Surveillance and Stealth
Explore the technologies used by the military to covertly acquire intelligence and infiltrate enemy lines. Learn how sophisticated listening devices and invisible aircraft enable military forces to get right up to the enemy's doorstep.
Watch Your Six: Military Jet Pictures
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
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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?
When and why did we invent war?
YOU Can Drive a Tank!
Is the army testing an invisible tank?
AMX-13 Light Tank
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There is some serious technology and ingenuity involved in making a 172-foot-wide, bomb-carrying aircraft "disappear." Find out how the B-2 bomber deals with enemy radar.
By Tom Harris
When an airplane is described as a "stealth" aircraft, what does that mean? What is "stealth technology" and how does it work?
Gathering reconnaissance during battle typically puts small teams of soldiers in harm's way. Tiny robotic flyers, called micro air vehicles (MAVs), could do away with this danger. Learn all about spy flies.
By Kevin Bonsor
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On a television drama last week, the plot involved photos taken of a Russian missile silo, and the characters mentioned a "keyhole satellite." What is a keyhole satellite and what can it really spy on?
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.
I've heard about small planes that help the United States military gather information. How do these remotely operated spy planes work?
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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Underwater military bases sound super-cool, but what are the odds they truly exist?
By Diana Brown