Weapons platform

A weapons platform is generally any structure or system on which a weapon can be mounted. For example, a fighter jet is a weapons platform for missiles or bombs. Other vehicles such as the HMMWV ("Humvee" or "Hummer") are considered weapons platforms as well, such as for grenade launchers or machine guns. The term can describe a naval vessel as well, or an actual firearm system. In more general use, a weapons platform could be structured around a gun, such as a turret on a ship, or bracing on an aircraft. In addition, satellites in space could carry weapons. Such satellites could carry an arsenal of weapons such as to threaten other countries with a possible threat of nuclear war.

The earliest such platforms were chariots, followed by war-wagons. The next attempt to mount weapons on platforms was made at sea, with catapults and eventually cannon mounted on their final form as ship of the line before the advent of the ironclad ships mounting turrets.

On land the attempt to mount weapons on mobile platforms in the modern period was first made with rail guns. These, as forms of artillery, were the last vestiges of development of the super-weapon thinking before the advent of the tanks that changed use of weapons platforms in warfare, although the largest rail guns were still used during the Second World War on the Eastern Front. [http://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/railgun/Content/Railwayguns/German/Dora%20index.htm The 80cm 'Gustav' in Action John L Rue, Oil-Electric Engines for "Dora", The History of the V 188]

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