Lethal weapons: classification and types

Lethal weapons are one of the means of suppressing enemy forces of a potential adversary. This wording is known to each of the school courses of the OBL. In principle, in general terms, everything is said correctly. However, this article will deal with the classification of weapons. A little bit will be touched upon and the theme of the newest weapon.

Lethal weapons: classification

There is no single official classification. At present, there are no normative documents in which this idea could be clearly traced. However, guided by some logical considerations, you can give your classification, which will be correct. By the way, according to these or other criteria, several classifications can be made simultaneously. We will consider the kind that looks most logical. So, lethal weapons are divided into:

1) Manual.

2) Technical.

3) WMD (weapons of mass destruction).

OMP due to a unique potential can be identified in a separate group. However, if we pay attention to the means of its "delivery" to the goal (and we are talking about strategic aviation, submarine launch vehicles, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and so on), then WMD can be attributed to technical lethal weapons.

Manual lethal weapons

What is meant by this kind? This is the very weapon with which human associations are associated in most cases. That is: knives, pistols, machine guns and more. Manual lethal weapons have more subspecies:

1) Cold.

2) Traumatic.

3) Pneumatic.

4) Thrown.

5) Incendiary.

6) Fragmentation.

7) Gunshot.

Traumatic weapon

If everything is clear with a firearm, then sometimes questions arise in terms of traumatic weapons. This is due to the peculiarities of its application. In general, the use of traumatic weapons implies a temporary defeat of the aggressor, aimed at preventing undesirable actions on his part. However, there are many cases where traumatic weapons were the cause of death. That is why it is still referred to as lethal weapons, even when accounting for a small percentage of deaths.

The question can also arise when comparing cold and throwing weapons. Some people may say that throwing knives are a cold steel. To some extent, they are right, but this does not give the right to equate cold steel to the throwing (and vice versa) to the full extent. Prove it easily: cold weapons include swords, swords, swords. They can hardly be thrown out. At least, by appointment. But throwing weapons are not only related knives. This may surprise someone, but this group includes bows with crossbows.

Fragment weapons include grenades, as well as other devices built on the principle of explosive charge. The energy released as a result of the explosion causes the body of the device to burst into fragments - fragments, which are a destructive force. In addition, the explosive wave is a damaging factor of such devices.

What kind of firearms are there?

Firearms latest weapons have their own classification. Its branch can be represented in the following form:

1. Small arms:

A) pistols;

B) submachine guns;

C) machine guns;

D) shotguns;

E) carbines;

F) automata.

2) Grenade launcher:

A) reactive;

B) the muzzle;

C) manual;

D) easel;

E) backstroke.

Technical lethal weapons

To this category we will refer the means of annihilating the enemy, which are part of one or another type of military equipment. For example, tank guns, mortars and so on.

That is why such a variety of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear warheads, can be considered in some way a technical weapon. For example, "Topol-M" mobile basing. By the way, technical lethal weapons in many cases are called alternatively "smooth-bore weapons." The fact is that tank barrels, for example, do not have rills.

Lethal weapons of the USA and Russia

The tactical and technical characteristics of absolutely any small arms fire include not only parameters such as rate of fire, number of cartridges in the cage, the initial speed of the bullet flight, and so on, but also the caliber. This is quite an important characteristic. The US lethal weapon is now based on several calibers. For example, "Glock 17" has a caliber of 9 mm. A line of assault rifles of the genus "M4" - 5.56 mm.

The Russian Makarov pistol also uses a caliber of 9 mm. And the Kalashnikov assault rifles work at a caliber of 5.45 mm. Very often, experts and amateurs compare different weapons, including comparison of the ruler "M4" with the ruler "AK". It is worth noting the undoubted advantage of any model of the Kalashnikov assault rifle: the design is so simple that it allows the machine to function successfully even when the "M4" is already useless and requires cleaning.

Non-lethal weapons

This group includes weapons that do not cause a fatal wound to a potential enemy. It also should not lead to serious injuries. The main task confronted with non-lethal weapons is to temporarily limit the enemy's capabilities or neutralize it. The damage caused to the enemy must be minimal. The clearest example of non-lethal weapons is special means used by law enforcement officers.

Non-lethal weapons include water cannons and traumatic pistols, tear gas, light-noise devices, sound cutting-edge weapons, lasers, film polymers, microwave weapons.