Special Weapon Systems Weapon systems not fitting nicely into any one of our other categories.
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AN/TPQ-36 Firefinding Radar The AN/TPQ-36 Fire finder radar system is used to locate the origin of enemy fire - be it artillery or mortar. The system is a relatively light-weight battlefield component that can detect enemy launches from within a pre-sel...
2
ASG-17 'Plamya' (Flame) The ASG-17 "Plamya" (or "Flame") is a Soviet-produced automatic grenade launcher similar in scope to the American Mk 19 series. The weapon system can be vehicle mounted or used by infantry in the field via a tripod assembly. ...
Colt / AAI M203 The M203 40mm grenade launcher is a single-shot system that was designed to be attached under the barrel of an assault rifle or carbine. The addition of the M203 to any rifle system expands the capability of the standard infa...
1969
5
Gatling Gun 1861 Richard Gatling patented his ferocious weapon in the early 1860s and the type was subsequently used in the American Civil War to deadly effect. The basic principle revolved around a steady feed of ammunition supplied to ten r...
1861
6
General Electric GAU-17/A Minigun The General Electric GAU-17/A "minigun" represents the crew-served version of the Vietnam-era General Electric M134 helicopter-mounted weapon system. The GAU-17 operation follows the Gatling rotary-style munitions delivery de...
1965
7
General Electric M134 Minigun The US Army General Electric M134 minigun six-barrel 7.62mm gatling gun was a derivative of the original General Electric M61 20mm gatling system technology. The M134 was designed to fire 7.62x51mm NATO standard ammunition fr...
Heckler & Koch HK XM25 IAWS The futuristic Heckler & Koch HK XM25 IAWS (Individual Airburst Weapon System) is a semi-automatic, multiple-shot, shoulder-fired 25mm grenade launcher categorized as an "airburst weapon" system designed to neutralize out-of...
Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Improvised Explosive Devices are 'home-made' devices made to injure, harrass or kill. They typically are thrown or laid on the sides of roads or on the roads themselves (unseen by a passing vehicle occupant).
Improvised Ex...
1975
12
Individual Water Purifier (IWP) The individual water purification system provides the infantryman the ability to remove or destroy contaminants from all water sources....
M32 MGL (Multiple Grenade Launcher) The M32 MGL (Multiple Grenade Launcher) is currently in trials with the United States Marine Corps in Iraq. The system is a hand-held grenade launcher that operated from a spring-driven non-removable six-shot cylinder capable...
M67 Hand Grenade The M67 is a fragmentation-based hand-grenade utilized to supplement infantry actions in the field. The hand grenade concept is an ancient one, with roots dating back centuries. The principle behind the device is to inflict a...
1971
17
M79 Grenade Launcher The M79 was a standard single-shot, squad-support weapon that made its initial appearance with American troops during the Vietnam War. The system could lob a grenade projectile several hundred meters away and stop light-armor...
REMOTEC ANDROS F6A Remote Ordnance Neutralization System (RONS) The "ANDROS" (collectively a part of the RONS - "Remote Ordnance Neutralization System") is a class of remotely-controlled bomb disposal robot used by the American military as well as by SWAT and law enforcement groups. The b...
2006
20
Royal Ordnance ARWEN 37 The ARWEN 37 anti-riot weapon was designed in the late 1970's, ultimately reaching production in the early 1980's. The system came about as a specialized need to replace the ineffective anti-riot weapons currently in service ...
Type 2 (Rifle Grenade Launcher) The Type 2 was a weapon system in service with the Imperial Japanese Army by the time of World War 2. The system attached to the barrel end of the standard issue Japanese infantry rifle and served as a "rifle grenade launcher...
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URBOT The URBOT can perform a series of tasks including examination and destruction of IED (Improvised Explosive Devices). It has seen use in bomb squads and in the battlefield (Operation Iraqi Freedom). The system is operated by r...
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