Articles
News, analysis and buying guides for defense systems.
Which Fighter Jet Has the Longest Combat Radius?
China's J-20 claims a 2,000 km fighter combat radius, but 8 of the 12 longest reaches in our database are unverified Chinese or Russian state claims.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 7, 2026
Read
8 min
NATO Explained: Founding, Funding, and Who Really Pays
NATO's mutual-defense clause has been invoked exactly once in 76 years, for the United States. Here's the founding, funding, and cost breakdown.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 7, 2026
Read
22 min
Attack Helicopter Payload Ratio: Apache Ranks Last
The AH-64E Apache carries just 7.4% of combat weight as weapons payload, the lowest ratio of 17 attack helicopters, versus the AH-1Z Viper's 29.8%.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 6, 2026
Read
8 min
Arleigh Burke vs Type 055 vs Sejong the Great
South Korea's Sejong the Great carries 128 VLS cells, more than China's Type 055 or the US Navy's Arleigh Burke, but the number hides three tradeoffs.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 6, 2026
Read
10 min
Why Only 22% of Weapons Publish a Price
Of 1,017 systems in the WeaponSpecs database, only 22% publish a unit cost. Pistols disclose 84% of the time; missiles 10%, munitions zero.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 6, 2026
Read
7 min
M1A2 Abrams vs T-90M vs Type 99A: Tank Power-to-Weight
The M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams is the heaviest of the three at 66.8 tonnes, giving it the lowest power-to-weight ratio despite the most powerful engine.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
5 min
Amphibious Assault Ships Ranked by Aircraft Capacity
Spain's Juan Carlos I and China's Type 075 both carry up to 30 aircraft, more than the larger US America-class amphibious assault ship.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
The Longest-Range Anti-Tank Guided Missiles of 2026
Israel's Spike NLOS reaches targets at 32 km, more than triple the range of Russia's 9M133 Kornet, the next-longest ATGM in our database.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
7 min
The 6 Best Self-Propelled Howitzers of 2026, Ranked
RCH 155 leads our self-propelled howitzer ranking at 700 km range on a 42-tonne chassis, beating heavier legacy systems like the M109A7.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
The Most Heavily Armed Destroyers of 2026, Ranked
South Korea's Sejong the Great-class destroyer carries 128 VLS missile cells, more than any other destroyer in our database, ahead of the US Arleigh Burke class.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
Ballistic Missile Defense Systems Ranked by Range, 2026
Israel's Arrow 3 has the longest engagement range in our database at 2,400 km for exo-atmospheric intercepts, ahead of Russia's claimed S-500.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
Best Main Battle Tank 2026: Barak, Leopard, Abrams, 99A
Four modern main battle tanks share one 1,500 hp engine standard yet span 12 tonnes in weight. The real gaps are mobility, crew doctrine, and which figures verify.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
7 min
Service Pistol Magazine Capacity Compared, 2026
The FN Five-seveN holds 20 rounds of 5.7x28mm, the highest standard magazine capacity of any service pistol in our database.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
MRAP Buyer's Guide: Bushmaster vs Hawkei vs M-ATV
Australia's Hawkei is the lightest MRAP-class vehicle in our database at 8.1 tonnes, roughly half the weight of the heavier Bushmaster and M-ATV.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
The Longest-Range Sniper Rifles of 2026, Ranked
The Barrett M82 reaches an effective range of 1,800 meters in .50 caliber, the longest of any sniper rifle in our database.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
7 min
The Best Armed Combat Drones of 2026, Ranked
Israel's Heron TP carries the heaviest weapons payload of any armed drone in our database at 2,700 kg, ahead of the MQ-9B and MQ-9A Reaper.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
Electronic Warfare Systems Compared: Jamming Range 2026
Russia's Murmansk-BN claims a strategic jamming range of 5,000 km, far beyond the tactical 20-35 km range of the other EW systems in our database.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
The Deepest-Diving Submarines of 2026, Ranked
South Korea's Chang Bogo-class submarine has the deepest publicly disclosed test depth in our database at 500 meters, ahead of Russia's Akula and Borei classes.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
M2A3 Bradley vs BMP-3 vs Puma: Three IFV Philosophies
Russia's BMP-3 carries a 100mm gun-launcher at just 18.7 tonnes, while Germany's heavier Puma trades weight for a 43-tonne armored shell.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
Iron Dome vs David's Sling vs Arrow 3: Israel's Layers
Israel's layered air defense spans three tiers: Iron Dome at 70 km, David's Sling at 300 km, and Arrow 3 at 2,400 km for exo-atmospheric intercepts.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
Is Published Range a Lie? We Audited 1,017 Systems
Of the 593 systems in our database that publish a range, only 52 also say whether it is a combat radius or a ferry figure. That gap misleads readers.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
8 min
Shahed-136 vs Switchblade 600 vs Lancet-3: Range & Role
Iran's Shahed-136 is built for 2,500 km strategic strikes, while the US Switchblade 600 and Russian Lancet-3 are short-range 40 km tactical weapons.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
6 min
Su-57 vs F-35 vs J-20: Claimed vs Verified
On paper the J-20 leads on combat radius and the Su-57 on speed. The catch: the numbers that flatter them are the ones no one outside Moscow or Beijing can verify.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
7 min
Which Warship Packs the Most Missiles Per Ton?
