An A-10C Thunderbolt II with iconic Flying Tiger nose art, showcasing the beloved ugly aircraft that refuses to retire

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Sometimes the dumbest-looking weapon is the one that works. From a Vespa scooter with a 75mm cannon to the airplane the Air Force keeps trying to kill, these 10 machines prove that in warfare, ugly and effective beats beautiful and theoretical every time.

Ryan Caldwell·14 min read

A soldier aims an FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missile system during a field exercise

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The Stinger Missile Won the Cold War From a Soldier's Shoulder. Now It's Nearly Extinct.

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U.S. Marines use a Norwegian cargo ship to transport military equipment for an Arctic exercise, demonstrating modern military logistics

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Why the Next War Will Be Won by Whoever Builds the Better Logistics Network, Not the Better Weapon

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Visitors walk along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., with names of the fallen reflected in the black granite

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K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer in position during a NATO exercise in Finland

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Today in Military History

May 4 in Military HistoryToday

Students gathered on the Kent State University campus during anti-war protests, May 4, 1970

Defining Moment · 56 years ago today

Kent State Massacre: National Guard Kills Four Student Protesters

Ohio National Guard troops fired 67 rounds in 13 seconds at unarmed students protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, killing four and wounding nine at Kent State University. The shootings provoked the largest student strike in American history, shutting down over 450 universities and fundamentally altering public support for the Vietnam War.

Also on this day1864Battle of the Wilderness Begins 1982HMS Sheffield Struck by Exocet Missile 1945German Forces in Northwest Europe Surrender to Montgomery 1776Rhode Island Renounces British Allegiance

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Notable Birthdays

1928Hosni MubarakAir Chief Marshal 1892Josip Broz Tito