The National Interest magazine has listed 5 American weapon systems that they consider to be “the most powerful of all time.”
America’s Ultra-Modern Stealth Weapons
1. SR-71 Blackbird
The SR-71 is renowned as the fastest aircraft in the world, featuring impressive stealth capabilities. It can reach a maximum speed of Mach 3.2 and incorporates four stealth features into its design.
First, the aircraft’s surface is designed to prevent radar waves from reflecting back to detecting devices.
Second, the wings, tail, and fuselage are constructed from composite materials along with titanium to absorb radar waves.
The SR-71 is renowned as the fastest aircraft in the world. (Photo: Wiki)
Third, the engines are neatly tucked close to the fuselage, reducing radar detectability.
The final feature is that the SR-71 is coated in a black paint embedded with small ferrite iron particles. This coating gives the SR-71 its distinctive appearance, earning it the nickname “Blackbird.”
This paint is believed to minimize the radar cross-section, which measures how detectable an object is by radar. The SR-71 has a radar cross-section of less than 10 m², while the F-15 Eagle measures 100 m².
2. F-117 Nighthawk
The F-117 was developed from the top-secret Have Blue project, featuring impressive stealth characteristics that allow it to effectively carry out missions targeting command centers, communication hubs, defense systems, and weapons depots.
It has a unique aerodynamic design with shapes that scatter radar waves, making the aircraft difficult to detect with electronic reconnaissance devices.
Two U.S. soldiers stand next to an F-117 stealth aircraft at Spangdahlem Air Base, Southwest Bonn, Germany in 1999. (Photo: REUTERS)
The F-117 first engaged in combat in 1989. Subsequent combat missions occurred during Operation Desert Storm, the major assault on Iraq led by the U.S. in the early 1990s.
Additionally, it conducted missions in Kosovo in 1999 and during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. This aircraft was retired by the U.S. in 2008.
3. B-2 Spirit
Introduced in 1988, the B-2 Spirit is regarded as the first official stealth strategic bomber of the U.S. Its design eliminates a tail, reducing its detectability by enemy radar.
This bomber can carry a variety of munitions, from B61 gravity nuclear bombs to JDAM bombs and heavy GBU-57A/B bombs (over 13 tons).
The B-2 Stealth Bomber. (Photo: Wiki)
The B-2’s first combat mission was in Kosovo in 1999. It also supported Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2011, three B-2s took off from the continental U.S. to strike a Libyan airfield during Operation Odyssey Dawn.
4. F-22 Raptor
Unlike previous American stealth aircraft like the F-117 and B-2, the F-22 Raptor is designed as a fighter jet that leverages stealth capabilities to gain a decisive advantage in air combat.
F-22 Raptor fighter jet. (Photo: US Air Force)
The F-22 is engineered to minimize radar wave absorption. The National Interest rates the stealth capabilities of the F-22 as making it one of the best fighter jets in the world, surpassing current and future aircraft.
5. Ohio-class Submarine
According to National Interest, among submarines, the American Ohio-class submarines represent the strongest combination of stealth capability and lethality against adversaries.
The Ohio-class submarine is the largest submarine ever built by the U.S. Its hull is designed in the shape of a fish to facilitate swift movement while producing minimal noise. Noisy equipment is placed in soundproof areas.
The Ohio-class submarine is the largest submarine ever built by the U.S. (Photo: Military.com)
The nuclear missile launch tubes are aligned vertically along the submarine’s hull to reduce noise. Additionally, Ohio-class submarines are equipped with two steam turbines, one of which allows the submarine to operate silently.
