Combat Countdown (2012) s01e01 Episode Script
Need for Speed (Pilot)
enemy threat! go right! narrator: whether the battle is fought on land, sea, or in the air there are just two kinds of war machine -- the quick and the dead.
speed is life.
narrator: in offense or defense, acting fast is what wins wars.
we're counting down the top-10 speed machines across every class of weapons system from the stryker apc to the legendary blackbird, and the cutting-edge cb90 assault craft.
find out what meets that need for speed.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS in battle, speed equals victory.
speed of movement is an element of combat power.
narrator: it doesn't get much more critical.
that could be the difference between life and death.
[ machine-gun fire .]
with the help of military experts the quicker we can respond, the more lethal we'll be in the battlefield.
[ machine-gun fire .]
narrator: we're going to examine the fastest weapons systems on the planet.
each machine will be assessed on a balance of service record, versatility, design ingenuity, and rank within their class to determine our definitive top 10.
at number 10, the fastest armored personnel carrier in combat today the stryker.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $1.
6 million.
weight -- 19 tons.
length -- 23 feet.
in 1999, the united states army realized it needed to move troops on the battlefield faster than a bradley could do it and with better protection than a hummer.
in just four years, general dynamics land systems came up with the $1.
6 million dollar stryker, and the 19-ton vehicle hit the battlefields of iraq in october 2003.
american combat power today is configured 'round stryker brigades.
hickey: the greatest advantage of a stryker-equipped battalion or brigade is its ability to move hundreds of kilometers.
this is something we did routinely in iraq.
narrator: the eight-wheel-drive semi-active suspension system gives this armored personnel carrier the ability to carry nine infantry soldiers right into the heart of the battle at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.
today, the men of first armored division at fort bliss, texas, are being put through a tough battle simulation that will show why stryker is top of its class.
soldier: what this vehicle allows us is to put multiple troops on an objective quickly with speed and accuracy -- violence of action, as we call it.
it's like a giant hornet's nest.
you poke it with a stick, and all of a sudden, you have all these angry little hornets coming out to attack what was attacking them.
narrator: the stryker's 350-horsepower caterpillar c7 engine powers through the desert dust.
on the battlefield, a moment can be the difference between life and death, so fast deployment is vital.
every aspect of stryker is optimized for speed.
the armored exit ramp comes down in seconds.
within a minute to a minute and a half, soldier: i can have an entire squad dismounted out of this vehicle and positioned where i need them on the battlefield.
[ machine-gun fire .]
you could move a lot of combat capability with great tactical striking power.
narrator: as soon as the strykers have unloaded, they pull back to give covering fire to the assault troops.
[ machine-gun fire .]
the 12.
7 millimeter machine gun lays down a deadly hale of massive bullets on the enemy position.
if that round comes anywhere between 10 to 12 inches of your body, it still taking off that limb.
so, it's a very powerful weapon.
narrator: striking power with speed is an unbeatable combination.
stryker's extensive deployment sees it score respectably.
stryker's frame has been adapted for multiple purposes.
the design is heavily based on earlier systems.
the stryker leads its class against strong competition.
overall, the stryker scores enough for the number 10 position.
at number 9, the most versatile warship on the ocean the legend-class coast guard cutter.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $640 million.
weight -- 4,500 tons.
length -- 418 feet.
the united states coast guard's three national security cutters are right at the front line of america's maritime defenses, countering threats from terrorists and multibillion-dollar drug cartels.
you might not think of a coast guard cutter as a speed machine but the legend's ability to deploy multiple high-speed weapons systems, including armed helicopters and pursuit boats, without slowing down is unmatched.
the legend's own 49,000-shaft horsepower gas-turbine engine pushes the 4,500-ton vessel to a max speed of 28 knots.
but at the first sign of a hostile vessel, the cutter's crew pours on even more speed.
we got the coordinates for the last-known position of the vessel.
let's put a track line in, make fast-as-possible speed to that location.
for hot pursuit, two additional diesel engines are ordered online, churning out an extra 5,600 horsepower of juice.
added to the gas turbine, the colossal combined horsepower of these plants is equivalent to 100 mack trucks.
