Cole Merrick's data-driven defense-systems column, mining WeaponSpecs' own spec database for original analysis.https://www.weaponspecs.com/en-usPublic defense-systems specifications, sourced and credited per-item.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:55:29 GMThttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/simultaneous-targets-air-defense-explained/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/simultaneous-targets-air-defense-explained/NASAMS claims 72 simultaneous targets, twice the S-400's 36, despite a 16th of its range. Across 41 systems, the number tracks radar architecture, not range.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguideair defensemissile defenseprocurementguidehttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/155mm-artillery-caliber-standardization/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/155mm-artillery-caliber-standardization/155mm arms 21 of 33 gun and mortar platforms in our database, more non-NATO countries than NATO ones, yet the caliber still isn't one true standard.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguideartilleryself-propelled howitzerNATOprocurementstandardizationhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/uav-payload-vs-range-tradeoff/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/uav-payload-vs-range-tradeoff/Across 29 drones that publish both figures, payload and range correlate only moderately (r=0.615), revealing two distinct UAV design philosophies.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole MerrickcomparisonUAVdronesprocurementBayraktardata analysishttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/gun-launched-atgm-vs-apfsds-penetration/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/gun-launched-atgm-vs-apfsds-penetration/Of 39 anti-armor rounds in our database, the top penetration claim belongs to a 400 m/s guided missile, not a faster kinetic dart.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguidetanksammunitionanti-tank missilesactive protectionarmorhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/tons-per-crew-warships-ranked/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/tons-per-crew-warships-ranked/Of 56 warships in our database, Zumwalt runs 90.1 tons of ship per sailor, nearly 3x Arleigh Burke's 29.5 tons. That's automation, not just size.Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickcomparisonwarshipsnavyautomationprocurementdestroyershttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/ifv-autocannon-caliber-standardization/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/ifv-autocannon-caliber-standardization/30mm arms 19 of 55 IFVs in the WeaponSpecs database, more than any other caliber, but two incompatible ammunition families mean it isn't one true standard.Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole MerrickbuyingIFVautocannonprocurementNATOammunition30mmhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/125mm-vs-120mm-tank-gun-missiles/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/125mm-vs-120mm-tank-gun-missiles/Every 125mm-gun tank in the WeaponSpecs database can fire a missile through its main gun. Only 5 of 24 120mm tanks can. The gap is doctrine, not caliber.Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickcomparisontanksanti-tank missilesprocurementcomparisonhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/radar-range-vs-engagement-range-air-defense/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/radar-range-vs-engagement-range-air-defense/44 air-defense systems publish both a radar range and an engagement range. The gap spans 10x to a reversed 0.3x, showing which batteries fight alone.Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickindustryair defenseradarprocurementsensorshttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/stealth-fighters-rcs-number/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/stealth-fighters-rcs-number/Not one of 1,124 systems in our database publishes a radar cross-section figure, including all 15 fighter jets currently marketed as stealth aircraft.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguidestealthfighter aircraftradar cross-sectionfifth-generationprocurementhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/active-protection-systems-tanks-ifvs-ranked/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/active-protection-systems-tanks-ifvs-ranked/Of 133 tanks and IFVs in the database, only 7 field Trophy, the one active protection system with an independently reported combat record.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguideactive protection systemstank armorifvprocurementukraine warhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-warhead-weight-means-on-a-missile-spec-sheet/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-warhead-weight-means-on-a-missile-spec-sheet/Only 112 of 213 missiles in our database publish both figures; the median warhead share is 17.7%, and Russia's 'hypersonic' Zircon posts just 7.5%.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguidemissilesprocurementoriginal datahypersonicspec sheethttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/rifle-range-vs-muzzle-velocity/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/rifle-range-vs-muzzle-velocity/Across 76 database rifles, velocity and range correlate at just r=0.375. The fastest rifle in the sample, the Mini-14, has one of the shortest ranges.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickcomparisonsmall armsriflesballisticsprocurementNGSWhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-top-speed-means-on-a-trainer-jet-spec-sheet/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-top-speed-means-on-a-trainer-jet-spec-sheet/Trainer aircraft in our database span 574 to 1,840 km/h, a 3.2x spread, and the newest US jet's own sources cannot agree if it clears Mach 1.Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickbuyingtrainer aircraftprocurementfighter jetsoriginal datapilot traininghttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-service-ceiling-means-on-a-fighter-jet-spec-sheet/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-service-ceiling-means-on-a-fighter-jet-spec-sheet/Service ceiling spans 7,000-20,600m across 57 fighters in our database, but 72% share an identical published figure with a completely different jet.Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguidefighter jetsoriginal dataair combatprocurementspec sheethttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-range-means-on-an-air-defense-spec-sheet/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-range-means-on-an-air-defense-spec-sheet/Across 68 air-defense systems in our database, published range spans 3 km to 3,000 km, a 1,000x gap that is three missions, not one spec race.Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickcomparisonair defensemissile defenseprocurementcomparisonhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/systems-still-announced-not-fielded/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/systems-still-announced-not-fielded/42 of 1,106 WeaponSpecs-tracked systems are marked announced, not fielded; Russia's T-14 Armata tank has carried that status for 11 straight years.Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguideprocurementtanksexport-claimsindustryhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/fighter-jet-operator-counts/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/fighter-jet-operator-counts/1970s-era weapons in the WeaponSpecs database average 14 operating countries; 2020s designs average 1.7. Age explains most of the gap, not capability.Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickindustryfighter jetsprocurementexport policyoriginal dataf-22f-35https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/ai-race-chips-power-people-robots/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/ai-race-chips-power-people-robots/China now generates more electricity than the United States, EU and India combined, and chips, workforce and robots follow the same pattern.Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickindustryai racesemiconductorsenergyroboticschinaexport controlsdefense industrial basehttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/why-cruise-missiles-still-fly-subsonic/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/why-cruise-missiles-still-fly-subsonic/21 of 27 cruise missiles in the WeaponSpecs database fly under Mach 1, 78%. It's a design choice: altitude beats speed as the real stealth lever.Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguidecruise missilesanti-ship missilesnaval warfareoriginal dataradarhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/submarine-submerged-speed-nuclear-vs-conventional/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/submarine-submerged-speed-nuclear-vs-conventional/Nuclear boats average 26.5 knots submerged, conventional boats 20.2, but the published number understates the real divide. Here is what submerged speed hides.Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguidesubmarinesnavalpropulsionprocurementhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/helicopter-troop-capacity-per-ton-ranked/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/helicopter-troop-capacity-per-ton-ranked/Troops-per-ton spans a 2.93x range across 16 helicopters; the $72M V-22 Osprey and $87M CH-53K rank 15th and 14th, behind an $8M Indian utility helicopter.Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickbuyinghelicopterstroop capacityprocurementmilitary transportbuying guidehttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/nuclear-arsenal-comparison-2026/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/nuclear-arsenal-comparison-2026/New START expired Feb 5, 2026, so no treaty now verifies any nation's warhead count; FAS puts the global total near 12,187, led by Russia's 4,400.Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickcomparisonnuclear weaponsstrategic missilesprocurementarms controlhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/warship-top-speed-vs-displacement/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/warship-top-speed-vs-displacement/Displacement barely predicts warship top speed: r = -0.089 across 72 WeaponSpecs database ships, and 20 of them, 250 t to 100,000 t, all publish 30 knots.Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickcomparisonwarshipsnavalprocurementdatahttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/naval-gun-caliber-76mm-vs-127mm/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/naval-gun-caliber-76mm-vs-127mm/Of 53 gunned warships in the WeaponSpecs database, 76mm and 127mm guns each arm 19 ships, 38 of 53 combined, or 72 percent, of the entire fleet.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickindustrywarshipsnaval gunsprocurementnavyhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/tank-crew-size-autoloader-vs-manual-loader/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/tank-crew-size-autoloader-vs-manual-loader/Our analysis of 56 tanks in the WeaponSpecs database finds crew size splits exactly 28-28 between 3-person autoloader and 4-person manual-loader crews.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguidemain battle tankstank designprocurementrussianatohttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/fighter-weapons-payload-ranked/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/fighter-weapons-payload-ranked/The F-22A Raptor ranks 55th of 56 fighters in published weapons payload at 2,270 kg, trailing even the 1967-service F-4E Phantom II by nearly 4x.Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickcomparisonfighter jetsF-22stealthair superiorityprocurementhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/ak-47-outproduces-every-tank-and-jet-combined/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/ak-47-outproduces-every-tank-and-jet-combined/WeaponSpecs data shows the AK-47 alone at 75 million units built, more than every tank, jet, helicopter, IFV, warship, and submarine combined.Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickindustrysmall armsproduction numbersdata transparencyprocurementAK-47https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-rate-of-fire-means-on-an-artillery-spec-sheet/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-rate-of-fire-means-on-an-artillery-spec-sheet/BM-21 Grad publishes the highest rate of fire in our artillery database: 40 rounds a minute. Averaged over its own reload cycle, it's closer to 4.Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguideartilleryrocket artilleryself-propelled howitzerrate of fireprocurementhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/attack-helicopter-top-speed-ranked/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/attack-helicopter-top-speed-ranked/The AH-64E Apache Guardian ranks 18th of 29 attack helicopters in the WeaponSpecs database by published top speed. The Army built a faster one, then cancelled it.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickcomparisonhelicoptersattack helicoptersUS ArmyprocurementFARAhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/ifv-troop-capacity-per-ton-ranked/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/ifv-troop-capacity-per-ton-ranked/FNSS Zaha carries 21 troops at 30 tonnes, more than any IFV in our database; Ajax carries 3 at 38 tonnes, a 13.96x range across 67 ranked systems.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole MerrickindustryIFVarmored vehiclesprocurementtroop capacityland warfarehttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/vls-cell-count-warships-ranked/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/vls-cell-count-warships-ranked/Sejong the Great publishes 128 VLS cells, ahead of Ticonderoga's 122 and Type 055's 112, but cell count isn't one comparable unit across navies.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole MerrickguidewarshipsVLSnavalair defenseprocurementhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-ballistic-missile-defense-2026/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-ballistic-missile-defense-2026/A 10-to-1 countdown of the best ballistic missile defense systems of 2026, ranked on real intercept record, envelope, export scale and maturity.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguideballistic missile defenseair defenserankingscombat recordpatriotthaadarrow 3https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/fighter-thrust-to-weight-ratio-ranked/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/fighter-thrust-to-weight-ratio-ranked/The Eurofighter Typhoon tops 44 ranked fighters at a 1.15 thrust-to-weight ratio; the hyped F-35 family trails at 0.75-0.94, ranking 40th of 44.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickcomparisonfighter jetsF-35thrust-to-weightair superiorityprocurementhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-range-means-on-a-drone-spec-sheet/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/what-range-means-on-a-drone-spec-sheet/Across 36 UAVs in our database, published range spans a 33x gap, from a figure that matches true flight distance to one that is a control-link limit.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole MerrickcomparisonUAVdronesprocurementBayraktardata analysishttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-attack-drones-2026/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-attack-drones-2026/A 10-to-1 countdown of the best attack drones of 2026, ranked on real combat record, strike precision, production scale and program maturity.Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguideattack dronesUAVloitering munitionsrankingscombat recordbayraktar tb2shahedhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/how-old-are-weapons-still-in-service/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/how-old-are-weapons-still-in-service/Across 796 dated systems in the WeaponSpecs database, the average bomber design is 40 years old, roughly four times the average UAV design's age.Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickindustrydefense procurementoriginal datadatabase analysisbombersUAVsweapon agehttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/air-defense-interceptor-vs-battery-cost/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/air-defense-interceptor-vs-battery-cost/Only 12 of 70 air-defense systems in the database publish a cost, and those figures price different things: single rounds vs whole batteries.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickindustryair defenseprocurementdefense economicsprice transparencyoriginal datahttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-artillery-systems-2026/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-artillery-systems-2026/A 10-to-1 countdown of the best self-propelled howitzers of 2026, ranked on real combat record, precision, survivability and program maturity.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguideself-propelled howitzersartilleryrankings155mmcombat recordukrainecaesarhttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-atgms-2026/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-atgms-2026/A 10-to-1 countdown of the best anti-tank guided missiles of 2026, ranked on real combat record, guidance sophistication and program maturity.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguideanti-tank guided missilesATGMrankingscombat recordjavelinkornethttps://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-sniper-rifles-2026/https://www.weaponspecs.com/articles/best-sniper-rifles-2026/A 10-to-1 countdown of the best sniper and designated-marksman rifles of 2026, ranked on real combat record, precision and adoption, not range.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTCole Merrickguidesniper riflesdesignated marksman riflesrankingsprecision riflescombat recordbarrettaccuracy international