bomb they’re installed on.
Boeing made over 300,000 of these from 1998 to 2016, and they cost about $25,000 per unit. While this may sound like a lot of money for a bomb “upgrade” kit, it saves a lot of money for the U.S. military by circumventing the need to replace old “dumb” bombs with expensive, laser-guided ones.
The AGM-65 Maverick
AGM-65 Maverick missiles weigh 462 to 670 pounds and carry a massive 300-pound warhead. They are built pierce armor and then detonate from inside an enemy's vehicle, causing even resilient tangos to implode. Mavericks are placed onto Navy and Airforce jets and cause even hostile tank drivers to shake in panic.
AGM-65 Mavericks have been used extensively by all branches of the U.S. military. In 1991, America launched 5,000 Mavericks during Operation Desert Storm. They were able to effectively destroy most of Iraq's Air Force and anti-aircraft facilities, and eventually, its command and communication facilities, crippling the Iraqi army.