all the engines come online, and then we're off and in the chase.
narrator: to hunt down the target, the legend relies on the an/sps-73 surface-search radar, which feeds target info directly to the navigation system with unrivaled speed.
this system automatically updates from all of our sensors, so it plots it in real time up to every second.
narrator: as the legend nears her prey, she deploys her $9 million, 200-mile-per-hour mh-65c helicopter to eyeball the target.
to capture the bad guys, the coast guard have to get up close and personal.
chopper's been up in the sky searching for a while.
we're on our way to the scene, and we're getting our small boats ready so we can do everything possible to help.
narrator: any ordinary ship has to slow down or stop to launch boats, giving the enemy a chance to get away.
now set boat-lowering detail.
roger.
understood.
but the legend is no ordinary ship.
her specially-designed hull allows for ultrafast launches.
with a push of a button, a door opens, the ocean rushes in, and the interceptors are released straight into the chase.
legend can keep plowing through the waves while the fast, maneuverable pursuit boats get close enough to make an arrest.
the prosecutors gun their 480-horsepower engines in hot pursuit.
we try and stay calm.
we try and rely on our training so that we can get the mission done.
narrator: moving at speeds up to 40 knots, the fast boats catch up with the enemy quickly.
this is the coast guard.
stop your vessel immediately, or you may be fired upon.
narrator: faced with a desperate enemy, the coast guard doesn't take any chances.
they go in heavy.
everybody place your hands where i an see them! 751, this is 174.
boarding team is on board.
three boarding team members over the rail with positive control of the vessel.
this is what you can do if you've got the speed.
the legends have only recently entered service.
versatility is unmatched in its class.
design ingenuity is another area where the legends score high.
the cutters are head and shoulders above other coastal defense vessels.
overall, the legends score enough for the number 9 position.
still to come [ shouts indistinctly .]
more speed than you can handle.
narrator: coming in at number 8 in "the need for speed" countdown, the world's fastest off-roader for battlefield reconnaissance -- the jackal.
nationality -- u.
k.
cost -- $750,000.
weight -- 7.
5 tons.
length -- 18 feet.
the british army's jackal is designed for the rough terrain of afghanistan.
its job is to get in fast, spot the bad guys enemy threat! go right! get out even faster.
jackal's speed will take it anywhere over any kind of terrain at the highest speed of any equivalent military vehicle.
narrator: the key to the jackal's incredible all-terrain speed is the cutting-edge air suspension system.
above each wheel mounting, a reinflatable air bag absorbs any sudden jolts or impacts.
if the crew is expecting a bumpy ride they can inflate the air bags, raising the ride height a full 40 inches, keeping the chassis away from rocks that would tear the guts out of any ordinary off-roader.
for a recon vehicle, getting to the enemy is less than half the job.
enemy threat, right! to fulfill the mission, they have to find the enemy.
and the jackal is built to be a fast hunter.
the open upper section of the vehicle leaves the crew totally unprotected by armor, but it lets them see trouble coming before it hits.
the final part of any recon vehicle's mission is to survive long enough to report back to base.
that means running fast, over any terrain in its path.
and the speed will get it into trouble but out of trouble extremely quickly.
narrator: jackal only has a 185-horsepower engine, but the gearing and suspension systems combine to ensure that every ounce of that power is transferred to the ground beneath the tires, propelling jackal forward at high speed.
jackal has a track record of saving lives.
as well as recon, jackal performs convoy protection.
the design is ground-breaking.
jackal is head and shoulders above the rest of its class.
overall, the jackal scores enough for the number 8 position.
at number 7, the most successful missile defense system in the world -- iron dome.
origin -- israel.
cost -- $50 million per battery.
weight -- 200 pounds.
length -- 10 feet.
this is a nation under constant threat of missile attack.
israel has been targeted by hezbollah rockets on a very frequent basis.
narrator: in the dangerous border areas, every bus stop is a missile shelter.
this is not a way of living that you would like to have, once you know that you are being threatened all the time.
narrator: the rockets come in at more than twice the speed of sound.
