23 Devastating Facts About Military Weapons That’ll Blow You Away

The Russian attack helicopter Kamov Ka-50 has an ejection seat. Before the rocket in the seat deploys, the rotor blades are blown away by explosives in the rotor disc.

The US military adopted the M2 Browning heavy machine gun in 1933, and still uses it extensively to this day.

During Operation Desert Storm there were 9 American M1 Abrams tanks destroyed. All 9 were destroyed by Americans.

The US military mounted rocket engines on a C-130 Hercules for a hostage rescue operation named Operation Credible Sport.

South Korea's military deployed robotic sentries armed (Samsung SGR-A1) with machine guns and grenade launchers. The system was designed to replace human-oriented guarding along the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

The US Army has a prototype vehicle, the HEL MD, armed with a 50-watt laser cannon capable of taking down mortars and UAVs.

During the Gulf War, five times more M2 Bradleys were lost due to friendly fire than enemy fire.

During the “Battle of Los Angeles”, US army fired over 1400 rounds of artillery fire into the skies over Los Angeles, when it turned out that there were actually no enemy aircraft.

During World War 1, America's Mk 1 grenade was so difficult to use that it was often thrown unarmed. Enemies would then throw it back, this time properly armed.

The most effective tank destroyer that America had during World War 2 was actually a small vehicle called the M18 Hellcat. It didn't have a very powerful gun or much armor, but it was the fastest armored vehicle ever deployed until the turbine powered Abrams tank was designed, decades later.