Military
Explore the weapons and combat systems used by the armed services. A broad range of topics in the Military Channel includes tanks, aircraft, biological warfare and stealth technologies.
Watch Your Six: Military Jet Pictures
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Does Army experience help your civilian career?
How NCO Professional Development Ribbons Work
How Army Reconnaissance Jobs Work
How Agent Orange Worked
How Anthrax Works
How Biological and Chemical Warfare Works
5 Countries That Ditched Their Military Forces
Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers Risk All to Save Lives
How Camp X Worked
Anatomy of an Underwater Explosion
Why does fertilizer explode?
Can You Really Outrun an Explosion?
HowStuffWorks Illustrated: Two Legal Gun Modifications
Gun Pictures
What's the world's smallest gun?
Are robots replacing human soldiers?
Top 5 Sci-fi Weapons that Might Actually Happen
Can drones replace fighter jets?
Submarine Pictures
How the Zumwalt Class Destroyer Works
How Aircraft Carriers Work
10 Financial Tips for Preparing for Deployment
How Military Video Conferencing Works
Why a Draft Would Weaken the U.S. Military
Is war murder?
What Was the First War?
10 Insane Disguises That Actually Worked
Does the U.S. Military Maintain Secret Underwater Bases?
How Code Breakers Work
YOU Can Drive a Tank!
Is the army testing an invisible tank?
AMX-13 Light Tank
Learn More / Page 9
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon had many advanced features, including a blended wing and fuselage, fly-by-wire controls, splendid visibility, and superb maneuverability. Read specifications and history of the popular F-16 Fighting Falcon.
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is known as the most expensive bomber ever, at $2.2 billion each. It has evolved into a low-level weapon to destroy enemy battle potential by using precision-guided munitions. Read about this versatile, pricey bomber.
Code breakers use logic and intuition to uncover secret information. From ciphers in ancient Greece to modern computer encryption schemes, codes are becoming more complex and harder to solve. Who are the people breaking codes and how do they do it?
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Back in 1983 when the Cold War was in full swing, the U.S. was looking for an effective new tactic to deter a nuclear strike. The "Star Wars" missile defensive initiative, however, wasn't it. Why not?
Winning wars sometimes requires innovative new tools, so it seems possible that new technologies are developed in the heat of battle. But is all technology born from conflict?
From World War I to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military has rarely been able to fire a shot without bringing along soldiers fluent in a language other than English. How does someone get a position translating for the army?
For as long as America has had soldiers, its army has been scrutinizing information about its enemies to gain an advantage on the battlefield. That's the job of an Army intelligence analyst. So, how do you develop a career in this exciting field?
By Jeff Harder
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Picture yourself deep behind enemy lines, taking calculated risks to gather information about the enemy. This is Army reconnaissance work. How can you earn yourself a spot among the reconnaissance ranks?
Whether they're on the front lines treating soldiers' battle wounds or stateside caring for veterans, Army nurses are a trusted and respected part of the U.S. military. Think you have what it takes to be one of the military's medical elite?
Whether you already know a second language or want to learn one, the Army's linguist program could provide you with ample opportunities. Find out how.
Doctors in the U.S. Army may tend the wounded in a combat zone but they're just as likely to be taking care of soldiers on an army base or doing research. Find out the benefits and challenges of becoming an army doctor.
By John Kelly
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Want to join the service? One prerequisite for joining any branch of the U.S. military is a test called the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). But what do the scores of this test mean, and how do they affect Army jobs?
Care of our public spaces and buildings, plus our environment, is a big job. Fortunately, we have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an organization trained and tasked with the challenge. So how can you work with this group?
Thrill seekers love to jump out of planes for fun, so you can imagine how many soldiers are excited to earn their "jump wings" with formal training at Airborne School. But can going to "Jump School" help you with your career path?
By Jane McGrath
Air traffic control specialists (ATCS), known also as air traffic controllers, are the crossing guards of the friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) skies.
By Chris Opfer
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More than half a million Americans serve in the well-oiled machine known as the U.S. Army, and they're not all soldiers. Some are photographers, some are mechanics and some work in pharmacies. How does someone become an Army pharmacy technician?
If you're a soldier fighting a war in a foreign country, you want to have everything you need at your fingertips. It's a matter of life and death, and Army unit supply specialists help give soldiers the tools they need to fight.
We know how drone strikes are supposed to work: After careful monitoring, the bad guy is targeted and taken out. The reality is often much hazier — and deadlier.
The term "semi-automatic weapon" is used in the U.S. media often. But what does it really mean? Is it just another term for a machine gun?
By Chris Opfer
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We're not talking about one of those laughable get-ups that celebs don when they want to go incognito for a latte. Nope, we're talking elaborate disguises -- from operatic to scientific.
It's a delicate, hair-raising business that usually ends in triumph, but can, in certain circumstances, end in tragedy. Welcome to the world of a bomb squad technician. It's explosive.
In 2013, North Korea said it had readied missiles for potential strikes on U.S. military bases. The U.S. government said it was ready to intercept them. But what does that really mean?
Would you believe there are videos showing toddlers opening gun safes? Turns out some of them are not very secure. Why is that, and what should you look for when buying one?
By Julia Layton
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Do you know which features earn an ordinary firearm the "assault" label in the U.S.? There's more to that definition than just semi-automatic action.
Game theory isn't about people scratching their heads over a never-ending game of Monopoly. Serious theorists, like Henry Kissinger, used it to form war strategies.
By Tom Scheve