Cole Merrick

Aug 4, 2026

What 'Simultaneous Targets' Means on a SAM Spec Sheet

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.

Aug 4, 2026

155mm Dominates Artillery Calibers, Not Interoperability

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.

Aug 3, 2026

UAV Payload vs. Range: Why the Two Don't Scale Together

Across 29 drones that publish both figures, payload and range correlate only moderately (r=0.615), revealing two distinct UAV design philosophies.

Aug 3, 2026

Why a Guided Missile Beats Every Tank Round on Paper

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.

Aug 2, 2026

Zumwalt Carries a Third of a Burke's Crew Per Ton

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.

Aug 2, 2026

IFV Autocannon Caliber: Why 30mm Isn't a Real Standard

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.

Aug 1, 2026

20 of 20: Every 125mm Tank Gun Can Fire a Missile

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.

Aug 1, 2026

Radar Range vs. Engagement Range in 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.

Jul 31, 2026

Stealth Fighters: Why No One Publishes an 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.

Jul 31, 2026

Active Protection: Just 7 of 133 Are Combat-Proven

Of 133 tanks and IFVs in the database, only 7 field Trophy, the one active protection system with an independently reported combat record.

Jul 28, 2026

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%.

Jul 28, 2026

Rifle Range Has Almost Nothing to Do With Bullet Speed

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.

Jul 27, 2026

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.

Jul 27, 2026

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.

Jul 26, 2026

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.

Jul 26, 2026

The T-14 Armata Is Still 'Announced,' 11 Years On

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.

Jul 25, 2026

Fighter Jet Operator Counts: Newer Means Fewer

1970s-era weapons in the WeaponSpecs database average 14 operating countries; 2020s designs average 1.7. Age explains most of the gap, not capability.

Jul 25, 2026

The AI Race Is Actually a Manufacturing Race

China now generates more electricity than the United States, EU and India combined, and chips, workforce and robots follow the same pattern.

Jul 25, 2026

Why 78% of 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.

Jul 24, 2026

Five Nuclear Subs Publish the Exact Same 25 Knots

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.

Jul 24, 2026

Troops Per Ton: Why the V-22 Osprey Ranks Near Last

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.

Jul 23, 2026

Comparing the World's Nuclear Arsenals in 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.

Jul 21, 2026

Warship Top Speed: Why Tonnage Barely Matters

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.

Jul 20, 2026

Two Naval Gun Calibers Arm 72% of the World's Warships

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.

Jul 20, 2026

3-Crew vs 4-Crew Tanks: What the Difference Buys You

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.

Jul 19, 2026

F-22 Raptor Carries Less Payload Than a 1967 Jet

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.

Jul 18, 2026

The 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.

Jul 18, 2026

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.

Jul 17, 2026

The Apache Isn't Even a Top-15 Attack Helicopter by Speed

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.

Jul 17, 2026

Troop Capacity Per Ton: What IFV Weight Actually Buys

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.

Jul 17, 2026

How Many VLS Cells Does a Warship Actually Carry?

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.

Jul 16, 2026

The 10 Best Ballistic Missile Defense Systems 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.

Jul 16, 2026

Fighter Thrust-to-Weight Ranked: F-35 Trails at 0.87

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.

Jul 16, 2026

What 'Range' Really 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.

Jul 15, 2026

The 10 Best Attack Drones of 2026, Ranked

A 10-to-1 countdown of the best attack drones of 2026, ranked on real combat record, strike precision, production scale and program maturity.

Jul 15, 2026

How Old Are the Weapons Still in Frontline 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.

Jul 14, 2026

Why Air-Defense Cost Figures Don't Compare

Only 12 of 70 air-defense systems in the database publish a cost, and those figures price different things: single rounds vs whole batteries.

Jul 14, 2026

The 10 Best Self-Propelled Howitzers of 2026, Ranked

A 10-to-1 countdown of the best self-propelled howitzers of 2026, ranked on real combat record, precision, survivability and program maturity.

Jul 14, 2026

The 10 Best Anti-Tank Guided Missiles of 2026, Ranked

A 10-to-1 countdown of the best anti-tank guided missiles of 2026, ranked on real combat record, guidance sophistication and program maturity.

Jul 14, 2026

The 10 Best Sniper Rifles of 2026, Ranked

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.

Jul 14, 2026

Which Military C2 Systems Actually Speak Link 16?

