Top 10 Tanks

10.T-90A/S (Russia)

Weight: 46.5 tons; Length: 9.53m

Width: 3.78m; Height: 2.22m
Crew: 3
Primary Armament: 125mm smooth bore gun with autoloader
Operational Range: 550–700 km; Speed: 65 km/h

The T-90 is a Russian main battle tank (MBT) derived from the T-72 design, featuring improvements in its firepower, mobility and protection. The T-90, which came into use in 1992, is manufactured by the Uralvagonzavod Plant in Nizhniy Tagil, Russia. It is currently the most advanced tank used by the Russian Ground Forces and Naval Infantry. At present, Russia operates about 500 of these MBTs. Sources claim that more than 1,600 T-90 MBTs of all variants have been built. The T-90A, sometimes called the T-90 Vladimir, is the Russian army's version, featuring a welded turret, V-92S2 engine and ESSA thermal viewer. The T-90S is the export version of the T-90A. A T-90 tank was worth US$2.77- 4.25 million in 2011.

9.Type 99 (China)

Weight: 54 tons; Length: 11.0m
Width: 3.4m; Height: 2.2m
Crew: 3
Primary Armament: 125mm smooth bore gun with autoloader
Operational Range: 600km; Speed: 80 km/h on road and 60 km/h cross country

The Type 99, also known as ZTZ-99 and WZ-123, is a 3rd generation main battle tank (MBT) operated by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). The Type 99, a more advanced spin-off of the Type 98G, features both Russian and Western influences in its design and technology. The Type 99, currently the most advanced MBT fielded by China, is manufactured in a limited number due to its high cost compared to the more economical Type 96. The Type 99, made to rival other modern tanks, was unveiled in 2000 and came into service in 2001. The Type 99 is the primary variant of the Type 99 series, and the latest in trial is the Type 99KM. One Type 99 is worth about 17 million yuan (US$2.5 million).

8. Leclerc (France)

Weight: 54.5 tons; Length: 9.87mWidth: 3.71m; Height: 2.53mCrew: 3Primary Armament: 120mm smooth bore gun with autoloaderOperational Range: 550km, 650km with external fuel; Speed: 72 km/h

The AMX-56 Leclerc, commonly known as the Leclerc, is a main battle tank (MBT) developed by GIAT Industries, France. It is claimed to be one of the fastest tanks in the world. It is named after General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, commander of the French armored division during World War II. Having been into production ever since 1991, the Leclerc came into use in 1992 in order to replace the AMX 30 as the country's main armored platform. The French Army has a total of 406 Leclerc MBTs and the United Arab Emirates Army counts 388 of them. One Leclerc is worth about US$7.4 million.

7.Type 96 (China)

Weight: 42.8 tons; Length: 10.28mWidth: 3.45m; Height: 2.30mCrew: 3Primary Armament: 125mm smooth bore main gunOperational Range: 450 km, 600 km with external fuel; Speed: 70 km/h

The Type 96 main battle tank (MBT) was derived from the previous Type 85-III series tank design, albeit with some modifications. It was displayed in 1999 during the military parade to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Compared to the Types 85 and 88, the Type 96 features newly integrated thermal imaging/day sight, a Chinese infra-red/laser jamming system, a more powerful engine, improved electronics and a western-style turret.

6.K1A1 (South Korea)

Weight: 54.5 tons; Length: 9.71m
Width: 3.60m; Height: 2.25 m
Crew: 4
Primary Armament: 120mm smooth bore gun
Operational Range: 500 km; Speed: 65 km/h (road), 40 km/h (cross country)

The K1A1 main battle tank (MBT) is an upgraded version of the K1 MBT. Designed and developed by Hyundai Rotem, it came into service with the South Korean Army in 2001, despite the fact that production of the first vehicle had already been completed in 1996. A total of 484 units were produced between 1999 and 2010. To a large extent, it is similar to the US M1A1 Abrams in firepower and protection mechanism. One remarkable fact is that a number of the K1A1's major components, like its engine, transmission and fire control systems, were imported. One K1A1 unit costs about US$4 million.