you could counter a katusha rocket with existing systems if you knew exactly where it was coming from and when it was going to be fired.
unfortunately, the guy on the other side that's shooting that thing has a vote, too, and he votes not to tell you either one of those things.
narrator: the rockets' velocity makes them unstoppablealmost.
only one thing can bring them down -- an even faster weapon.
we were given unheard-of access to a restricted location southwest of jerusalem to get up close and personnel with the iron dome missile interception system.
the idea of the iron dome is to intercept the rockets while they are still in the air.
narrator: the technology is so classified, access to any active defense system is highly restricted.
it's a one-of-a-kind system right now.
there's not anything that duplicates it.
narrator: the creators of iron dome are so vital to the nation's security, we cannot reveal this man's identity.
though we have been granted permission to speak with him, we do not show his face.
man: here we're looking at the business end of canisters.
now, these are the interceptors.
narrator: the interceptors are three-yard-long guided missiles that launch to more than twice the speed of sound in just seconds.
that's fast, but that's not what makes iron dome a speed machine.
to save lives, iron dome depends on a supersophisticated, superfast radar system.
the iron dome is connected to a network of radars that are around in this area that respond in a very, very short time.
the response time must be very, very short, obviously.
so, it's a matter of seconds.
narrator: within seconds of the radars detecting a hostile launch, iron dome unleashes an interceptor.
man: you got to fly to a certain point in the sky.
when you get to that point in the sky, you turn on your seeker, which is the seeing-eye radar in your head, and you're going to see the bad guy.
narrator: iron dome is so effective it doesn't even need to score a direct hit.
man: iron dome has a very, very high-tech warhead.
and this high-tech warhead is made of high-tech shrapnel.
it's almost like standing next to the guy and firing at him with a shotgun.
narrator: with iron dome, close will get you a cigar.
it's proven, and it's tested, and it works, and it saves lives.
narrator: iron dome has been a game changer in israel.
the specialist role scores low for versatility.
the missile defense system is a world first.
no nation has anything to rival iron dome.
overall, the iron dome scores enough to win the number 7 slot.
still to come war machines faster than a speeding bullet.
probably flies faster than the missile that's coming to get it.
narrator: counting down the fastest weapons systems on the planet.
racing to the rescue at number 6, the u.
s.
military solution to getting their wounded off the battlefield fast the medevac black hawk.
origin -- u.
s.
cost -- $16 million.
weight -- 10 tons.
length -- 65 feet.
[ machine-gun fire .]
there's a man down, and the clock is ticking.
if a serious casualty doesn't get medical treatment in the next 60 minutes, there is a 90% chance he will die.
this is the golden hour and speed is the difference between life and death.
doing operations in afghanistan, we had to include a medevac and a casualty evacuation using black hawks.
narrator: the crew of this flying e.
r.
routinely put themselves in harm's way to save their comrades' lives.
pretty much every medevac crew member i know has come under fire at least one point in time.
it's part of the job.
narrator: this crew is getting ready for deployment in afghanistan.
mission overview -- today we're doing medevac coverage.
we'll fly up to the l.
z.
we'll put the medic down first.
by the time the crew gets the call, the golden hour is already ticking away.
the need for speed doesn't get much more serious than this.
black hawk medevac capability is absolutely crucial.
marshall: our goal is to be off the ground within 15 minutes.
can be dead asleep in your bunk and then flying through the sky.
narrator: getting the casualties out fast doesn't count for much unless they survive the journey.
so this airborne ambulance has got a whole bag of tricks to keep them breathing during evac missions that can range as far as 370 miles.
we have six onboard oxygen systems that, once it's fully charged, it's putting out 99% pure medical oxygen, just like you would get in a hospital.
narrator: two 1,900-horsepower turboshaft engines drive the hh-60 to the casualty evac point at speeds over 180 miles per hour.
the faster they can get the medic onto the ground, the better chance they have of saving lives.
marshall: if somebody's just been wounded, you have an absolute chance of encountering enemy fire.