13 of 17 command-and-control systems in our database publish support for NATO's Link 16 data link. Anduril's Lattice is a notable exception.

Jul 13, 2026

The 10 Best Destroyers of 2026, Ranked

A 10-to-1 countdown of the best destroyers of 2026, ranked on real combat record, air defense, weapons and sustainment, not brochure numbers.

Jul 13, 2026

The 10 Best Fighter Jets of 2026, Ranked

A 10-to-1 countdown of the best fighter jets of 2026, ranked on real combat record, sensors, survivability and sustainment, not brochure numbers.

Jul 13, 2026

The 10 Best Infantry Fighting Vehicles of 2026, Ranked

A 10-to-1 countdown of the best infantry fighting vehicles of 2026, ranked on real combat record, protection, firepower and program maturity.

Jul 13, 2026

The 10 Best Main Battle Tanks of 2026, Ranked

A 10-to-1 countdown of the best main battle tanks of 2026, judged on combat record, protection, mobility and logistics, not brochure specs.

Jul 13, 2026

The 10 Best Submarines of 2026, Ranked

A 10-to-1 countdown of the best submarines of 2026, ranked on stealth, weapons, strategic role and real operational record, not brochure numbers.

Jul 13, 2026

14 of 16 'Trainer' Jets in Our Database Are Armed

14 of 16 jet trainers in WeaponSpecs' database publish a weapons payload, and 5 can fire real air-to-air missiles. Two carry none at all.

Jul 13, 2026

Same 5.56mm NATO Round, Wildly Different Range Claims

26 rifles firing the same 5.56x45mm NATO round publish effective ranges from 400 to 600 meters, and the fastest ones don't claim the longest reach.

Jul 12, 2026

Anti-Ship Missiles: 4,000km Claims vs a 300km Kill

China's DF-26 claims a 4,000km anti-ship range, longest of 41 tracked missiles. The only confirmed combat kill came from Ukraine's Neptune, ranged at 300km.

Jul 12, 2026

Eurosatory 2026: What It Means for Procurement

Eurosatory 2026 drew 2,600+ exhibitors to Paris. Of the show's 7 headline deals, only 2 were signed contracts, the rest were MOUs or a letter of intent.

Jul 12, 2026

Javelin vs TOW vs NLAW: What They Really Cost

Only 3 of the 16 anti-tank missiles in our database publish a real unit cost, and among the three, price tracks guidance autonomy almost exactly.

Jul 12, 2026

Sea-Air-Space 2026: What It Means for Procurement

Sea-Air-Space 2026 was real: April 19-22, National Harbor, 400+ exhibitors. Zero of its 8 headline naval announcements disclosed a dollar figure.

Jul 11, 2026

Longest-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, Ranked

Russia's R-37M claims 300km, nearly double the AIM-120D. But not one of the 39 ranged air-to-air missiles in our database publishes an official spec.

Jul 11, 2026

Submarine Test Depth: Who Publishes, Who Hides

Of 32 submarines in the WeaponSpecs database, only 21 publish a test depth - and the three deepest figures are all unverified Russian state claims.

Jul 10, 2026

Hypersonic Missiles: Only 2 of 38 Are New

Our database has 38 systems that exceed Mach 5. By the definition that separates real hypersonic weapons from fast ballistics, only 2 qualify.

Jul 10, 2026

Military Transport Aircraft Cargo Capacity, Ranked

The C-5M Super Galaxy still carries 129,274 kg, 63,274 kg more than China's newest airlifter, the Y-20, despite a 1970s airframe.

Jul 9, 2026

NATO's Ankara Summit: What Wasn't Signed

NATO's Ankara declaration pledged unity and 70 billion euros a year for Ukraine. Four other headline deals from the summit were never signed.

Jul 9, 2026

No ICBM Has Ever Flown Its Claimed Max Range

Published ICBM ranges span 1,000-18,000 km across our database, but no country has ever flight-tested one to its full claimed distance.

Jul 9, 2026

Bomber Range Ranked: Why Subsonic Beats Supersonic

Ranking all 9 bombers in the WeaponSpecs database: the subsonic Tu-95 Bear outranges every supersonic jet in the fleet by up to 8,200 km unrefueled.

Jul 8, 2026

Tube Howitzers vs Rocket Artillery: The Real Range Gap

The longest tube howitzer in our database claims 70 km, unverified. The longest rocket system reaches 350 km, a genuinely different weapon.

