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| Weaponry of the United States | |
|---|---|
| Name | United States weaponry |
| Origin | United States |
| Used by | United States Armed Forces |
Weaponry of the United States is the collection of military arms, platforms, and munitions developed, procured, and fielded by the United States Armed Forces and associated organizations from the colonial era to the present. It encompasses small arms, artillery, armored vehicles, naval systems, aircraft, missile forces, and nuclear delivery systems shaped by conflicts such as the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War (1990–1991), and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Industrial partners and research institutions like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon Technologies, Sandia National Laboratories, and Los Alamos National Laboratory have driven technological evolution alongside policy decisions tied to the National Security Act of 1947 and arms-control agreements such as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
United States weapon development traces from musketry and artillery used by the Continental Army and militias during the American Revolutionary War to breech-loading rifles of the American Civil War and industrialized production during World War I and World War II. Postwar eras saw the rise of strategic aviation exemplified by the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and the emergence of nuclear deterrence centered on projects at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, while the Cold War accelerated guided missile programs including the Minuteman (missile), Polaris missile, and cruise missile families. Procurement architectures evolved through institutions such as the Department of Defense (United States) and oversight by the United States Congress, with acquisition reforms after controversies like the F-35 Lightning II program and budgetary debates influenced by the Goldwater–Nichols Act.
U.S. infantry armament has included the Brown Bess musket in the 18th century, the Springfield Model 1861 during the American Civil War, the M1 Garand of World War II, the M14 rifle, and the long-serving M16 rifle introduced in the Vietnam War. Modern personal arms include the M4 carbine, the M249 light machine gun, the M240 machine gun, and sidearms like the M9 pistol and SIG Sauer P320 adopted as the M17/M18. Special operations forces deploy systems such as the HK416, Mk 48 machine gun, and the Mk 13 sniper rifle alongside optics from companies like Leica Camera AG and Northrop Grumman Innovations Systems. Crew-served and support weapons extend to the Javelin (missile), AT4, and the M224 mortar, with training doctrines influenced by the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and combat lessons from Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom.
U.S. artillery evolved from smoothbore cannon of the War of 1812 to the towed and self-propelled systems like the M777 howitzer and the M109 Paladin. Rocket and missile systems include the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, the ATACMS family, and tactical launchers used in coalition operations during the Iraq War (2003–2011). Air defense is provided by layered systems such as the MIM-104 Patriot, the Avenger (aircraft weapon system), and integrated networks linked to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Counterrocket, artillery, and mortar missions employ sensors, counter-battery radars like the AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder, and munitions tracked through logistics nodes managed by Defense Logistics Agency (United States).
U.S. armored vehicle development spans from M4 Sherman tanks of World War II to Cold War mainstays like the M60 Patton and the modern M1 Abrams. Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Stryker brigades reflect doctrinal shifts toward mechanized maneuver and rapid deployment championed by the United States Army and tested during operations in Persian Gulf conflicts. Engineering and procurement involve firms such as General Dynamics Land Systems and Oshkosh Corporation supplying platforms including the M2 Bradley, Stryker, and heavy logistics vehicles used by United States Marine Corps expeditionary units. Active protection systems, ERA developments, and unmanned ground vehicle programs interact with NATO allies including United Kingdom and Germany in multinational interoperability initiatives.
U.S. naval armaments include carrier aviation networks centered on Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and Ford-class aircraft carrier, surface combatants such as Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and Ticonderoga-class cruiser, and submarines like the Los Angeles-class submarine, Virginia-class submarine, and Ohio-class submarine. Shipborne systems field Phalanx CIWS, Aegis Combat System, the RIM-162 ESSM, and vertical launch cells deploying Tomahawk (missile) and anti-air missiles, with shipbuilding performed by Newport News Shipbuilding, Bath Iron Works, and Ingalls Shipbuilding. Naval aviation integrates ordnance like the AGM-88 HARM and precision-guided munitions delivered from F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II aboard carriers conducting power projection during crises involving actors such as People's Republic of China and Russian Federation.
U.S. combat aviation ranges from legacy types such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon to fifth-generation platforms like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, with strategic lift provided by C-17 Globemaster III and aerial refueling by KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46 Pegasus. Air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance include the AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9 Sidewinder, JDAM, and the AGM-114 Hellfire, deployed from platforms including the MQ-9 Reaper and AH-64 Apache. Electronic warfare suites, stealth research at Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and integration with space assets like GPS satellites and NORAD provide multi-domain capability growth influenced by incidents such as Operation Allied Force and procurement coordination through Air Force Materiel Command.
The U.S. nuclear triad comprises sea-based ballistic missiles on Ohio-class submarine boats, air-delivered weapons on B-52 Stratofortress, B-2 Spirit, and Boeing B-21 Raider programs, and land-based LGM-30 Minuteman III ICBMs maintained by Air Force Global Strike Command. Warhead stewardship, safety, and modernization are conducted by National Nuclear Security Administration and laboratories including Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, while arms control engagement has involved treaties like the New START and negotiations with Russian Federation. Ballistic missile defense architecture employs systems such as the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, and space sensor networks coordinated with allies including Japan and Israel.
Category:Military equipment of the United States