Barrett XM500

The Barrett XM500 is a gas-operated, semi-automatic sniper rifle/anti-materiel rifle currently in development by the Barrett Firearms Company. It is fed by a 10-round detachable box magazine situated behind the trigger in bullpup configuration.

It is based on the Barrett M82/M107 .50-caliber sniper rifle. It is intended to be a lighter, more compact alternative to the M82. Since the XM500 has a stationary barrel (instead of the recoiling-barrel design of the M82), it will likely have somewhat better accuracy.[citation needed] As with its predecessor, it comes with a removable, adjustable bipod mounted under the barrel, and a top-mounted picatinny rail for attachment of a scope and/or other accessory.

JF-17 Thunder

The JF-17 Thunder, known in China as the Chengdu FC-1 Xiaolong (English: Fierce Dragon) is a light-weight multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAC) of China and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) of Pakistan. The "JF" and "FC" designations stand for "Joint Fighter" (Pakistan) and "Fighter China" (China) respectively.

Originally designed to be a small and capable lightweight fighter powered by a single engine to reduce costs, the JF-17 was supposed to be a simple and inexpensive solution for replacing large fleets of obsolete types in the air forces of developing countries. The JF-17 evolved into a more advanced fighter during the later stages of development with revised terms of reference by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the incorporation of more modern features and technologies.

The maiden test flight of the first prototype took place during 2003 in China, later test flights of a more advanced version taking place in 2006. The first two SBP (small batch production) aircraft were delivered to the Pakistan Air Force on 12 March 2007 for further flight testing and evaluation, also taking part in the aircraft's first aerial display 11 days later in Islamabad, Pakistan. The first production aircraft manufactured in Pakistan was rolled out on 23 November 2009 and handed over to the PAF. The Pakistan Air Force plans to make the first JF-17 squadron officially operational in early 2010.

AH-64 Apache

The AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with reverse-tricycle landing gear, and tandem cockpit for a crew of two. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra. First flown on 1 October 1975, the AH-64 features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. The Apache is armed with a 30 mm M230 Chain Gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft's belly. The AH-64 also carries a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire and Hydra 70 rocket pods on four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons. The AH-64 also features double- and triple-redundant aircraft systems to improve survivability for the aircraft and crew in combat, as well as improved crash survivability for the pilots.

The U.S. Army selected the AH-64 over the Bell YAH-63 in 1976, awarding Hughes Helicopters a pre-production contract for two more aircraft. In 1982, the Army approved full production. McDonnell Douglas continued production and development after purchasing Hughes Helicopters from Summa Corporation in 1984. The first production AH-64D Apache Longbow was delivered to the Army in March 1997. In August 1997, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas merged to become The Boeing Company. Today, AH-64 production is continued by the Boeing Integrated Defense Systems division.

Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit

The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit (also known as the Stealth Bomber) is an American heavy bomber with "low observable" stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. Because of its considerable capital and operations costs, the project was controversial in Congress and among Pentagon brass. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Congress slashed initial plans to purchase 132 bombers to just 21.

The cost of each aircraft averaged US$737 million in 1997 dollars. Total procurement costs averaged US$929 million per aircraft, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which includes development, engineering and testing, averaged US$2.1 billion per aircraft (in 1997 dollars).

Twenty B-2s are operated by the United States Air Force. Though originally designed in the 1980s for Cold War operations scenarios, B-2s have been used in combat to drop bombs on Serbia during the Kosovo - Serbia Conflict in the late 1990s, and see continued use during the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One aircraft was lost when it crashed on takeoff in 2008.

The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to 80 x 500 lb (230 kg)-class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or 16 x 2,400 lb (1,100 kg) B83 nuclear bombs in a single pass through extremely dense anti-aircraft defenses. The B-2 is the only aircraft that can carry large air to surface standoff weapons in a stealth configuration. The program has been the subject of espionage and counter-espionage activity and the B-2 has been prominent public spectacles at air shows since the 1990s.

HK416

The HK416 is an assault rifle designed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch. It is an improved version of the M4 carbine with many changes, most notably a new gas operating system from the G36.

The US Army's Delta Force collaborated with the German arms maker to develop the new carbine. Delta replaced its M4s with the HK416 in 2004 after tests revealed that the piston operating system significantly reduces malfunctions while increasing the life of parts.

The project was originally called the HK M4, but this was changed in response to a trademark infringement suit filed by Colt Defense. The weapon has been tested by the United States military and is in use with some law enforcement agencies and special operations units. It has been adopted as the standard rifle in two NATO nations as well.

XM307 heavy machine

The system was under development by General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products for the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). As a part of the Small Arms Master Plan (SAMP) program, it is intended to either replace or supplement the Mk19 automatic grenade launcher and the M2 heavy machine gun. It fires 25 mm point-detonating and air burst style ammunition, including HE, and HEAT at a cyclic rate of 260 rounds per minute and has an effective range up to 2 kilometers.

The primary advantage of the XM307 is its attenuated recoil system. The weapon controls recoil to a degree that a large tripod and heavy sandbags are not required to effectively employ this weapon. Because of its reduced recoil impulse and light weight, other mounting options are possible, such as small unmanned vehicles and aircraft. The XM307's airburst rounds make it much easier to bypass walls protecting enemies that could cause collateral damage if fired upon directly. Operators do not have to shoot through the wall, just through an opening or over the top to kill the people behind the cover, leaving the structure of the building intact. An additional advantage of the XM307 is that it can be converted into the XM312, a .50 cal version for infantry and light anti-armor support in under two minutes (1min 47sec).

Javelin, the medium range anti-tank guided weapon

Javelin, the medium range anti-tank guided weapon replacement for Milan, is an enhanced version of the American weapon proven on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan by US forces.

The UK version has 2 significant enhancements - a more effective sight system and a tripod (for firing and observation). Javelin provides a step change in dismounted anti-armour and surveillance capability. It delivers longer range, greater lethality, significantly more powerful optics and a lighter load for the Infantryman.

Although designed primarily to destroy tanks and light armoured vehicles, Javelin will also provide a potent, all-weather, day/night capability against fixed defences, such as bunkers and buildings. The integrated sight allows the firer to acquire the target, lock-on, fire and 'forget'. This means that as soon as the missile is launched, the firer can acquire another target or move position. Javelin has a maximum range of 2500 m, and an Overfly Top Attack mode and direct attack mode of operation.

Javelin's surveillance and target acquisition performance is better than all other passive, ground mounted, battlegroup surveillance systems.

Javelin is a crew-served weapon operated by a firer and a controller/observer. The controller/observer commands the weapon and assists with loading, identifying targets and battlefield damage assessment.