Blake Hall
It is no secret that the United States Military carries the title of most dominant force on the world’s stage. We hold this advantage in not only our technology and manpower, but our superior firepower. Take a look at some of our heaviest weapon systems in action!
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U.S. Army Rangers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, fire a 120mm mortar during a tactical training exercise.
Source: U.S. Army
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The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) launches a Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM). The RAM was tested to ensure its combat readiness, and ability to defend against anti-ship cruise missiles and other asymmetric threats.
Source: U.S. Navy
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The first of two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors is launched during a successful intercept test.
Source: U.S. Army
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Soldiers serving with Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Division, shoot a round down range from their M777A2 howitzer on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
Source: U.S. Army
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A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II drops a AGM-65 Maverick missile during a close air support training mission over the Nevada Test and Training Range.
Source: U.S. Air Force
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A burst of fire erupts from the muzzle of a 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division M1 Abrams tank during gunnery training at Fort Hood, Texas.
Source: U.S. Army
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USS Iowa BB-61 firing a 15-gun broadside in 1984.
Source: U.S. Naval Historical Center
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U.S. Marines assigned to mortar section, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment (2/3), fire the M224 60 mm mortar system during various courses of fire at Range 106 aboard Camp Wilson, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms.
Source: U.S. Marines
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An AC-130U gunship from the 4th Special Operations Squadron, jettisons flares over an area near Hurlburt Field, FL.
Source: U.S. Air Force
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Marines with 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, fire the M777A2 Howitzer during Steel Knight 2013 aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA.
Source: U.S. Marines
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A 120mm mortar leaves the tube, fired by Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry Regiment headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN.
Source: U.S. Army
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Soldiers from 1-38th FA, 210th FiB, fire rounds from a Multiple Launch Rocket System in the Rocket Valley training area.
Source: U.S. Army
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A Sabot round goes down range at the Combat Center’s Range 500 during Company A, 1st Tank Battalion’s annual gunnery qualification aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA.
Source: U.S. Marines
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An M1A2 Abrams Tank with Company D, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, fires a round into the night during a battalion live fire gunnery exercise.
Source: U.S. Army
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A Harpoon missile is launched from the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) during a live-fire exercise. Shiloh is on patrol with the George Washington Carrier Strike Group supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
Source: U.S. Navy
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An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 391st Fighter Squadron drops a Guided Bomb Unit-28 during a Combat Hammer mission at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. T
Source: U.S. Air Force
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The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) fires a Harpoon missile during a sinking exercise as part of Valiant Shield 2014.
Source: U.S. Navy
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A Marine Pilot with Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing shoots an AIM-7 Sparrow missile from an F/A-18C Hornet airplane while participating in a deployment for training (DFT) near Tyndall Air Force Base, FL.
Source: U.S. Marines
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The guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) conducts a live-fire gunnery exercise with the MK 45 5-inch gun as part of a passing exercise with the French navy frigate La Fayette (F 710).
Source: U.S. Navy
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An F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter completed the first in-flight missile launch of an AIM-120 over the Point Mugu Sea test range in California. The JSF is a multiservice/international cooperation warplane.
Source: U.S. Air Force
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Source: U.S. Navy
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An AH-64D Apache helicopter fires flares as it conducts an air mission.
Source: U.S. Army
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Armor Soldiers assigned to 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, fire their Main Gun Systems (MGS) Stryker’s 105 mm main gun during a live fire range at Yakima Training Center, WA. Each MGS crew in the Arrowhead Brigade completed the 1500 meter course firing at targets of various distances.
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The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) launches an SM-2 missile during a training exercise.
Source: U.S. Navy
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A cannoneer with Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, right, loads a 120 mm mortar round in the barrel of an M327 Towed Rifle mortar system during a fire mission of multiple rounds. The battery fired 74 mortar rounds using three M327s, and it was the first time firing the mortar systems for most of the Marines.
Source: U.S. Marines
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Sailors aboard the guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) conduct a test fire of the 76 mm cannon.
Source: U.S. Navy
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An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 fires an AGM-114B Hellfire missile during a live-fire exercise. HSC-8 provides vertical lift search and rescue, logistics, anti-surface warfare, special operations forces support, and combat search and rescue capabilities for Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 in support of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11 operations.
Source: U.S. Navy
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The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) fires two SM-2 missiles during a sinking exercise as part of Valiant Shield 2014.
Source: U.S. Navy
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1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Soldiers conduct a live-fire accuracy screen test, to calibrate the tank’s fire control system, on their M1A2 Abrams tank at the Udairi Range Complex, Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
Source: U.S. Army
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A 1/12 section chief and 12th Marines mortar gunner fire a round from 120-mm mortar system during a training session for Operation Spartan Fury.
Source: U.S. Marines
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The guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) conducts a live-fire exercise with its MK 45 5-inch 54/62 caliber gun.
Source: U.S. Navy
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An anti-tank missileman with Combined Anti-Armor Team One, Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, supervises his Marines fire a Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command-link guided, or TOW, Missile System, as it’s fired from an M-41 Saber weapon system during sustainment training at Udairi Range in Kuwait.
Source: U.S. Marines
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Marines with Sierra Battery, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, fire Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during Exercise DESERT SCIMITAR 2014 aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA.
Source: U.S. Marines
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An A-10C Thunderbolt II conducts close-air support training near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. The A-10C is with the 188th Fighter Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard.
Source: U.S. Air Force
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F-15A/B/C/D/E Eagle and F-15E Strike Eagle: Primary function: F-15A/B/C/D/E — single-seat air superiority fighter. F-15E — air-to-ground attack aircraft. Dimensions: Wingspan 42 ft. 8 in.; length 63 ft. 8 in.; height 18 ft. 5 in. Speed: 1,875 mph. Strike Eagle Mach 2.5-plus. Range: 3,450 miles unrefueled. Strike Eagle 2,400 miles unrefueled. Armament: (All models) one internally mounted M-61A1 20 mm cannon with 940 rounds of ammunition and any combination of AIM-9L/M/X Sidewinder and four AIM- 7F/M Sparrow air-to-air missiles, or eight AIM-120 AMRAAMs air-to-air missiles, carried externally.
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