Whether you're a superpower or a lone wolf, there have never been more deadly weapons available at any time in the world than right now.
Russia has put us on notice with news that its RS-28 Sarmat thermonuclear-armed ballistic missile system, dubbed Satan 2, will come into service in 2018.
The monster rocket is said to be 2000 times stronger than bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and capable of destroying a country the size of "France or Texas".
But it's not the only weapon capable of creating hell on earth - here's a sample of what is out there.
This weapon of mass destruction from China has the longest range of any known missile in the world.
The Dongfeng-41 can reportedly carry to 10 nuclear warheads a distance of 12,000km in 30 minutes.
That means cities such as London and Paris could be wiped out with virtually no notice.
The Chinese government has never officially acknowledged the existence of the DF-41 but a report but Pentagon sources told The Washington Beacon the weapon had been detected by American satellites.
In 2014, The Global Times carried a screenshot of the provincial monitoring station's online notice about the missile.
The paper said the missile was "a strategic trump card that is without a doubt the most mysterious and most capable of deterrence".
The Times follows developments in China's military closely and has frequently revealed new technology including China's stealth fighter jets.
Russia this week has released the first image of its new nuclear missile, a weapon so powerful that it could wipe out entire countries.
The RS-28 Sarmat thermonuclear-armed ballistic missile was commissioned in 2011 and is expected to come into service in 2018.
It has been dubbed "Satan 2", as it will replace the RS-36M, the 1970s-era weapon referred to by NATO as the Satan missile.
Sputnik, the Russian government-controlled news agency, reported in May that the missile would be powerful enough to destroy an area "the size of Texas or France".
The US state may seem like a random choice for a size comparison but its likely the Russians are gleefully exploiting its reputation for extreme paranoia; Texans have been prepping for the apocalypse since Jade Helm and their inclusion in the Satan 2 press release could tip them over the edge.
According to Russian media, the missile will weigh up to 10 tonnes with the capacity to carry up to 10 tonnes of nuclear cargo.
With that type of payload, it could deliver a blast some 2000 times more forceful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Russia reportedly tested a hypersonic warhead in April that is apparently intended for use on the Satan 2 missiles.
Terrifyingly, the warhead is designed to be impossible to intercept because it does not move on a set trajectory.
The Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau said it was "instructed to start design and development work" by the Kremlin before a contract was signed in 2011 for the missile's development.
"The prospective strategic missile system is being developed in order to assuredly and effectively fulfil objectives of nuclear deterrent by Russia's strategic forces," Satan 2 designers V Degtar and Y Kaverin said in a joint statement this week.
"We have implemented a number of innovations including making the barrel longer and the bullet slightly heavier," he told The Mirror.
"Hopefully, this year we will be able to set a new record."
Snipers have played a key role in the war against the terror group and at least one anonymous gunman has been targeting extremists in Mosul for several days now as Iraqi-led coalition forces continue their battle to retake the jihadi stronghold.
"The emergence of the 'Sniper of Mosul', as the residents call him, increased the pace of the popular resistance against ISIS," Al Sumaria News reported.
"The presence of the sniper in four neighborhoods emphasises that there are many snipers and not only one."
Some believe the "Sniper of Mosul" could be part of an elite, Special Forces team - though it is unclear whether they would be Iraqi or allied soldiers.
In January, another mysterious marksman - dubbed the "Daesh Hunter" - had extremists on the run in Libya after he assassinated a few of the group's terror chiefs.
At least three ISIS leaders were killed by the lone sniper over a span of 10 days, sparking a "state of terror" in the ranks, sources said.
And last month, an Iraqi housewife made headlines when it was revealed she had been personally threatened by the group's leader after cooking the severed heads of fanatics she had killed.
DOLPHIN SUBS and SA'AR CORVETTE WARSHIPS
Israel is set to acquire at least three more submarines capable of launching nuclear missiles to replace the oldest vessels in its fleet, some of which have been in service since 1999.
Israeli newspaper Maariv said the country is secretly preparing to purchase three Dolphin-class submarines from Germany at a total cost of US$1.3 billion.
The three are in addition to a contract for six German submarines signed years ago, the last of which is due for delivery in 2017.
"The new submarines are said to be more advanced, longer and equipped with better accessories," Maariv said in its report.
The Israeli Defense Ministry has yet to comment on the Dolphin-class subs and like most countries (with the exception perhaps of North Korea and Russia) has a policy of not confirming or denying its nuclear weapons capabilities.
However, Dolphin-class submarines are known to have the ability to carry and launch missiles equipped with nuclear warheads.
Russian state-funded agency Sputnik recently stated that Israel was "currently in possession of some 100 nuclear warheads and some 200 missiles to deliver them". The agency acknowledged those figures had never been officially verified by Tel Aviv, however.
"Submarines bring a level of intelligence to Israel that cannot be achieved by other units," an unnamed source described as a "senior Israeli military representative" said in an interview with the Jerusalem Post in 2014.
"A submarine can stay in enemy territory for weeks, and no one knows it's there."
In addition to the submarines, Israel reportedly plans to upgrade its entire surface combat fleet with new German-built Sa'ar-6 corvette warships at an estimated cost of US$468 million.