Jul 8, 2026

UAV Endurance Compared: 60 Hours vs 15 Minutes

Across 52 UAVs in our database, endurance spans 60 hours to 15 minutes, a 240x gap that separates loitering ISR platforms from one-way weapons.

Jul 7, 2026

Which Fighter Jet Has the Longest Combat Radius?

China's J-20 claims a 2,000 km fighter combat radius, but 8 of the 12 longest reaches in our database are unverified Chinese or Russian state claims.

Jul 7, 2026

The Glide-Bomb Range Race: Russia vs the West

Russia's jet-powered UMPK-PD glide bomb is battlefield-reported at up to 200km, roughly double the West's leading combat-fielded glide munitions.

Jul 7, 2026

NATO Explained: Founding, Funding, and Who Really Pays

NATO's mutual-defense clause has been invoked exactly once in 76 years, for the United States. Here's the founding, funding, and cost breakdown.

Jul 6, 2026

Arleigh Burke vs Type 055 vs Sejong the Great

South Korea's Sejong the Great carries 128 VLS cells, more than China's Type 055 or the US Navy's Arleigh Burke, but the number hides three tradeoffs.

Jul 6, 2026

Attack Helicopter Payload Ratio: Apache Ranks Last

The AH-64E Apache carries just 7.4% of combat weight as weapons payload, the lowest ratio of 17 attack helicopters, versus the AH-1Z Viper's 29.8%.

Jul 6, 2026

Why Only 22% of Weapons Publish a Price

Of 1,017 systems in the WeaponSpecs database, only 22% publish a unit cost. Pistols disclose 84% of the time; missiles 10%, munitions zero.

Jul 5, 2026

M1A2 Abrams vs T-90M vs Type 99A: Tank Power-to-Weight

The M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams is the heaviest of the three at 66.8 tonnes, giving it the lowest power-to-weight ratio despite the most powerful engine.

Jul 5, 2026

Amphibious Assault Ships Ranked by Aircraft Capacity

Spain's Juan Carlos I and China's Type 075 both carry up to 30 aircraft, more than the larger US America-class amphibious assault ship.

Jul 5, 2026

Electronic Warfare Systems Compared: Jamming Range 2026

Russia's Murmansk-BN claims a strategic jamming range of 5,000 km, far beyond the tactical 20-35 km range of the other EW systems in our database.

Jul 5, 2026

MRAP Buyer's Guide: Bushmaster vs Hawkei vs M-ATV

Australia's Hawkei is the lightest MRAP-class vehicle in our database at 8.1 tonnes, roughly half the weight of the heavier Bushmaster and M-ATV.

Jul 5, 2026

Service Pistol Magazine Capacity Compared, 2026

The FN Five-seveN holds 20 rounds of 5.7x28mm, the highest standard magazine capacity of any service pistol in our database.

Jul 5, 2026

M2A3 Bradley vs BMP-3 vs Puma: Three IFV Philosophies

Russia's BMP-3 carries a 100mm gun-launcher at just 18.7 tonnes, while Germany's heavier Puma trades weight for a 43-tonne armored shell.

Jul 5, 2026

Iron Dome vs David's Sling vs Arrow 3: Israel's Layers

Israel's layered air defense spans three tiers: Iron Dome at 70 km, David's Sling at 300 km, and Arrow 3 at 2,400 km for exo-atmospheric intercepts.

Jul 5, 2026

Is Published Range a Lie? We Audited 1,017 Systems

Of the 593 systems in our database that publish a range, only 52 also say whether it is a combat radius or a ferry figure. That gap misleads readers.

Jul 5, 2026

Shahed-136 vs Switchblade 600 vs Lancet-3: Range & Role

Iran's Shahed-136 is built for 2,500 km strategic strikes, while the US Switchblade 600 and Russian Lancet-3 are short-range 40 km tactical weapons.

Jul 5, 2026

Su-57 vs F-35 vs J-20: Claimed vs Verified

On paper the J-20 leads on combat radius and the Su-57 on speed. The catch: the numbers that flatter them are the ones no one outside Moscow or Beijing can verify.

Jul 5, 2026

Which Warship Packs the Most Missiles Per Ton?

Israel's Sa'ar 6 corvette packs 16.0 VLS cells per 1,000 tons, beating the Ticonderoga and Arleigh Burke classes despite a fifth of their size.

