White House Down is a 2013 action film directed by Roland Emmerich and stars Channing Tatum as John Cale, a Capitol Police Officer and failed Secret Service applicant who finds himself trapped after heavily armed mercenaries seize the White House. He then proceeds to find President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) and the two try to find a way to thwart the terrorists. The film was released in the US on June 28, 2013, a mere three months following the release of the similarly-themed Olympus Has Fallen.
The following weapons were used in the film White House Down:
John Cale (Channing Tatum) uses a Glock 19 pistol as his sidearm while serving as the bodyguard of Speaker of the House Eli Raphaelson (Richard Jenkins).
Special Agent Martin Walker (James Woods) uses a Beretta 92FS as his main weapon throughout the film, despite the official sidearm of the Secret Service being the SIG-Sauer P229. The use of the pistol by Agent Walker is probably a nod to his son's service in the Marines Corps, being that the Beretta M9 is the pistol issued to the Marines. He does also keep the pistol near a photo of his deceased son which would also suggest that the use of the pistol is in his honor. A few of the Secret Service Uniformed Division officers are also armed with Berettas, which the mercenaries use to seize control of the White House.
Cale uses a Springfield Armory XD-45 Tactical with an olive drab green frame taken from Vadim (Anatoly Zinoviev) for much of the movie. He later gives it to President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) to protect himself while they flee through the White House catacombs.
The SIG-Sauer P250 Compact with a threaded barrel appears to be the weapon used by Emil Stenz (Jason Clarke) as well as the mercenaries during the initial takeover of the White House. Secret Service agents are also seen armed with the pistol, in spite the P250 Compact is not used by the agency. John Cale (Channing Tatum) is seen armed with one from a fallen USSS agent until he is able to acquire a Brügger & Thomet APC9 sub-machine gun.
The Brügger & Thomet APC9 is used by several of the mercenaries who seize the White House, including Stenz and Killick (Kevin Rankin). The submachine gun seen is fitted with a tan upper receiver, an EOTech XPS2 sight, tactical light and suppressor. Cale uses one after seizing it from Ritter (Andreas Apergis) early in the film.
Stenz uses a Heckler & Koch MP5A3 with a suppressor while seizing control of the White House. Stenz's right hand man Motts (Falk Hentschel) uses a MP5A3 with tan furniture, a RIS handguard and foregrip, which is later taken by Cale when he rescues President Sawyer.
A couple of Heckler & Koch MP5SD submachine guns can be seen in the White House armory. Although the mercenaries are seen grabbing the MP5SDs, in a continuity error they turn into MP5A3s with suppressors when they are fired.
Several Secret Service agents are armed with the FN P90. This is one of the few weapons used by Secret Service in this movie that is in fact used by the Secret Service in real life.
Some of the mercenaries are armed with M4A1 carbines with EOTech XPS2 sights. Agents from the Secret Service Counter-Assault Team are also armed with M4A1s, as are US Army soldiers and US Marines. In real life the US Secret Service no longer uses the M4A1, having replaced it with the Knight's Armament Company SR-16.
Vadim (Anatoly Zinoviev) is armed with a short-barrelled SIG SG 552 carbine with a pronged flash hider and standard diopter sights while searching for the President in the White House living quarters. Cale takes the SG 552 and uses it while eluding Stenz.
The mercenaries use a Minigun mounted on a Secret Service Chevrolet Suburban during a car chase on the White House lawn. John Cale (Channing Tatum) also uses the minigun in the film.
President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) uses what appears to be an M26 hand grenade as a distraction when he is confronted by Walker and Stenz at the White House pool. Grenades are later used during a fight between Stenz and Cale (Channing Tatum). They're depicted as emitting an audible electronic beeping that increases in frequency before the grenade detonates, something which they do not do in reality.
The mercenaries use a FGM-148 Javelin to fend off attacking helicopters. While the Javelin is designed as an anti-tank weapon, it uses an IR (heat-seeking) guidance system like those used on air-to-air missiles, allowing it to easily engage helicopters. Strangely, the Javelin is abandoned in favor of an outdated RPG-7 when the mercenaries actually have to destroy a tank, and Cale often describes them as "surface to air missiles".
The launcher in the film is erroneously depicted as a standard hard-launch missile launcher, instead of a soft-launch (where the missile is pneumatically ejected a safe distance and then ignites its motor).
FGM-148 Javelin - 127mmError creating thumbnail: File missingA mercenary aims a FGM-148 Javelin.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe mercenary fires a FGM-148 Javelin at one of the MH-60 Black Hawks. Note the oversized backblast of the Javelin. Also, a normal backblast of the Javelin would have burned the mercenary in the middle.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe mercenary remounts the Command Launch Unit to another Javelin missile tube after firing. Note that this is obviously a mirrored shot, since the CLU can only be attached to the missile's left side.Error creating thumbnail: File missingStenz attempts to fire the Javelin as Cale tackles him.
RPG-7
A mercenary fires an RPG-7 at an advancing M1 Abrams during a chase between the mercenaries and Cale as he and the President attempt to flee using the Presidential Limousine. In reality, given its horrid accuracy, an RPG-7 with a PG-7VM rocket will do next to nothing to an M1 Abrams main battle tank, especially from the front. Exactly why they didn't use one of the dozen or so Javelin ATGMs they had just carried up, which would easily destroy an Abrams from any angle, is a mystery.
While being chased in the Presidential limousine, President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) takes out a custom rocket launcher which resembles an Airtronic RPG-7. This particular launcher appears to be an RPG-7D paratrooper model fitted with an M4-style stock and RIS rails. The type used is distinguishable from the standard RPG-7 by its takedown feature and the safety latch extension that is visible under the launch tube to prevent the sear from functioning when the launcher is in two pieces. Two separate rocket types can be seen being used with this weapon; the PG-7VM and the larger PG-7VL, but this launcher is fitted with a chromed warhead. The chrome is most likely for pure design and and to attract the audience, as chromed warheads have no beneficial value and too costly to be standard issue.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingAirtronic RPG-7 - 40mmError creating thumbnail: File missingWhile in the Presidential limousine, President Sawyer finds a disassembled RPG launcher, with a Leupold HAMR sight. Here, the launcher appears to be a RPG-7D paratrooper model distinguished by its takedown feature and the safety latch extension.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPresident Sawyer loads a custom PG-7VL rocket.Error creating thumbnail: File missingPresident Sawyer aims the launcher. The normal RPG-7 weighs 17.3 kg (37.7 lb) loaded, making it extremely difficult to aim it outside a car window during a high-speed car chase, further implying that this is a prop. Also note that the windows on the real Presidential Limousine WOULD not roll down as seen here.
White House Armory
The armory at the White House stores several pistols, rifles, and submachine guns.
