The M320 Grenade launcher, a replacement for the M203, is starting to get rolled out to Marines. But former soldier Chris Capelluto thinks it's well, bulky garbage.
The pistol grip loves getting caught on everything as a nice added bonus, and its laser system is a nearly 4 pound attachment to the end of your rifle. But at least it still blows things up.
While researching another story, I came across a recent exercise designed to steel NATO for battling Russian subs. The war game was named for a ferret-like creature that subsists on insects and worms.
Nothing like a small mammal to drive terror into an adversary's heart.
How do military leaders come up with these? In the case of the U.S., military commands are assigned blocks of the alphabet, say from AA to AD, from which they can choose two word names. Such as Agile Diver. The rules forbid "commercial trademarks," "anything offensive to good taste," or that are similar in spelling to a code word.
They also set aside words for certain commands. "Cheese," for example, is only to be used by the chief of naval operation's office. Ditto "rabbit."
(Great Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill specifically warned about "frivolous" words, saying no one would want to tell a grieving mother her son died in an operation named "Bunnyhug.")
Here's a totally objective guide to the worst-named military operations and exercises of all time.
South Korea may be intent on developing a fleet of drones that draw inspiration from the animal kingdom, but that doesn't mean it's forgoing some very human characteristics for future unmanned aerial vehicles— namely a giant pair of explosive balls.
If you've ever walked around a military base and thought to yourself: You know what this place really needs? More muscle cars with moto-bumper stickers and American flag stencils — and probably a few more broke E-3s who bought a sweet new ride at 20% APR — then Dodge is here to help.
There's a scene from Demolition Man that's always stuck with me. Upon fleeing his incarceration in futuristic Los Angeles, the batshit crazy Simon Phoenix (played by Wesley Snipes) goes hunting for weapons at a nearby museum, stocking up on machine guns and pistols when inspiration strikes. "Wait a minute, this is the future," Phoenix smirks. "Where are all the phaser guns?"
Sadly, the world's militaries have yet to field the futuristic firearms we've always dreamed of, but at least movies and television have attempted to make those dreams a reality. Below, an egregiously non-scientific ranking of fictional futuristic firearms based on capabilities, lethality, and real-world practicality.