[ machine-gun fire .]
move out of the way! narrator: when there's no clear ground for a touchdown, getting down in a firefight is tough.
nowhere to land? no problem for the medevac black hawk.
marshall: this point, we would be lowered down to wherever the patient is.
narrator: with the medic down, the hh-60's 53-foot-diameter rotors pull it back up to the relative safety of the sky.
as soon as the medic gives them the all-clear wave, black hawk swoops in for a high-speed pickup.
only once the casualty is onboard can the medic follow.
i've seen entire missions be done and over with in 17 minutes.
narrator: all secure, the pilots turn and run, racing to the hospital at speeds up to 190 miles per hour.
the black hawk has been instrumental in afghanistan and iraq.
the hh-60 is a specialist, so it scores low.
the wealth of specialist features gives a high score.
no other nation has anything to rival this dedicated medevac capability.
overall, it scores enough for the number 6 position.
coming in at number 5, the world's fastest, most agile amphibious assault craft the combat boat 90.
origin -- sweden.
cost -- $2.
5 million.
weight -- 18.
5 tons.
length -- 52 feet.
scandinavia has 20,000 miles of coastline, enough to circle the planet earth.
and when you're fighting across those distances, speed is a matter of life and death.
on june 6, 1944, allied soldiers suffered 12,000 casualties.
most got hit because they had to attack from a slow, vulnerable landing craft.
for a successful amphibious assault in the 21st century, you need speed.
with a flat-out max of 45 knots, the cb90 assault craft is an 18.
5-ton war machine with powerboat speed.
in the far north, well inside the frozen arctic circle, norway's elite naval commandos are conducting war games on a hostile stretch of coastline.
the cb90 slices through the icy sea at more than 40 knots.
the scania v-8 diesel engines provide the awesome power.
but the real key to the cb90's incredible performance is the rolls-royce water-jet propulsion system.
the assault craft arrows towards the coastline at full speed, making it a harder target for opponents.
this is where the water jets come into their own.
instead of gradually decelerating to approach the shoreline, the crew just reverses the flow of the water jets, bringing the vessel to a dead stop in just 25 yards, instead of the hundreds of yards it would take a normal ship.
the incredible crash stoppability means the cb90 hits the shore without slowing down, giving opponents no time to react.
when bullets are flying, a lengthy docking procedure would be a death sentence.
but the cb90 has an aluminum hull, specially strengthened to bash into hard-rock coastlines without fear of damage.
the ramp comes down, and the troops are off and into the fight in seconds.
the cb90 hasn't seen much action yet.
it can fill a wide range of roles.
the host of unique features scores high.
the amphibious assault craft is a world leader.
overall, the c90's score earns it the number 5 position.
still to come, the most impressive speed machines ever created.
adams: there is nothing else in the world that can match its capability.
narrator: number 4 in the "need for speed" countdown -- is it a bird? is it a plane? no, it's the fastest flying vertical takeoff transport ever built -- the v-22 osprey.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $80 million.
weight -- 19 tons.
length -- 57 feet.
the osprey combines the best characteristics of a helicopter and a conventional propeller-driven aircraft.
and because it can do both, it exceeds the capability of either.
narrator: when a chopper's speed just won't cut it the u.
s.
marine corps calls in the osprey.
it's this cool transformer between a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft.
narrator: the $80-million bell boeing v-22 osprey is all about speed.
the incredible tilt-rotor aircraft can take off totally vertically.
everybody all set, secure? man: we're all set.
once osprey is airborne, the rotors can shift from vertical to horizontal, accelerating the aircraft to speeds over 300 miles per hour -- twice as fast as an ordinary helicopter.
is the osprey a plane or a helicopter? i guess the answer is yes, 'cause it's both of those.
narrator: the elite crews of the united states marine corps use this revolutionary machine for tough jobs like the emergency extraction of a marine-corps recon team trapped behind enemy lines.
that means osprey has to fly fast and hard.
from a cold start, osprey can transform itself into flight configuration in just 11 seconds.
it's so versatile.
there is nothing else in the world that can match its capability.
narrator: the osprey locks the two 6,000-horsepower turboshaft engines into near vertical position.
with the power of 20 ferraris on each wing, the v-22 powers into the sky.