5.Merkava Mark IV (Israel)

Weight: 65 tons; Length: 9.04m

Width: 3.72m; Height: 2.66m

Crew: 4

Primary Armament: 120mm smooth bore gun

Operational Range: 500 km; Speed: 64 km/h on road, 55 km/h off road

Four main types of the Merkava series have been deployed since 1978. The Merkava Mark IV, the series' latest edition, is the more advanced version of the Merkava Mark III. It came into service with the Israel Defense Forces in 2004. Until now, a total of 360 Merkava Mark IV vehicles have been built, with an additional 300 in production. Slightly larger than the Mark III, the new vehicle is one of the best shielded tanks in the world. One Merkava MBT costs about US$5 million.

4. K2 Black Panther (South Korea)

Weight: 55 tons; Length: 10.8mWidth: 3.6m; Height: 2.4mCrew: 3Primary Armament: 120-mm/L55 smoothboreOperational Range: 450 km; Speed: 70 km/h on paved road, 50 km/h cross country

The K2 Black Panther is an advanced main battle tank (MBT) featuring state-of-the-art technology. It was developed by South Korea with the aim to replace the various models of the aging M48 Patton tanks and complement the K1 series of MBTs currently fielded ones. The South Korean Army plans to deploy about 680 Black Panthers, yet the full-scale mass-production of the tank has currently been suspended due to concerns over its transmission and main engine systems. These issues may lead to a delay of service entry until March 2014. The K2 Black Panther, estimated to cost about US$8.5 million per unit, is certified as the world's most expensive MBT by the Guinness Book of World Records.

3.M1A2SEP (United States) 

Weight: 63 tons; Length: 9.83m
Width: 3.66m; Height: 2.44m
Crew: 4
Primary Armament: 120 mm L44 M256 smoothbore cannon
Operational Range: 500 km; Speed: 68 km/h

The M1A2SEP (System Enhancement Package) is the most recent and advanced version of the M1 Abrams MBTs manufactured by the United States. The M1 Abrams, named after General Creighton Abrams, is a third-generation MBT Designed used in modern armored ground warfare. It's highly mobile, well-armed and heavily-armored. Three main variants of the M1 Abrams, namely, the M1, M1A1 and M1A2, have been deployed so far. The M1A2SEP, based on the M1A2, features a greatly enhanced armament, and advanced protection, electronics and reliability systems. A M1A2SEP costs about US$8 million.

2.Challenger 2 (United Kingdom)

Weight: 62.5 tons; Length: 8.30m, 11.50m with gun forward
Width: 3.50m; Height: 2.50m
Crew: 4
Primary Armament: L30A1 120mm rifled gun
Operational Range: 450 km; Speed: 56 km/h

The Challenger 2, derived from the Challenger 1, is a main battle tank (MBT) currently in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. It was designed and built by British Vickers Defense Systems (now known as BAE Systems Land and Armaments). Considered to be the world's most reliable tank, the Challenger 2 provides high-level protection against direct fire weapons. It was used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and is said to be capable of enduring 14 hits from rocket-propelled grenades and one MILAN anti-tank missile. One Challenger 2 MBT costs about US$8 million.

1.Leopard 2A6 (Germany)

Weight: 62.3 tons; Length: 9.97m
Width: 3.75m; Height: 3.0m
Crew: 4
Primary Armament: Rheinme L55 120mm smooth bore gun
Operational Range: 500 km; Speed: 68 km

The Leopard 2A6, a further development of the 2A5, is an updated version of the Leopard 2 which replaced the former Leopard 1 as most important MBT used in the German Army. Supposedly the best MBT in the world, the Leopard 2A6 eclipses the other MBTs in firepower as well as protection and mobility systems. The Leopard 2A6 is shielded by composite armor of a new generation and features additional external modular armor. Since 1979, various versions of the Leopard 2 have been fielded to the German armed forces, plus those of about ten other European countries as well as those of several non-European countries. One unit of the Leopard 2A6 cost about US$5.74 million in 2007.

