Top 5 Army Weapons Systems

by Brent Eastwood, PhD, Former Army Infantry Officer

(Washington DC) When it comes to land-attack weapons for ground warfare, the U.S. Army has one of the deadliest arsenals in the world.

Some are mobile, some are stationary, and some are airborne.

The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS)

The GMLRS is the first place to look when it comes to death and destruction. This is a truck-mounted surface-to-surface rocket system that can engage area or point targets. It can destroy the enemy from over 44 miles away. GMLRS rockets are more accurate than short-range ballistic missiles. 

They have a high probability of entering the kill zone with a reliability rating of 98 percent. Each launch pod holds six rockets. The GMLRS rockets have a 200-pound warhead. Lockheed Martin is somehow improving the lethality of an already deadly system. The defense contractor is building smart munitions for the GMLRS. This would be an airburst fragmentation that explodes 30-feet over a target and spreads metal-penetrating projectiles. “Doom on you,” indeed.

The Apache Attack Helicopter

The Apache is a helicopter pilot’s dream come true. It’s armed to the teeth. The Apache AH-64D/E has a M230 30-mm cannon, 76 Hydra-70 2.75-inch rockets, and 16 Hellfire missiles. The Hellfires can be laser or radio-guided. It acquires targets with an infrared laser. Night vision and infrared enhanced imagery are combined for optimum situational awareness. 

The E version allows the crew to see drone video in the Apache cockpit and direct the flight path of a drone. The latest Apache can go 166 miles per hour. It can fly in combat mode for over two hours. The 30mm cannon is uber-deadly. The pilot and co-pilot/gunner have helmet-mounted display and targeting systems, so the 30-mm cannon is integrated into the helmet movements. Just point your head and shoot.