pull the power back, and you're secure.
as they reach the target area, the crew searches across the unforgiving landscape for the marine recon team.
for a clean, precise landing, osprey's engines rotate through 90 degrees to complete vertical.
the servo controlled tilt mechanism can set the rotors at any angle from zero to 90 degrees and even beyond, potentially making the osprey fly backwards.
when osprey's rotors are horizontal, the controls act like an ordinary plane's.
as they turn vertical, the controls respond more and more like a helicopter's enabling a precise vertical landing and a perfect pickup.
the osprey has only been in service since 2007.
it only does one job -- assault support.
two aircraft in one, the design ingenuity is unmatched.
the osprey scores big, leading the field in lightweight, high-speed aerial transportation.
overall, the osprey's scores win it the number 4 slot.
at number 3, the $70 million superjet that is redefining aerial warfare the f-35 lightning ii.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $70 million.
weight -- 15 tons.
length -- 51.
4 feet.
in the mid-1990s, the u.
s.
military realized it was going to have to replace four of its best combat jets.
and lockheed martin came up with one single design to perform every role filled by aircraft like the a-10 thunderbolt, the f-16 falcon, and the f-18 hornet.
it's a whole new level of capability.
it could be the most important fighter of the last 15 or 20 years.
narrator: the f-35 can fly at straight-line speeds of 1,200 miles per hour.
that is fast.
but the f-35b can do something incredible to get it to the fight faster than any other combat jet.
any ordinary high-speed jet fighter has to taxi to the end of a long runway.
it takes a long time and ties the aircraft to these mile-long lengths of concrete.
adams: there aren't always available long airstrips.
so, what you want is an aircraft that can take off from relatively short strips.
narrator: short takeoff and vertical landing, or stovl, is what sets the f-35b apart from the rest of the pack.
by deploying extra control surfaces to generate lift, the f-35 can perform a 100-yard rolling takeoff in just 3 seconds.
no aircraft in existence can match this combination of combat power and rapid deployment.
the f-35b can pivot its engine straight down to perform vertical landings or even hover in midair.
the ability to drop on a dime means it can land, rearm, refuel, and get back to the fight in record time.
adams: the f-35 represents the next generation of versatile fighter aircraft that can operate from land or sea.
narrator: the f-35 gets to the fight fast, and then it doesn't fight fair.
the f-35 is probably as capable, more capable, than anything in the current american inventory, and it has the added benefit of stealth.
narrator: stealth technology takes the lightning from deadly to unstoppable.
every surface is shaped and structured to absorb or redirect electromagnetic waves from radar scanners.
it all adds up to an almost undetectable radar signature.
huston: the first thing that may be an indication you're fighting an f-35 could be a missile coming through your canopy.
narrator: even if the bad guys see it coming, no one moves fast enough to avoid a lightning strike.
the f-35 has yet to see combat.
it will have to fill every combat role in the air force, navy, and marine corps.
the design ingenuity is unmatched.
it's a leader in more than one field.
the lack of combat service holds it back, so the f-35 only gets to number 3.
still to come, the most awesome speed machines ever to hit the field of battle.
narrator: counting down the fastest weapons systems on the planet.
coming in at number 2, the fastest armed naval vessel in the world -- norway's record-breaking skjold missile corvette.
origin -- norway.
cost -- $130 million.
weight -- 270 tons.
length -- 156 feet.
the norwegian navy developed the deadly 270-ton predator to defend norway's coastline from a powerful neighbor -- russia.
it certainly gives them capability that could prove useful encountering any aggressive force.
narrator: the skjold is a fearsome proposition for any enemy, heavily armed and with the speed of 60 knots, twice as fast as an ordinary warship.
today's combat scenario will give the 16-man crews a chance to show why the skjold earns its place in the countdown.
narrow, rocky channels, dangerously shallow waters, and arctic conditions will provide a tough test.
the skjold's speed isn't just down to raw power.
a separate set of diesel engines powers massive internal lift fans which blow downwards, lifting the ship up out of the water, so instead of sailing, the skjold is literally flying across the sea.
