The Most Influential Weapons of History
- Thread starter Edrof
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Untrue the rest of NATO changed because of the USA and the USA changed because an M14 was too damn heavy to log around in 'Nam. Fact.
Soldato
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Might be better if we find out what we all agree on first.
I suggest that we all agree re Nuclear Weapons as being on the list. Anyone disagree?
I suggest that we all agree re Nuclear Weapons as being on the list. Anyone disagree?
The Dambusters:
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Geoengineering...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoengineering
Only heard of this the today when I sat down to watch 'How the greens got it all wrong' or whatever it was called.
Not weaponised yet, so I guess it isn't that influential. Give it time...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoengineering
Only heard of this the today when I sat down to watch 'How the greens got it all wrong' or whatever it was called.
Not weaponised yet, so I guess it isn't that influential. Give it time...
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Bow and Arrow should be first on the list, 12,000 years and we still use it today.
Sorry to everyone going on about the AK47 in this thread, but I don't exactly see the weapon itself as "world-changing". It did have an effect, or rather the ammunition manufactured for it caused the biggest change, but the weapon hasn't.
Biggest world-changing award would fall to the first nuclear bomb - the huge-scale destruction that caused has significantly changed the world and it's attitudes.
On lesser scales, the engineering behind the rifling effect for bullets certainly changed the world, but that isn't a weapon in itself.
I'd have to nominate all the fire-and-forget class missiles and rockets currently employed by the armed forces around the world.
And one to watch out for in the near future: the Longbow Radar like those used on the AH-64Ds, if a large-scale conflict ever broke out (without the threat of nuclear intervention) then the Longbow Radar would by FAR be the most useful weaponry system that could be employed by any force. Don't even try and argue against it.
Biggest world-changing award would fall to the first nuclear bomb - the huge-scale destruction that caused has significantly changed the world and it's attitudes.
On lesser scales, the engineering behind the rifling effect for bullets certainly changed the world, but that isn't a weapon in itself.
I'd have to nominate all the fire-and-forget class missiles and rockets currently employed by the armed forces around the world.
And one to watch out for in the near future: the Longbow Radar like those used on the AH-64Ds, if a large-scale conflict ever broke out (without the threat of nuclear intervention) then the Longbow Radar would by FAR be the most useful weaponry system that could be employed by any force. Don't even try and argue against it.
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Humans......... the greatest weapon we'll ever know
Who is using it: people.
Affecting so many people on the planet: not as much as everyone hypes it up to be.
To put it in perspective in modern combat, the rifles utilised by the current British Army, and USMC, along with pretty much any "NATO" force is having a much larger and more devastating effect than the Kalashnikov is...
I understand where you're coming from, and it is a devastating weapon, but I just don't class it as "world-changing" which was the point of the OP...
So what's the weapon of choice for most of Africa and such other places?
You really think these wars compare to the genocide and problems in places like Africa.
How is it not world changing? genocide to overthrowing governments it is the main weapon in use.
it is hugely influential all over the world and has changed the world massively.
Then on top of all that it is a massive symbol, used on flags and it is the most recognisable gun in the world.
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I think you are missing the point of why the AK47 and it's variants are influential.
It is cheap, easy to maintain, cheap ammo and hardy. Hence it changed the way in which militias and insurgencies were able to effectively arm themselves and rhis is why it is considered influential.
I'm not arguing it's not the "weapon of choice", it's still to date the most produced rifle, because it's so cheap to manufacture and acquire.
These "acts of genocide" would have likely taken places even if the Kalashnikov hadn't been produced, there would have been other weapons available which would have ended with the same result.
The only way I see it as world-changing is it has enabled "groups" of people to obtain weapons cheaply, that is it. As I said, the gun itself isn't world changing - there are always other guns; guns that shoot bullets, bullets which do a lot of damage to the soft flesh that gets in the way of it.
Most world-changing weaponry as those that are leaps in technology, i.e. hand-to-hand combat evolving to the use of swords. Swords moving onto bows. Bows to crossbows etc etc.
Just look at the big picture, the gun itself is infamous throughout the world, yes, but it ALONE hasn't changed anything that no other gun at the time could have, see where I'm coming from?
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the gun itself is world changing, this is the weapon people use and because of that has it's reputation. there's no point talking what if's.
And we aren't talking about which is the best weapon, we talking influence and I can;t see how you can possibly argue against the ak47 and what it ahs done, is doing and the symbol it has become.
Not at all, weapons that are world changing are weapons that are world changing. Doesn't have to be about technological steps forward.
AK47 covers that bases anyway as it is reliable, cheap, easy to manufacture and easy to use.
Just look at the big picture, the gun itself is infamous throughout the world, yes, but it ALONE hasn't changed anything that no other gun at the time could have, see where I'm coming from?
Again ye sit has, beacuse again, it is cheap, hardy, easy to make and easy to operate and maintain. It is most defiantly different to over guns and most certainly is world changing and has changed the world.
You need to think about what is world changing and not just technological leaps forward.
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