TRANSPORTLARGEST SURFACE COMBAT SHIP
WITH A WAVE-PIERCING HULL
Wave-piercing hulls are long and thin, and designed to cut
through the waves on the ocean surface rather than ride on
top of them. This makes for a smoother and more stable ride.
Commissioned on 15 Oct 2016, the USS Zumwalt is the first of
its class of destroyer. Measuring 185 m (606 ft 11 in) in length,
the Zumwalt is a fully stealth-capable combat ship.
LARGEST SUBMARINE
On 23 Sep 1980, NATO announced the launch of the
941 Akula-class submarine at the Russian shipyard at
Severodvinsk, on the White Sea. The deep-sea behemoths
were believed to measure 171.5 m (562 ft 8 in) – two-and-
a-half times the length of a 747 jumbo jet. They were armed
with 20 multiple-warhead SS-N-20 missiles with a range of
8,300 km (4,500 nautical mi). Akula is Russian for “shark”.HEAVIEST MILITARY
TILTROTOR AIRCRAFT (CURRENT)
The American Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey has a
maximum, fully loaded vertical take-off weight
of 52,600 lb (23,859 kg). With its rotors tilted
upwards, the Osprey is capable of vertical take-off
and landing. In flight, its rotors tilt forward (inset),
enabling speeds of up to 565 km/h (351 mph) –
much faster than a conventional helicopter.LARGEST VARIABLE-
SWEEP-WING AIRCRAFT
Code-named “Blackjack”
by NATO, the Russian
Tupolev Tu-160 first came
into service in 2005. The
strategic supersonic
bomber has variable-
sweep wings, also called
“swing wings”. They sweep
back in flight, changing the
shape of the aircraft and
making it more efficient
at higher speeds. The
Tupolev Tu-160’s wings
have a span of 36.5 m
(119 ft 9 in) when swept
and 55.7 m (182 ft 8.9 in)
when spread.FIRST MAIN BATTLE TANK
WITH AN UNMANNED TURRET
The Russian T-14 Armata was first unveiled to the public
during the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade, after a four-
year period of trial and development. The tank’s crew of
three sits inside an internal armoured capsule, while the
main gun is fully unmanned and controlled from within the
crew compartment
(inset). The T-14 weighs
around 48 tonnes
(105,822 lb) and is
8.7 m (28 ft 6 in) long,
excluding the main gun.LARGEST WARSHIP
CONSTRUCTED FROM
GLASS-REINFORCED
PLASTIC
The Hunt-class ships of
the UK’s Royal Navy are
active minehunters with a
secondary role as offshore
patrol vehicles. Their hulls
are made from glass-
reinforced plastic (GRP)
rather than metal, which
creates a low magnetic
signature. This serves
to protect them against
mines able to detect
and target conventional
metallic hulls. Hunt-class
ships measure 60 m (196 ft
10 in) long and displace
750 tonnes (826 tons).FASTEST MILITARY HELICOPTER
The first Chinook helicopter took to the skies on 21 Sep 1961.
More than 1,200 variants have since been built, with at least
20 countries currently operating them. The CH-47F Chinook
has a top speed of 315 km/h (195.7 mph). Tandem rotors at the
front and back of the airframe negate the need for a tail rotor.
Used mainly to transport equipment and troops, the CH-47F
is armed with three mounted machine guns.