Jul 4, 2026

Which Hypersonic Missiles Are Actually Hypersonic?

Of 23 missiles in the WeaponSpecs database clocking Mach 5-plus, only 2 fly a true hypersonic regime. The rest are ballistic missiles falling fast.

Jul 3, 2026

Anti-Ship Missiles: Harpoon vs Exocet vs Oniks vs Atmaca

Anti-ship missiles compared: Harpoon and Exocet sea-skimmers vs Oniks supersonic threat vs Atmaca, and why terminal defense keeps getting harder.

Jul 3, 2026

Aircraft Carriers Compared: Ford vs Queen Elizabeth vs Fujian

Aircraft carriers compared: Gerald R. Ford's CATOBAR supercarrier, Queen Elizabeth's STOVL design, and China's new Fujian, side by side.

Jul 3, 2026

Bayraktar TB2 vs MQ-9 Reaper: Combat Drone Showdown

Bayraktar TB2 vs MQ-9 Reaper: different weight classes, the Reaper is a heavier, longer-range hunter; the TB2 is the budget export king.

Jul 3, 2026

Best Attack Helicopters of 2026: Apache vs Ka-52 vs Z-10

Attack helicopters compared: the AH-64E Apache leads on combat record and sensor fusion; Ka-52 and Z-10 trail on verified data.

Jul 3, 2026

F-35 vs Su-57: Which Fifth-Gen Fighter Wins?

F-35 vs Su-57: the F-35 wins on stealth, sensor fusion, and combat record; the Su-57 wins on paper agility.

Jul 3, 2026

How Much Does a Fighter Jet Really Cost?

Fighter jet cost breakdown: flyaway price vs full lifecycle cost, why O&S eats 70% of the budget, and how the F-35 compares to rivals.

Jul 3, 2026

How to Choose a Frigate: The Naval Buyer's Guide

A naval buyer's guide to frigates, VLS cells, radar, cost vs destroyers, and local-build vs export options compared.

Jul 3, 2026

Hypersonic Missiles Explained: Hype vs Reality

Hypersonic missiles: what Mach 5+ actually means, why maneuver matters more than speed, and what's marketing vs fact.

Jul 3, 2026

Loitering Munitions Explained: The Drones Rewriting War

Loitering munitions explained: how $50K kamikaze drones are rewriting the cost math of modern warfare.

Jul 3, 2026

MANPADS Explained: Stinger, Igla & the Portable SAM

MANPADS explained: how shoulder-fired IR-guided SAMs like Stinger and Igla punch far above their $30K-$100K cost.

Jul 3, 2026

AK-12 vs M4 vs HK416: The Modern Rifle Comparison

AK-12 vs M4 vs HK416 vs SCAR: rugged simplicity vs modular ubiquity vs piston reliability, compared on the data.

Jul 3, 2026

NATO Standardization: Why 5.56, 155mm & Link 16 Matter

How NATO STANAG standardization on ammo, artillery calibers and datalinks quietly drives procurement decisions.

Jul 3, 2026

Patriot vs S-400 vs SAMP/T: Air-Defense Buyer's Guide

Patriot vs S-400 vs SAMP/T: Patriot suits US-aligned buyers, S-400 fits sanctions-tolerant states, SAMP/T is Europe's sovereign option.

Jul 3, 2026

Nuclear vs AIP Submarines: Which Should You Buy?

Nuclear vs AIP submarines: nuclear buys unlimited range at huge cost; diesel-electric AIP buys quiet littoral stealth for a fraction of the price.

Jul 3, 2026

Tank Armor Explained: Composite, ERA & Active Protection

Tank armor explained: composite (Chobham-type), reactive (ERA), and active protection systems like Trophy, layered against modern threats.

Jul 3, 2026

Why Sustainment Is 70% of a Weapon's Real Cost

Purchase price is the tip of the iceberg. GAO data shows sustainment eats ~70% of a weapon's lifecycle cost, here's the real total-cost-of-ownership math.

Jul 3, 2026

Leopard 2A7 vs Abrams vs Leclerc XLR

Leopard 2A7, M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams, Leclerc XLR, and Challenger 3 compared on firepower, armor, mobility, and cost.

Jul 3, 2026

What Is a Fifth-Generation Fighter? (And Who Has One)

Fifth-generation fighter defined: stealth, sensor fusion, and networked combat, and exactly who fields one in 2026.