Israel's Sa'ar 6 corvette packs 16.0 VLS cells per 1,000 tons, beating the Ticonderoga and Arleigh Burke classes despite a fifth of their size.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 5, 2026
Read
9 min
Which Hypersonic Missiles Are Actually Hypersonic?
Of 23 missiles in the WeaponSpecs database clocking Mach 5-plus, only 2 fly a true hypersonic regime. The rest are ballistic missiles falling fast.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 4, 2026
Read
8 min
Aircraft Carriers Compared: Ford vs Queen Elizabeth vs Fujian
Aircraft carriers compared: Gerald R. Ford's CATOBAR supercarrier, Queen Elizabeth's STOVL design, and China's new Fujian, side by side.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
6 min
Best Attack Helicopters of 2026: Apache vs Ka-52 vs Z-10
Attack helicopters compared: the AH-64E Apache leads on combat record and sensor fusion; Ka-52 and Z-10 trail on verified data.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
6 min
Anti-Ship Missiles: Harpoon vs Exocet vs Oniks vs Atmaca
Anti-ship missiles compared: Harpoon and Exocet sea-skimmers vs Oniks supersonic threat vs Atmaca, and why terminal defense keeps getting harder.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
6 min
Bayraktar TB2 vs MQ-9 Reaper: Combat Drone Showdown
Bayraktar TB2 vs MQ-9 Reaper: different weight classes, the Reaper is a heavier, longer-range hunter; the TB2 is the budget export king.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
The Best Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) of 2026
The best IFVs of 2026, ranked on firepower, protection/APS, troop capacity, mobility, and cost, Puma leads a tight field.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
6 min
The 10 Best Main Battle Tanks of 2026, Ranked
The best main battle tanks of 2026, ranked on lethality, protection, mobility, and cost, Leopard 2A7 leads, Abrams and K2 close behind.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
8 min
F-35 vs Su-57: Which Fifth-Gen Fighter Wins?
F-35 vs Su-57: the F-35 wins on stealth, sensor fusion, and combat record; the Su-57 wins on paper agility.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
6 min
How Much Does a Fighter Jet Really Cost?
Fighter jet cost breakdown: flyaway price vs full lifecycle cost, why O&S eats 70% of the budget, and how the F-35 compares to rivals.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
6 min
How to Choose a Frigate: The Naval Buyer's Guide
A naval buyer's guide to frigates, VLS cells, radar, cost vs destroyers, and local-build vs export options compared.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
6 min
Hypersonic Missiles Explained: Hype vs Reality
Hypersonic missiles: what Mach 5+ actually means, why maneuver matters more than speed, and what's marketing vs fact.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
6 min
Loitering Munitions Explained: The Drones Rewriting War
Loitering munitions explained: how $50K kamikaze drones are rewriting the cost math of modern warfare.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
MANPADS Explained: Stinger, Igla & the Portable SAM
MANPADS explained: how shoulder-fired IR-guided SAMs like Stinger and Igla punch far above their $30K-$100K cost.
Category
industry
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
Patriot vs S-400 vs SAMP/T: Air-Defense Buyer's Guide
Patriot vs S-400 vs SAMP/T: Patriot suits US-aligned buyers, S-400 fits sanctions-tolerant states, SAMP/T is Europe's sovereign option.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
NATO Standardization: Why 5.56, 155mm & Link 16 Matter
How NATO STANAG standardization on ammo, artillery calibers and datalinks quietly drives procurement decisions.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
8 min
AK-12 vs M4 vs HK416: The Modern Rifle Comparison
AK-12 vs M4 vs HK416 vs SCAR: rugged simplicity vs modular ubiquity vs piston reliability, compared on the data.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
Tank Armor Explained: Composite, ERA & Active Protection
Tank armor explained: composite (Chobham-type), reactive (ERA), and active protection systems like Trophy, layered against modern threats.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
8 min
Nuclear vs AIP Submarines: Which Should You Buy?
Nuclear vs AIP submarines: nuclear buys unlimited range at huge cost; diesel-electric AIP buys quiet littoral stealth for a fraction of the price.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
Why Sustainment Is 70% of a Weapon's Real Cost
Purchase price is the tip of the iceberg. GAO data shows sustainment eats ~70% of a weapon's lifecycle cost, here's the real total-cost-of-ownership math.
Category
buying
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
6 min
Leopard 2A7 vs Abrams vs Leclerc XLR
Leopard 2A7, M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams, Leclerc XLR, and Challenger 3 compared on firepower, armor, mobility, and cost.
Category
comparison
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
What Is a Fifth-Generation Fighter? (And Who Has One)
Fifth-generation fighter defined: stealth, sensor fusion, and networked combat, and exactly who fields one in 2026.
Category
guide
Date
Jul 3, 2026
Read
7 min
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