Weapons

Missiles, tanks, rifles, lasers, and the engineering behind modern arsenals.

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The Nuclear Triad: Always Prepared to End the World

The Nuclear Triad: Always Prepared to End the World

Explore the three pillars of nuclear deterrence—strategic bombers, ICBMs, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles—and how the nuclear triad ensures mutually assured destruction.

Simon Whistler · April 4, 2024
The Strange Way China Got its Nukes...

The Strange Way China Got its Nukes...

Discover how China built its nuclear arsenal through Soviet cooperation, espionage, and determined self-reliance after the Sino-Soviet Split, becoming one of the world's nine nuclear powers.

Simon Whistler · December 9, 2023
The AR-15: America's Rifle, and the World's Most Controversial Gun

The AR-15: America's Rifle, and the World's Most Controversial Gun

The full story of the AR-15: Eugene Stoner's design, its path to becoming the M16, its 20-30 million civilian owners, and the mass-shooting data

Simon Whistler · November 25, 2023
The T-34: The Greatest Tank of WW2?

The T-34: The Greatest Tank of WW2?

Was the T-34 a mechanical marvel or a hunk of junk? Explore the design, production, and battlefield performance of WWII's most iconic Soviet tank.

Simon Whistler · October 9, 2023
Cluster Bombs: Ukraine's Controversial New Weapon

Cluster Bombs: Ukraine's Controversial New Weapon

Cluster munitions are banned by over 120 countries, yet the US is sending them to Ukraine. Explore their deadly history, high dud rates, and whether they can change the war's tide.

Simon Whistler · July 31, 2023
The Shocking Plan to Nuke the Moon (Project A119)

The Shocking Plan to Nuke the Moon (Project A119)

In the late 1950s, the US Air Force developed a top-secret plan to detonate a nuclear warhead on the Moon. Discover the bizarre story of Project A119, Carl Sagan's involvement, and why it was ultimately abandoned.

Simon Whistler · June 21, 2023