Top 10 Most Destructive Weapons Ever Created

Top 10 Most Destructive Weapons Ever Created

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You don’t want to be the target of any of these weapons. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Dangerous Weapons Ever Created. For this list, we’re looking at weapons that can cause a lot of damage and what specifically makes them dangerous. Each entry is our pick for a particular “class” of weapon.

Nicknamed the “Light Fifty,” this semi-automatic, .50 caliber rifle made by Barrett has been used by the U.S. military in the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Weighing about 30 pounds, the M82 is considered lightweight, and its attached muzzle brake is said to reduce recoil when fired. Traveling 2800 feet a second, its ammunition can hit through bricks and concrete, so this anti-material gun can pack a wallop. With an effective range of 5,900 feet and a maximum range of over 21,000 feet, it’s hard to escape this highly accurate sniper rifle.

Inspired by the Panzerfaust used by the German army in World War II, this weapon you can fire from your shoulder was designed to cause serious damage to a tank. When the RPG-7 was introduced in 1961, its HEAT warheads could break through 10 inches of armor. Contrary to popular belief, the RPG did not originally stand for “rocket propelled grenade,” but the Russian term “ruchnoy protivotankovy granatamyot,” which roughly translates to “handheld, anti-tank grenade-launcher.” It’s been used by the Viet Cong against US troops in Vietnam, and by the Mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

Napalm is a combination of gasoline or similar fuel and a thickening agent, which makes it easier to stick to its target. Capable of creating heat up to 2200 degrees Fahrenheit, napalm can cause second-degree burns with the slightest touch. Due to these deadly factors, bombs containing napalm were a popular weapon of choice used by the U.S. during the Vietnam War. When napalm bombs are dropped, they take carbon dioxide in the air and turn it into carbon monoxide. Due to its deadly nature, in 1980, the United Nations made it illegal for anyone to use napalm against civilians.

Though the M-2 .50 caliber machine gun is quite dangerous in its own right, we’ve got to go with the M134 minigun here. First created by General Electric in the 1960s as a smaller version of the 20mm M61 Vulcan, the M134 has six rotating barrels that can put out up to 6,000 rounds a minute. The automatic weapon is powered by an electric motor and is designed to be mounted on an aircraft or vehicle. So contrary to what’s shown in action movies, you can’t just strap one on and start blasting everything in sight.

Equipped with two 1,696 horsepower gas-turbine engines that can go 227 mph, this attack helicopter that’s manufactured by Boeing has seen its share of action in Desert Storm and the U.S. war in Afghanistan. It also includes a deadly arsenal of firepower, including AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 70mm rockets, and an M230 30mm chain gun that can unload 1200 rounds in less than two minutes. This helicopter has impressive sensor equipment, such as the integrated helmet and display sighting system, or IHADSS, which helps guide the pilot to find his intended target.

These armored vehicles have been rolling down the battlefield for decades and come in different varieties. Unlike the other entries on this list, tanks have seen so many different models over the years; it’s impossible to single one out as the deadliest. The M1A2 Abrams tank from the United States has uranium depleted armor almost three feet thick and a 120 mm cannon. The Leopard 2 from Germany weighs 68.7 short tons, and its armor helps it withstand attacks from RPGs and improvised explosive devices. The K2 Black Panther from South Korea has a fire control system that allows the tank to locate objects without input from the operator, and it has a cruise range of 280 miles.

#4: General Atomics MQ-1 Predator

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While the age of killer robots hasn’t reached us yet, this aircraft may be a sign of things to come. Used for surveillance, combat, and recon missions, this Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV, can be controlled by a pilot or a small crew thousands of miles away. The vehicle has been used by Italy, Morocco and Turkey. More controversially. the CIA has used it to conduct strikes in Yemen against the suspected terrorist behind the USS Cole and Anwar al-Awlaki, an alleged Al Qaeda spokesperson. The US Air Force announced plans to retire the Predator as early as 2018, replacing the drone with the MQ-9 Reaper, also known as Predator B.

Designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov shortly after World War II, this tried and true assault rifle has been used by militaries, guerrillas, and terrorist groups throughout the years. The weapon is so iconic that it is featured on the flags for Mozambique and Hezbollah. The AK-47’s popularity stems from its being easy to mass-produce and not requiring much training to handle. Gas operated with a rotating bolt system, these firearms are durable, able to last anywhere from 6,000 to 15,000 rounds, and they hold up in tough weather conditions.

Developed in Germany as a pesticide in 1938, sarin is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. This nerve agent has been used in two separate terrorist attacks in Japan in the mid ‘90s, as part of chemical warfare in the Iran-Iraq War, and during the Syrian Civil War in 2013 and 2017. When sarin is introduced to an area, it can spread quickly, infecting the air people breathe and the water they drink. According to the CDC, exposure in significant amounts can lead to convulsions, paralysis, and possibly fatal respiratory failure. Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions. - Mines - Flamethrower

Also called a thermonuclear weapon, hydrogen bombs are much more powerful than atomic bombs and can cover more area. Unlike atomic bombs, which require splitting big atoms like uranium, h-bombs work by fusion. When a hydrogen bomb is set off, it gives off high temperatures that cause hydrogen isotopes to fuse together, resulting in a much bigger explosion. The most powerful hydrogen bomb that has been tested is the Tsar Bomba, which set off an explosion of 50 megatons of TNT, as compared to the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima, which was only 15 kilotons. In 2016, North Korea claimed to have tested a miniaturized hydrogen bomb, which, if true, would be a frightening prospect.