but when skjold flies, she can come back to earth with a thump, so she has a built-in impact absorption system.
the commanders must exercise perfect control over their vessels to make effective use of the skjold's most incredible ability.
the superspeed warship is stealthy.
what they've done is they've taken the stealth characteristics that they've used in aircraft and applied that to a naval design.
narrator: the skjold's cocktail of speed, stealth, and combat power is unbeatable.
the skjold is untested in combat.
defense, attack, or patrol, the skjold can do it all.
almost every feature of the skjold is an innovation.
it punches above its weight and leaves the rest of its class behind.
again, the lack of combat service is the only thing holding this back from being a world beater.
whatever form it comes in, speed is good.
there are fast helicopters, fast ships, even fast tanks.
but when you factor in all the key elements, there is only one world-champion of speed -- the sr-71 blackbird.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $34 million.
weight -- 70 tons.
length -- 108 feet.
it's literally one of the greatest aircraft ever designed in the history of aviation.
phenomenal airplane.
narrator: this incredible supersonic aircraft shattered the world speed record in 1976, and nothing has ever flown faster.
if you shot a rifle -- the fastest, highest, most powerful rifle at that airplane from right behind it, the bullet would never catch it.
narrator: 2,200 miles an hour 3.
3 times the speed of sound.
with its 3,000-mile range, it can cross the atlantic ocean in one hour.
i even actually had the opportunity to intercept one in an f-14.
this speed indicator was so big, we thought there was some problem, there's something wrong here.
no, it wasn't.
it was real.
narrator: the incredible machine was built to fly spy missions 80,000 feet above the most heavily defended, hostile air space in the world, so it had to be fast to survive.
the sr-71 probably flies faster than the missile that's coming to get it.
it could fly over truly hostile territory, and it provided a commander's view of the battlefield that was unsurpassed.
narrator: at launch, the blackbird flew 600 miles per hour faster than the quickest contemporary soviet fighter planes.
the russians could only watch it go past on their radar screens.
flying at the edge of earth's atmosphere, the pilots have to use totally pressurized protective suits just to breathe.
the $120,000 clothing has to be heat resistant up to 450 degrees fahrenheit to protect pilots if they have to eject into the supersonic shock wave of air that surrounds the plane during flight.
the incredible speed comes from two j-58 jet engines, each pushing out 32,000 pounds of thrust.
that's like having more than 200 muscle cars under the hood.
at low speeds, they act like an ordinary jet fighter's turbojet engines, but as the blackbird accelerates, the sharp cones known as shock cones sink back to act as air compressors, pushing the blackbird faster.
as the blackbird slices through the sky, the air in front of it is compressed into a supersonic shock wave.
it's generating this massive amount of heat from the friction.
narrator: the 800-degree temperatures could melt any ordinary plane.
so how did they crack this problem? they built the sr-71's air frame from super-tough titanium, all of which had to be imported from the soviet union at the height of the cold war.
little did the russians know the precious metal would be flying right back at them as the sr-71 conducted spy missions over soviet territory.
the speed of the sr-71 allowed it to do its mission before people knew it was there.
and if somebody shot at it, outrun the bullet.
narrator: everything about the blackbird is optimized for speed even down to the dark-blue heat-dispersing paint that gives the plane its name.
no other speed machine comes close.
the sr-71 provided vital intelligence for 30 years.
it's a super specialist and scores low.
top marks for engineering that has never been equaled.
the best in its class by a long, long way.
overall, the blackbird more than earns the number 1 position.
the need for speed gets real on the battlefield.
[ gunfire .]
move back.
and in this countdown, we've analyzed the most awesome speed machines on the planet.
from number 10 all the way down to number 2, there are strong contenders, but there's no doubt about the winner -- the sr-71 blackbird.
speed is life.
narrator: in offense or defense, acting fast is what wins wars.
we're counting down the top-10 speed machines across every class of weapons system from the stryker apc to the legendary blackbird, and the cutting-edge cb90 assault craft.
find out what meets that need for speed.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS in battle, speed equals victory.
speed of movement is an element of combat power.
narrator: it doesn't get much more critical.
that could be the difference between life and death.
