You’ll Never Guess Which Weapons Power the Navy SEALS

When it comes to our nation’s defense, the U.S. Navy SEALs play a critical — and sometimes understated — role. If you’ve ever been even the least bit curious about what the SEALs do for the United States, there’s now a somewhat creative option to learn more: Warfare, a 2025 war action film directed by Alex […] The post You’ll Never Guess Which Weapons Power the Navy SEALS appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Mar 27, 2025 - 13:14

You’ll Never Guess Which Weapons Power the Navy SEALS

When it comes to our nation’s defense, the U.S. Navy SEALs play a critical — and sometimes understated — role. If you’ve ever been even the least bit curious about what the SEALs do for the United States, there’s now a somewhat creative option to learn more: Warfare, a 2025 war action film directed by Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. The movie, set to be released on April 11, 2025, follows a platoon of SEALs during a mission in Ramadi, Iraq. Unlike other war action movies, Warfare centers specifically around the experiences of Mendoza and his platoon-mates, and uses their memories to construct a 90-minute snapshot of what their time in Iraq looked like. Mendoza shared during a press screening, “There’s some good war movies out there, but probably told from a director that has never seen combat.” By relying on his and his friends’ own recollections, Mendoza’s Warfare gives viewers a more in-depth exploration of how the Navy SEALs operate and why they are so essential. (These are the 20 most incredible facts about the U.S. Navy.)

The movie also gives you a small taste of some of the weapons that Navy SEALs use during missions. But it only scratches the surface. Given that SEALs are deployed in multiple scenarios and situations, they must be well-armed and ready for whatever comes their way. Here, 24/7 Wall St. worked to identify the most commonly used weapons used by Navy SEALs. To do so, we sourced weapons data from global defense reference compilation Military Factory’s Navy SEALs Weapons list. Altogether, there are 85 weapons on the list. We chose the 32 that are most unique, most commonly used, and (most importantly) still in service. This includes additional information on weapon type, ammunition, and range. The weapons are listed in no particular order. We also included an overview of the Navy SEALs and what operations they have been involved in using resources from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Navy SEALs, and National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum.

This previously published article was updated on March 26, 2025 to reflect the soon-to-be-released Warfare movie, as well as to highlight the importance of SEALs in military operations.

What Are Navy SEALs?

The Navy Sea, Air, and Land Teams — also known as the Navy SEALs — represent the United States’ premier special operations force. SEALs undergo tough, rigorous training that is often considered the most challenging training in the whole of the U.S. military. When it comes to the responsibilities of Navy SEALs, these include:

Counter-terrorism efforts
Surveillance and reconnaissance
Insertion and extraction
High-risk raids or attacks against enemy combatants
Sabotage
Underwater operations

Founding Year

The Navy SEALs were established in 1962 by then-President John F. Kennedy. However, their precursors — the Pacific Underwater Demolition Teams — had been operating as earlier as 1943 during World War II.

Deployments

The United States has taken part in various wars and conflicts over the years. During these missions, there are several situations which required the deployment of the Navy SEALs:

Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada (1983)
Operation Just Cause / Battle of Paitilla Airport (1989)
Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-2014)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003)
Operation Neptune Spear (2011) contributing to the death of Osama Bin Laden
Sudan Embassy Evacuation (2023)

Why We’re Discussing the SEALs in 2025

Because the world’s oceans cover over 70% of planet Earth, the U.S. military requires a special group of armed forces dedicated to the seas. Naval forces navigate our vast oceans, transporting weapons and machinery to other areas of the globe. Among the men and women in the US. Navy, it is perhaps the Navy SEALs who are most effective. The SEALs have recently conducted deterrence exercises alongside German and Lithuanian forces in the Baltic Sea after Russian aggression in the area; Russia has been suspected of underwater sabotage against communications cables. By training in the area, the SEALs hope to establish dominance and remind other countries that they are prepared to step in against any violence or sabotage.

These 32 weapons see everyday use by the Navy SEALS: