General-purpose bombs are mainly used against larger targets, and have been in use since World War II. The U.S has since updated them, and branched these into a four unit family, called the Mark 80, which goes through up to the Mark 84. Each subsequent unit from the first to the latter weighs twice as much.
The main difference from the Mark 80 to the Mark 84 is basically size. Mark 81 and Mark 82 are the most popular ones in the family, and strike an effective balance between weight and precision. Mark 84’s weigh a whopping 2,000 pounds, and are only used in very specific cases due to their bias towards massive, earth scorching damage.
The Mark 77 Incendiary Bomb
If you’re a pyromaniac, you should probably never be in charge of the Mark 77 Incendiary bombs. These powerful war tools cause a massive inferno mere seconds after exploding, and are used very sparingly as a result. It’s use was banned worldwide in 1980, after large populations of civilians were burnt alive by these weapons.
Mark 77 Incendiary bombs were used by the United States Marines during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. More recently, highly controversial reports of unauthorized use of these by the U.S. military have surfaced, but they are currently unproven and remain in the rumor zone at the moment.
The M240
The M240 machine gun is a Caliber 7.62 mm NATO turret that can decimate even well-armored targets. M240s are usually fired from an integrated bipod or tripod, and can also be mounted on a vehicle. These weapons are quite heavy and weigh more than 25 pounds, which is why they are used almost exclusively when mounted.
The M240 uses an average cartridge of 7.62×51mm, and can hit targets up to 1,200 yards away when docket. The M240 shoots at rates of up to 100 rounds per minute, with a required barrel change every 10 minutes or so. It uses an air-cooling system to keep it from overheating, although short breaks are required between bursts.
The SOCOM MK 13
The SOCOM MK 13 is a bolt-action sniper rifle used by the Navy SEALs, as-well-as other ground units. It fires .300 Winchester Magnum rounds, also known as WinMags, and is extremely useful for long-distance target take-down missions.
The SOCOM MK 13 is a relatively light-weight sniper rifle, weighing just over 10 pounds. It can effectively shoot up to 0.75 miles, which makes it an excellent choice for long-range hits. MK 13’s are often docked on a tripod before being shot, which makes them one of the most accurate guns in the world.
The Penguin Anti-Ship Missile
While they may sound cute, Penguin anti-ship missiles are far from it. Designed to be launched from Seahawk helicopters, they allow Navy choppers to easily take out hostile ships while staying in a safe range. Each missile weighs about 835 pounds and holds a 275-pound warhead that can sink even the biggest and baddest ship.
These advanced missiles can automatically dodge hostile threats in-mid flight, effectively circumventing their enemy’s defense systems. Penguins are built for crushing armor-plated targets, and do so with a delayed explosion mechanism. They first penetrate an enemy ship, and only detonate once they are inside its cabin. Go Penguins!