25 Most Destructive and Powerful Weapons In History

By | August 6, 2015

Here are the 25 most powerful weapons ever created in the history of mankind.

1. Maxim Machine Gun

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Invented by Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim in 1884. This is the first recoil-operated machine gun that altered the world's firearm history forever. It could fire 600 rounds/minute, inflicting thousands of deaths upon the terrified enemies. It was famously used during the Battle of Shangani, in which 700 British soldiers fought off 3,000 warriors with only four Maxim guns.

2. Pumhart von Steyr

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This was the largest weapon ever used in 15th century Austria. It has a ball diameter of 80 cm and was known as the monstrous super gun that incited fear in the hearts of the enemies. You can see one of these today in the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum at Vienna.

3. Mortier Monstre or Monster Mortar

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Wikipedia

Invented by French artillery officed Henri-Joseph Paixhans and produced in 1832 by France. The mortar could unleash 500 kg bombs and was used with devastating effect in the Siege of Antwerp in 1832.

4. Tsar Cannon

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This massive cannon was created in 1586 and is considered the largest howitzer ever made in history.You can see one today displayed at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia.

5. Mark I

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Mark I is the first war vehicle to be called a tank. It could carry 5 machine guns and 8 soldiers. The tank and its variants were used during World War I by several countries.

6. Karl Gerat

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This was created by Rheinmetall for the Nazis. This machine is largest self-propelled weapon used during the Second World War.

7. Schwerer Gustav and Dora

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These two monstrous German 80 cm railway siege guns are the largest caliber-rifled weapons ever. They were used in live combat during World War 2. They have the heaviest ammunition shells ever in history.

8. RPG-71

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The RPG (Ruchnoy Protivotankovyy Granatomyot) or hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher is the most widely used today as an anti-armor weapon. Both militaries and insurgent groups used the RPGs to even out the battlefield especially against opponents with more heavy artillery.

9. B41 (MK-41)

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The B41, a thermonuclear gravity bomb, is the most powerful nuclear warhead ever developed by the US. It was carried only by the B-52 Stratofortress and B-47 Stratojet. The bomb was retired in 1957.

10. P-270 Moskit

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This missile has a top speed of Mach 3. It’s a Russian supersonic ramjet powered cruise missile that’s hard for enemies to counter attack. Due to its active military weapons’ status, very little is known about this weapon’s background except for bits and pieces of basic information.

11. P-800 Onyx

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The P-800 is a Russian supersonic anti-ship cruise missile with a recorded top speed between Mach 2.9 up to Mach 5.7. The missile's capable to sink a US carrier. Whew!

12. Shabab missiles

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These long-range Iranian missiles could reach up to 5,000 Km.

13. The Agni missile

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The Agni missile belongs to the category of medium to intercontinental range ballistic missiles. Developed by India, the missile is named after one of the 5 elements of nature.

14. Fat Man and Little Boy

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Named after film characters, these two infamous nuclear bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War 2, changing the course of our history. The horrifying result of these bombs gave us the most shocking memory of what a nuclear warfare can do to the world.

15. B53

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The B53 has 9 megatons of TNT and is one of the last very high-yield thermonuclear bombs in the US. Today, this weapon is no longer used actively.

16. MOAB/GBU-43/B Massive Ordinance Air Blast

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Dubbed as the Mother of all Bombs, this weapon is a large-yield conventional bomb. It was considered the most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever developed for the US military. Its blast can destroy 9 city blocks with a radius of 137.61 m. A larger version of the bomb was reportedly developed.

17. FOAB or Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power (ATBIP)

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Dubbed as the “Father of All Bombs” or FOAB, this air-delivered/land-activated thermobaric weapon is made by the Russians. It is said to have such a devastating effect that “all that is alive merely evaporates.”

18. Tsar Bomba or "King of Bombs" or simply called Ivan

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It has a mass of 27 tons and would create a fireball with a radius of 3.5 km., stretching 60 km into the sky. Remember those enormous mushroom cloud explosions in your history books? Those were created when this enormous bomb was tested by Russia in 1961.

19. Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier

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This carrier is both massive in size and highly destructive in power. It has twin nuclear reactors that don’t need re-fueling for 23 years. Its bays are capable of holding 130 F/A-18 Hornets. This carrier is so scary that its mere appearance in a region alone is often enough to influence global politics and deter aggressors.

20. The Airborne Laser/Boeing YAL-1

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This weapon has a huge laser mounted on the front. It’s designed with a missile defense system to destroy tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) and to shoot down enemy ICBMs from hundreds of miles away. It’s a revolutionary weapon that can destroy high speed moving targets at a great distance instantly.

21. The Predator and Predator B (aka The Reaper)

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Simply known as drones, they are commonly used by the US, the Royal Air Force, and the Italian Air Force for both combat and reconnaissance operations.

22. The Trident II D5 SLBM

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This missile contains 8 thermonuclear warheads. It can also be launched from a submarine.

23. R-36 ICBM

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This terrifying weapon wouldn't have much trouble initiating a nuclear holocaust with its massive payload.

24. Dead Bodies

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Nuclear bombs, missiles and laser are tremendously powerful. But if some maniac wants a slow, mentally devastating destruction, throwing the diseased-riddled bodies of fallen warriors back over the city walls is the most sadistic way to wipe out an entire population.

25. Chimera Viruses

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Today, an entire city can be reduced into ashes by just a push of a button. But the most horrifying and unconventionally brutal way to slowly destroy an entire population is by using chimera viruses.