Weapons explained
What each weapon type is, what it does and which countries have the most.
Missiles & air defence
Air defence (surface-to-air missiles)
Ground-based radar and missile systems that shoot down aircraft, drones, cruise missiles and in some cases ballistic missiles. Countries bu…
Cruise missile
A guided missile that flies like a small jet aircraft, low over land or sea, and steers itself to a precise target hundreds or thousands of…
Hypersonic weapons
Missiles that fly at more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5+) and can manoeuvre during flight, making them very difficult for air …
Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM)
A guided missile, carried by soldiers or mounted on vehicles and helicopters, that can destroy a tank from several kilometres away. Some, l…