10 of the most powerful weapons NATO has to take on Putin's Russia

• For seven decades, the NATO alliance has practiced collective defense and deterrence.
• NATO's most "powerful weapon," according to Jim Townsend with the Center for a New American Security, is the "unity of the alliance.
• NATO needs to prepare for a high-end fight as Russia modernizes, pursuing hypersonic cruise missiles and other new systems, another expert said.

For seven decades, the NATO alliance has practiced collective defense and deterrence against evolving international threats, and over the years, its capabilities have changed accordingly.

NATO's most "powerful weapon," according to Jim Townsend with the Center for a New American Security, is the "unity of the alliance," but the individual allies also possess hard-hitting capabilities that could be called upon were it to face high-level aggression.

Heather Conley with the Center for Strategic and International Studies believes that Russia is likely to continue to press the alliance through low-end influence and cyberwarfare operations. Still, she explained to Business Insider, NATO needs to be seriously contemplating a high-end fight as Russia modernizes, pursuing hypersonic cruise missiles and other new systems.

So, what does that fight look like?

"I've always likened it to a potluck dinner," Townsend told Business Insider. "If NATO has this potluck dinner, what are the kinds of meals, kind of dishes that allies could bring that would be most appreciated?"

"If a host is looking to invite someone who is going to bring the good stuff, they are for sure going to invite the United States," he explained, adding that "in all categories, the US leads."

Nonetheless, the different dinner guests bring a variety of capabilities to the table. Here's some highlights of the many powerful weapons NATO could bring to bear against Russia.

F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter

"The air side of the NATO equation is led by the United States with the F-35 and other various aircraft," Townsend told BI.

The fifth-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is an aircraft that rival powers have been unable to match its stealth and advanced suite of powerful sensors.

Read More: US Air Force F-35s wrecked their enemies in mock air combat — even the new pilots were racking up kills against simulated near-peer threats

While some NATO countries are looking at the F-35 as a leap in combat capability, others continue to rely on the F-16, an older supersonic fighter that can dogfight and also bomb ground targets. And then some countries, like Germany, are considering European alternatives.

Eurofighter Typhoons

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a capable mutli-role aircraft designed by a handful of NATO countries, namely the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain, determined to field an elite air-superiority fighter. France, which walked away from the Eurofighter project, independently built a similar fighter known as the Dassault Rafale.

Observers argue that the Typhoon is comparable to late-generation Russian Flanker variants, such as the Su-35.

While each aircraft has its advantages, be it the agility of the Typhoon or the low-speed handling of the Flanker, the two aircraft are quite similar, suggesting, as The National Interest explained, that the Eurofighter could hold its own in a dogfight with the deadly Russian fighter.

Bombers

The US provides conventional and nuclear deterrence capabilities through the regular rotation of bomber aircraft into the European area of operations.

Read More: A big batch of B-52 bombers is flying into Europe amid heightened tensions with Russia

American bombers have been routinely rotating into the area since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, according to Military.com. That year, the Pentagon sent two B-2 Spirit bombers and three B-52s to Europe for training. The B-1B Lancers are also among the US bombers that regularly operate alongside NATO allies.