Top 10 Sniper Rifles

10.M24 (American)

The M24 Sniper’s Weapon System (SWS) represents a return to bolt action sniper rifles by the US Army. As in the USMC M40A1, the M24 uses the Remington 700 action, although the reciever is a long action made for adaptation to take the .300 Winchester Magnum round. The stock (HS Precision) is made of a composite of Kevlar, graphite and fibreglass bound together with epoxy resins, and features an aluminium bedding block and adjustable butt plate. A detachable bipod (Harris) can be attached to the stocks fore-end. The metal finish is powder coated for extreme durability
The rifle had a very quick development cycle as the US Army had decided it wanted to get snipers back into the US Army and was in the process of developing the B4 identifier and the school to award it. There was a major short fall of M21′s which was the standard sniper rifle at that point of time and the Army figured it would need 10,000 sniper rifles of which they didn’t have nearly that many M21′s. So a new sniper rifle was developed at the same time and it was done in a record 22 months. The Weapon System Matrix Manager for the M24 was Major John Mende and he explains that the long action actually had nothing to do with the ability to convert to a .300 Win Mag but was a product of that quick development time. The rifle was intended to be chambered in the .30-06 as the -06 was a type classified munition for the Army unlike the .300 WM at the time. They wanted to have a high power load for the .30-06 eventually developed. As development of the system was moving forward they discovered that there was not enough .30-06 ammo in a single lot in the Army’s inventory to test and develop the system so they quickly changed to the 7.62x51mm NATO (308 Win) and left the action the same as there was not enough time for the manufacturers of the stock and floorplate to make the change to short action. They also fully believed they would later do a product improvement update and convert all the M24′s to .30-06. The fact that they could convert them to .300 Win Mag was an unexpected benefit to the SF groups and was never actually designed into the system.

9.SR25 (American)

Knights SR-25 rifle, civilian version with 20″ barrel
Knights SR-25 carbine, civilian version with 16″ barrel and telescopic buttstock





8.L42 Enfield (British)

7.M21 (American)

6.PSG1 (German)

5.Dragunov SVD (Soviet Union)

4.AS50 (Bristish)

3.Barrett .50 Cal (American)

2.Cheytac .408 cal (American)

1.L115A3 AWM (British)

Top 10 Snipers in History

10.Thomas Plunkett

Was an Irish soldier in the British 95th Rifles. What makes him on of the greats is that he shot a very impressive French general, Auguste-Marie-François Colbert.
During the battle at Cacabelos during Monroes retreat in 1809, Plunkett, using a Baker Rifle, shot the French general at a range of about 600 meters. Giving the incredible inaccuracy of rifles in the early 19th century, this was either a very impressive feat, or one hell of a fluke. Well Plunkett not wanting his army buddies to think he was a bit lucky decided to take the shot again before returning to his line. So he reloaded his gun and took aim once again this time at the trumpet major who had come to the generals aid. When this shot also hit its intended target, proving that Plunkett is just one badass marksman, he looked back to his line to see the impressed faces of the others in the 95th Rifles.
Just for comparison the British soldiers were all armed with ‘Brown Bess muskets’ and trained to shoot into a body of men at 50 meters. Plunkett did 12 times that distance. Twice.

9.Sgt Grace-4th Georgia Infantry

The date was May 9th 1864, when Sgt Grace, a Confederate sniper, achieved what was considered to be an incredible shot at the time, and what is definitely the most ironic demise of a target in history. It was during the battle of Spotsylvania when Grace took aim with his British Whitworth Rifle. His target was General John Sedgwick (pictured above) and the distance was 1,000 yards. An extremely long distance for the time. During the beginning of the skirmish, the confederate sharpshooters were causing Sedgwick’s men to duck for cover. Sedgwick refused to duck and was quoted saying “What? Men dodging this way for single bullets? What will you do when they open fire along the whole line? I am ashamed of you. They couldn’t hit Elephants at this distance.” His men persisted in taking cover. He Repeated “They couldn’t hit elephants at this distance” Seconds Later Grace’s shot hits Sedgwick just under his left eye.
I swear you couldn’t write it. Sedgwick was the highest ranking Union casualty in the civil war and upon hearing his death Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant repeatedly asked “Is he really dead”.

8.Charles ‘Chuck’ Mawhinney-1949

103 Confirmed Kills
Was an avid hunter as a kid and joined the Marines in 1967. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during Vietnam and holds the record for number of confirmed kills for Marine snipers, exceeding that of legendary Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock. In just 16 months he killed 103 enemies and another 216 kills were listed as probable’s by the military, only because it was too risky at the time to search the bodies for documents. When he left the Marines he told no-one of his of his role during the conflict and only a few fellow Marines knew of his assignments. It was nearly 20 years before somebody wrote a book detailing his amazing skills as a sniper. Mawhinney came out of anonymity because of this and became a lecturer in sniper schools. He was once quoted saying “it was the ultimate hunting trip: a man hunting another man who was hunting me. Don’t talk to me about hunting lions or elephants; they don’t fight back with rifles and scopes. I just loved it. I ate it up.”
A routinely deadly shot from distances between 300 – 800 yards, Mawhinney had confirmed kills of over 1000 yards, making him one of the greatest snipers of the Vietnam war.

7.Rob Furlong

A former corporal of the Canadian Forces, he holds the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in history at 1.51 miles or 2,430 metres. That’s the length of about 26 football pitches.
This amazing feat occurred in 2002, when he was involved in Operation Anaconda. His Sniper Team consisted of 2 Corporals and 3 Master Corporals. When a three man Al-Qaeda weapons team moved into a mountainside position he took aim. Furlong was armed with a .50-caliber McMillan Brothers Tac-50 Rifle and loaded with A-MAX very low drag bullets. He fired and missed. His second shot hit the enemies knapsack on his back. He had already fired his third shot by the time the second hit, but now the enemy knew he was under attack. The airtime for each bullet was about 3 seconds due to the immense distance, enough time for an enemy to take cover. However the dumbfounded militant realised what was happening just in time to take the third shot in the chest.

6.Vasily Zaytsev-March 23, 1915 – December 15, 1991

242 Confirmed Kills
Zaytsev is probably the best known Sniper in history thanks to the movie ‘Enemy At The Gates’. It is a great film and I wish I could say it was all true. However the truth only goes as far as the battle of Stalingrad. There was no Nazi Counter-Sniper Specialist in real life. Well not to the extent of the film. Here’s the truth. Zaytsev was born in Yeleninskoye and grew up in the Ural Mountains. His surname means ‘hare‘. Before Stalingrad, he served as a clerk in the Soviet Navy But after reading about the conflict in the city he volunteered for the front line. he served in the 1047th Rifle Regiment. Zaytsev ran a sniper school in the Metiz factory. The cadets he trained were called Zaichata, meaning ‘Leverets’ (Baby Hares). This was the start of the sniper movement in the 62nd army. It is estimated that the snipers he trained killed more than 3,000 enemy soldiers
Zaytsev himself made 242 confirmed kills between October 1942 and January 1943, but the real number is probably closer to 500. I know I said there was no counter-sniper, but there was Erwin Kónig. Was alleged to be a highly skilled Wehrmacht sniper. Zaytsev claimed in his memoirs that the duel took place over a period of three days in the ruins of Stalingrad. Details of what actually happened are sketchy, but by the end of the three day period Zaytsev had killed the sniper and claimed his scope to be his most prized trophy. For him to make this his most prized trophy means that this person he killed must have been almost as good as Zaytsev himself.

5.Lyudmila Pavlichenko-July 12, 1916 – October 10, 1974

309 Confirmed Kills
In June 1941, Pavlichenko was 24 and Nazi Germany were invading the Soviet Union. She was among the first volunteers and asked to join the infantry. she was assigned to the Red Armies 25th infantry Division. From there she became one of 2000 female snipers of the soviet.
Her first 2 kills were made near Belyayevka using a Mosin-Nagant bolt action rifle with a P.E. 4-power scope. The first action she saw was during the conflict in Odessa. She was there for 2 and a half months and notched 187 kills. When they were forced to relocate, she spent the next 8 months fighting in Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. There she recorded 257 kills and for this feat she was cited by the Southern Army Council. Pavlichenkos’ total confirmed kills during WW2 was 309. 36 of those were enemy snipers.

4.Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow-March 9, 1891 – August 5, 1952

378 Confirmed kills
300+ Captures
Three times awarded the military medal and twice seriously wounded, he was an expert marksman and scout, credited with 378 German kills and capturing 300+ more. He was an Ojibwa warrior with the Canadians in battles like those at mount sorrel. As if killing nearly 400 Germans wasn’t enough, he was also awarded medals for running messages through very heavy enemy fire, for directing a crucial relief effort when his commanding officer was incapacitated and for running through enemy fire to get more ammo when his unit was running low.
Though a hero among his fellow soldier, he was virtually forgotten once he returned home to Canada. Regardless he was one of the most affective snipers of world war 1.

