Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia

Aircraft weapons

The amazing world of aircraft weapons: from the machine guns of the First World War to today's guided missiles.

36weapons
4groups
7countries

About aircraft weapons

Since the First World War, aircraft have carried weapons: first machine guns that fired through the propeller, then cannons, bombs and, from the 1950s, guided missiles. The weapons often became as famous as the aircraft that carried them.

On these pages you find the air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, aircraft guns and bombs of the Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia, with their history, the aircraft that carry them and links to more information.

Choose a group below, or use the A–Z list to go straight to a weapon.

WeaponDesignationManufacturerIn serviceTypeStatus
Fritz X“Ruhrstahl SD 1400 X”Ruhrstahl1943Guided glide bombMuseum
Bouncing bomb“Upkeep”Barnes Wallis (design)1943Bouncing bombMuseum
Fieseler Fi 103 (V-1)“Flying bomb”V-1Fieseler1944Flying bomb (early cruise missile)Museum
TallboyBarnes Wallis (design)1944Earthquake bombMuseum
Grand Slam Bomb,Barnes Wallis (design)1945Earthquake bombMuseum
AIM-9L SidewinderAIM-9LRaytheonShort-range air-to-air missile
AIM-9X SidewinderAIM-9XRaytheonShort-range air-to-air missile
AIM-132 ASRAAMAIM-132MBDAShort-range air-to-air missile
AIM-7 SparrowAIM-7RaytheonMedium-range air-to-air missile
AIM-120 AMRAAMAIM-120RaytheonMedium-range air-to-air missile
AIM-54 PhoenixAIM-54Hughes Aircraft / RaytheonLong-range air-to-air missileRetired
AIM-260 JATMAIM-260Lockheed MartinLong-range air-to-air missileIn development
MBDA MeteorMBDABeyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
Boeing AGM-86 ALCMAGM-86BoeingAir-launched cruise missile
McDonnell AGM-84 HarpoonAGM-84McDonnell Douglas / BoeingAnti-ship missile
Raytheon TomahawkBGM-109RaytheonLong-range cruise missile
AGM-88 HARMAGM-88Texas Instruments / RaytheonAnti-radiation missile
AGM-65 MaverickAGM-65Hughes Aircraft / RaytheonAir-to-ground missile
AGM-114 HellfireAGM-114Lockheed MartinAir-to-surface missile
AGM-154 JSOWAGM-154RaytheonGlide weapon (Joint Standoff Weapon)
Lewis GunBirmingham Small ArmsLight machine gunMuseum
Spandau MG 08“Maschinengewehr 08”Machine gunMuseum
Vickers K machine gunVickersMachine gunMuseum
MG 131Rheinmetall-BorsigAircraft machine gunMuseum
Hispano-Suiza HS.404Hispano-SuizaAutocannonMuseum
Bofors 40 mm L/60BoforsAutocannon
ADEN 30 mm cannonRoyal Small Arms FactoryRevolver cannon
Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23Nudelman-RikhterAutocannon
M61 VulcanGeneral ElectricSix-barrel rotary cannon
GAU-8 AvengerGeneral ElectricSeven-barrel rotary cannon
Mauser BK-27“Bordkanone 27”MauserRevolver cannon
M230 chain gunHughes HelicoptersChain gun
Mark 80 series (Mk 82/83/84)Mk 82General-purpose bomb
PavewayTexas Instruments / RaytheonLaser-guided bomb
JDAM“Joint Direct Attack Munition”BoeingGPS guidance kit
GBU-43/B MOAB“Massive Ordnance Air Blast”GBU-43/BLarge air-blast bomb