Though Afghanistan is largely a backward nation in terms of technological development (running water is not the norm there), U.S. forces there are employing some of the most sophisticated weaponry in history in their fight against al Qaeda. These include:

• The Predator, an unmanned, remote-controlled airplane that can spy on enemies and launch air-to-ground missiles. The Predator has been used extensively by U.S. forces for reconnaissance missions in Afghanistan. On November 3, the Taliban claimed to have shot one down, but U.S. officials blamed the drone's disappearance on bad weather. The Predator has also been used extensively to spy on Iraq, which claims to have shot down three of them down in September and October.

• The Global Hawk, another pilotless plane, which can fly even higher than the Predator while grabbing detailed video of enemy ground troops. The U.S. has employed the Global Hawk to track the location of al Qaeda troops during fighting in the mountainous Tora Bora region of Afghanistan.

• The AC-130H Spectre, a low-flying supergunship that was used by U.S. Special Forces to obliterate a fortress in northern Afghanistan when Taliban prisoners staged an uprising. Though the military has been using these heavily equipped airplanes since the Vietnam conflict, the latest version of the AC-130 features 40 mm and 105 mm cannons, a 25 mm gun, and sophisticated sensor, radar and navigation systems operated by a crew of up to 14 people.

• The MH-53J Pave Low, a 21-ton high-tech monster helicopter that has been used in Afghanistan to swoop in, stop on a dime and deploy Special Operations troops. It can carry 38 troops and is equipped with special navigation gear, radar and other electronics to help it slip behind enemy lines without detection.

• "Cave-buster" bombs that can penetrate mountain hideouts where al Qaeda soldiers might be hiding. Three such bombs are being used in Afghanistan: a gravity bomb that creates such intense pressure it destroys everything inside a cave; a laser-guided bomb that penetrates 30 feet underground and can seal off entrances; and a missile that can fly in, blow up, and suck all the air out of a cave.

For more on the various weapons being used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan, visit the Department of Defense's Web site.

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MTV News Staff report

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