3.Adelbert F. Waldron-March 14, 1933 – October 18, 1995

109 confirmed kills
He holds the record for the highest number of confirmed kills for any American sniper in history. However it is not just his impressive kill record that makes him one of the best, but also his incredible accuracy.
This excerpt from ‘Inside the Crosshairs: Snipers in Vietnam’ by Col. Michael Lee Lanning, describes just what I’m talking about:
“One afternoon he was riding along the Mekong River on a Tango boat when an enemy sniper on shore pecked away at the boat. While everyone else on board strained to find the antagonist, who was firing from the shoreline over 900 meters away, Sergeant Waldron took up his sniper rifle and picked off the Vietcong out of the top of a coconut tree with one shot (this from a moving platform). Such was the capability of our best sniper.” Nuff Said.
If there was a scale of difficulty for shots like these, it would be next to impossible to beat. well lets try to do that anyway.
Here’s ‘white feather’

2.Carlos Norman Hathcock II-May 20, 1942 – February 23, 1999

Nicknamed ‘Lông Trung du Kich’ (‘White Feather Sniper’)
93 Confirmed kills
Hathcock has one of the most impressive mission records of any sniper in the Marine corps. Lets forget about the dozens of shooting championships he won, during the Vietnam war he amassed 93 confirmed kills. The Vietnam army put a $30,000 bounty on his life for killing so many of their men. Rewards put on U.S. snipers by the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) typically amounted to….say $8.
It was Hathcock who fired the most famous shot in sniper history. He fired a round, over a very long distance, which went through the scope of an enemy sniper, hit him in the eye, and killed him. Hathcock and Roland Burke his spotter were stalking the enemy sniper, (which had already killed several Marines) which they believed was sent to kill him specifically. When Hathcock saw a flash of light reflecting off the enemies scope he fired at it in a split second pulling off one of the most precise shots in history. Hathcock reasoned that the only way that this was possible, would have been if both snipers were aiming at each others scopes at the same time, and he fired first. However, although the distance was never confirmed, Hathcock knew that because of the flight time, it would have been easy for both snipers to kill each other. The white feather was synonymous with Hathcock (He kept one in his hat) and he removed it only once for a mission. Keep in mind that he volunteered for this mission, but he had to crawl over 1500 yards of enemy territory to shoot an NVA commanding general. Information wasn’t sent until he was on-route. (He volunteered for a mission he knew nothing about) It took 4 days and 3 nights without sleep of inch-by-inch crawling. One enemy soldier almost stepped on him as he laid camouflaged in a meadow. At another point he was nearly bitten by a viper, he didn’t flinch. He finally got into position and waited for the general. When he arrived Hathcock was ready. He fired one round and hit the general through the chest killing him. The soldiers started a search for the sniper and Hathcock had to crawl back to avoid detection. They never caught him. Nerves of steel.

1.Simo Hayha-December 17, 1905 – April 1, 2002

Nicknamed ‘The White Death’
705 confirmed kills (505 with rifle, 200 with submachine gun)
Was a Finnish soldier who, using an iron sighted bolt action rifle, amassed the highest recorded confirmed kills as a sniper in any war…ever!!
Häyhä was born in the municipality of Rautjärvi near the present-day border of Finland and Russia, and started his military service in 1925. His duties as a sniper began during the ‘winter war’ (1939-1940) between Russia and Finland. During the conflict Häyhä endured freezing temperatures up to -40 degrees Celsius. In less than 100 days he was credited with 505 confirmed kills, 542 if including unconfirmed kills, however the unofficial frontline figures from the battlefield places the number of sniper kills at over 800. Besides his sniper kills he was also credited with 200 from a Suomi KP/31 Submachine gun, topping off his total confirmed kills at 705.
How Häyhä did all this was amazing. He was basically on his own all day, in the snow, shooting Russians, for 3 months straight. Of course when the Russians caught wind that a shit load of soldiers were being killed, they thought ‘well this is war, there’s bound to be casualties’. But when the generals were told that it was one man with a rifle they decided to take a bit of action. first they sent in a counter-sniper. When his body was returned they decided to send in a team of counter-snipers. When they didn’t come back at all they sent in a whole goddamn battalion. They took casualties and couldn’t find him. Eventually they ordered an artillery strike, but to no avail. You see Häyhä was clever, and this was his neck of the woods. He dressed completely in white camouflage. He used a smaller rifle to suit his smaller frame (being 5ft3) increasing his accuracy. he used an iron sight to present the smallest possible target (a scoped sight would require the sniper to raise his head for sighting). He compacted the snow in front of the barrel, so as not to disturb it when he shot thus revealing his position. He also kept snow in his mouth so his breath did not condense and reveal where his was. Eventually however his was shot in the jaw by a stray bullet during combat on March 6 1940. He was picked up by his own soldiers who said half his head was missing. He didn’t die however and regained consciousness on the 13th, the day peace was declared.
Once again total kills…. 505 sniper + 200 submachine = 705 total Confirmed Kills…all in less that 100 days.

Top 10 battleships

10.Hood Class - Battle Cruiser; Great Britain

Known as the 'Mighty Hood', it was considered the greatest warship ever built, and throughout the 1920's and 30's went on world tours boasting its power and size. 
But that boast would soon be shattered when World War II began. Hitler's navy had some of the most modern and sophisticated battleships. The Hood met her match in May of 1941 when she came up against the German Battleship Bismarck, and Heavy Battlecruiser Prinz Eugen. 
It only took five salvos from Bismarck to pierce the Hood's deck armor. Within eight minutes the Hood sank and out of crew of 1418, only three men survived.

9.Deutschland Class - Pocket Battleship

The British dubbed Germany's Deutschland class the 'pocket battleship' because it was so small, fast and deadly. 
The secret of the pocket battleships' speed and power was the innovative design of making the ship lighter. 
By using diesel engines, instead of steam turbines, and an electrically welded hull, the Deutschland class was able to cruise over 12,500 miles, equal to half way around the world. It sent shivers of fear throughout the allied navies.


8.Essex Class - Aircraft Carrier

 On March 17 1945, during an air strike against the Japanese Island of Honshu, one Essex class aircraft carrier - the USS Franklin came under attack. 
As wave after wave of suicide pilots came in, the Franklin fought for its life. For over 12 hours the ship was a blazing furnace. 724 members of her crew were killed. But the Franklin was so well designed and built that she didn't sink. 
In total, 24 Essex class were built - more than any other class of large carrier - and when peace came, the Essex carriers remained in service for another 30 years. No other class of aircraft carrier has served so long or so effectively

7.Bismarck Class - Battleship

Launched in February 1939, and known as Hitler's favorite ship, the German naval brass were itching to get the Bismarck into the fight. On May 19, 1941, they got their wish. The Bismarck went on her first war patrol in the north Atlantic. 
Six days later, on May 25th, Bismarck sighted the British Navy's Battleship HMS Hood. Five salvos from the Bismarck's superior guns sent the Hood to the bottom of the ocean. 
The Royal Navy wanted revenge for the Hood, and the order went out, 'Sink the Bismarck!' 
For over three days the British fleet hunted and chased the Bismarck. Finally, on the morning of May 27th, with its steering smashed from torpedo bombers, the pride of the German Navy was cornered. 
For over three hours the Bismarck slugged it out with the British fleet and at 10:39 a.m. she was sunk with over 2000 men lost.

6.North Carolina Class

On June 1, 1940, the first of the new North Carolina class battleships, the USS Washington, was launched. She and her sister ship, the USS North Carolina, were the first of the new generation American battleships that called for better torpedo and deck armor, longer endurance and gas protection.
Over the next three years there was hardly an action that the North Carolina class were not involved in.

 5.Fletcher Class - Destroyer; United States

When one Fletcher class destroyer, the USS Johnston, was commissioned, her Captain made a speech to his crew that typified the destroyer man's creed.
"This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harms way, and anyone who doesn't want to go along had better get off right now."
By early 1943, the first five Fletcher class destroyers had arrived in the Pacific, their task was to target and smash the Japanese supply convoys. 
Already the role of the Destroyer was changing. Once looked on as a defense for the capital ships, the new Fletchers were now being thrown into the furnace of battle.

4.Ticonderoga Class - Missile Cruiser; United States

Initially developed as a Cold War warrior in the 1970's as an answer to the Soviet arms race, the Ticonderoga class' first role was seen as a guided missile destroyer. But it was felt by the Navy brass that something bigger was needed, so Ticonderogas were upgraded to fast cruisers in 1980. 
Known as the instigators of the completely 'computer controlled' ships, the Ticonderogas are at the center of today's digital battlefield and have seen service off the coast of Lebanon, Kuwait and Korea, acting in either a peace keeping or offensive roles.

3.Queen Elizabeth Class - Battleship; Great Britain

Launched in 1913, The Queen Elizabeth battleship was the first of a new design of fast battleships that were powered by oil rather than coal. 
By early 1916, she was joined by her four sister ships - Barham, Malaya, Valiant and Warspite. Armed with eight 16-inch main guns, and sixteen 6-inch secondary, the Queen Elizabeth class were the most powerful British class warships in World War 1 .

2.Nimitz Class - Aircraft Carrier; United States

With the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, the threat of the cold war vanished and the Nimitz class carrier's role changed to one of peacekeeper throughout the world.
And its this ability to go anywhere in the world at a moments notice, and at a speed of 30 knots, that makes the Nimitz class invaluable to the US Navy. But what makes the Nimitz class unique is its two nuclear reactors that enables them to roam the world indefinitely. 

1.Iowa Class - Fast Battleship; United States

Like a cat, the the Iowa class fast battleship seems to have many, many lives. Mothballed at the end of World War II, the Iowas were soon recalled for action in the Korean War . 
Again mothballed, they were once more called for the Vietnam War . Almost 50 years after the first Iowa was launched, they were made ready for the cold war. 
In 1991, the Iowas answered the call again - when they went into action during operation Desert Storm.

Top 10 most expensive fighter aircraft price.

10.F/A-18 Hornet: $ 94,000,000

 Back in the 1980s, twin engine aircraft. Ability to attack both ground and aerial targets. Used in operations Desert Storm. US Navy aircraft of the two countries are Canada, Australia, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland.




9.EA-18G Growler: $ 102,000,000

Growler is a lightly armed version of the F/A-18 has been updated for electronic warfare. (This is still being delivered to the Navy) Growlers are capable not only. But the search and anti-jamming radar. But also harass the enemy's communications



8.V-22 Osprey: $ 118,000,000

Air-flying propeller aircraft - up to the helicopter. It can fly faster and farther the aircraft fixed wing first used in combat in Iraq in 2007, due to the flexibility of the draftees of the US's plans to deploy a squadron of V - 22s to Afghanistan by the end of the year.

7.F-35 Lightning II: $ 122,000,000

Lockheed Martin Corporation has entered into an agreement to build the largest aircraft ever supersonic 35s - F is intended to replace the older version aircraft has been developed as part of Strike Fighter program between the U.S. and its allies and critics. Are overweight. Large and easy target. Matters worse, in the years 2007 - 2008, was a hack to view the Strike Fighter raising concerns that enemies could copy the F - 35 and take advantage of the weakness of the machine, but in April 2009, the company Lockheed. Martin said the program will not be compromised.

6.E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: $ 232,000,000

Is an important step for surveillance and reconnaissance radar Advanced Hawkeye's powerful new ships will increase the range of the aircraft can monitor by 300%.




5.VH-71 Kestrel: $ 241,000,000
 This high-tech helicopter project, intended to replace the presidential helicopter fleet support.

4.P-8A Poseidon: $ 290,000,000
Up of a Boeing 737 jet will be used by the Navy to conduct anti-submarine warfare.





3.C17A Globemaster III: $ 328,000,000

Air Force military transport aviation is used to transport troops into a war zone, and the medical mission paratroopers. Terry engine aircraft propelled by four rotors. (The same type used on the Boeing 757 twin engine), operating since 1993, will be used to deliver troops and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and Iraq.



2.F-22 Raptor: $ 350,000,000

The first is the advent of the Cold War competition with the Soviet aircraft airframe has not been established, F - 22, manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The best fighter in the world. Not to mention the most expensive. It can fire a rocket into an enemy ship, fly long distances at supersonic speeds and avoid nearly all types of radar detectors.




1.B-2 Spirit: $2.4 billion US

 Air-bomber B - 2 Council has approved a plan to dominate the space in 1987 B-2 is hard to detect via infrared signal, noise, signal power, optical or radar. This stealth capability makes it possible to attack without having to worry about being countered by the enemy. Starting 1993, B - 2 active resistance to both Iraq and Afghanistan.