[ machine-gun fire .]
with the help of military experts the quicker we can respond, the more lethal we'll be in the battlefield.
[ machine-gun fire .]
narrator: we're going to examine the fastest weapons systems on the planet.
each machine will be assessed on a balance of service record, versatility, design ingenuity, and rank within their class to determine our definitive top 10.
at number 10, the fastest armored personnel carrier in combat today the stryker.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $1.
6 million.
weight -- 19 tons.
length -- 23 feet.
in 1999, the united states army realized it needed to move troops on the battlefield faster than a bradley could do it and with better protection than a hummer.
in just four years, general dynamics land systems came up with the $1.
6 million dollar stryker, and the 19-ton vehicle hit the battlefields of iraq in october 2003.
american combat power today is configured 'round stryker brigades.
hickey: the greatest advantage of a stryker-equipped battalion or brigade is its ability to move hundreds of kilometers.
this is something we did routinely in iraq.
narrator: the eight-wheel-drive semi-active suspension system gives this armored personnel carrier the ability to carry nine infantry soldiers right into the heart of the battle at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.
today, the men of first armored division at fort bliss, texas, are being put through a tough battle simulation that will show why stryker is top of its class.
soldier: what this vehicle allows us is to put multiple troops on an objective quickly with speed and accuracy -- violence of action, as we call it.
it's like a giant hornet's nest.
you poke it with a stick, and all of a sudden, you have all these angry little hornets coming out to attack what was attacking them.
narrator: the stryker's 350-horsepower caterpillar c7 engine powers through the desert dust.
on the battlefield, a moment can be the difference between life and death, so fast deployment is vital.
every aspect of stryker is optimized for speed.
the armored exit ramp comes down in seconds.
within a minute to a minute and a half, soldier: i can have an entire squad dismounted out of this vehicle and positioned where i need them on the battlefield.
[ machine-gun fire .]
you could move a lot of combat capability with great tactical striking power.
narrator: as soon as the strykers have unloaded, they pull back to give covering fire to the assault troops.
[ machine-gun fire .]
the 12.
7 millimeter machine gun lays down a deadly hale of massive bullets on the enemy position.
if that round comes anywhere between 10 to 12 inches of your body, it still taking off that limb.
so, it's a very powerful weapon.
narrator: striking power with speed is an unbeatable combination.
stryker's extensive deployment sees it score respectably.
stryker's frame has been adapted for multiple purposes.
the design is heavily based on earlier systems.
the stryker leads its class against strong competition.
overall, the stryker scores enough for the number 10 position.
at number 9, the most versatile warship on the ocean the legend-class coast guard cutter.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $640 million.
weight -- 4,500 tons.
length -- 418 feet.
the united states coast guard's three national security cutters are right at the front line of america's maritime defenses, countering threats from terrorists and multibillion-dollar drug cartels.
you might not think of a coast guard cutter as a speed machine but the legend's ability to deploy multiple high-speed weapons systems, including armed helicopters and pursuit boats, without slowing down is unmatched.
the legend's own 49,000-shaft horsepower gas-turbine engine pushes the 4,500-ton vessel to a max speed of 28 knots.
but at the first sign of a hostile vessel, the cutter's crew pours on even more speed.
we got the coordinates for the last-known position of the vessel.
let's put a track line in, make fast-as-possible speed to that location.
for hot pursuit, two additional diesel engines are ordered online, churning out an extra 5,600 horsepower of juice.
added to the gas turbine, the colossal combined horsepower of these plants is equivalent to 100 mack trucks.
all the engines come online, and then we're off and in the chase.
narrator: to hunt down the target, the legend relies on the an/sps-73 surface-search radar, which feeds target info directly to the navigation system with unrivaled speed.
this system automatically updates from all of our sensors, so it plots it in real time up to every second.
narrator: as the legend nears her prey, she deploys her $9 million, 200-mile-per-hour mh-65c helicopter to eyeball the target.
to capture the bad guys, the coast guard have to get up close and personal.
chopper's been up in the sky searching for a while.
we're on our way to the scene, and we're getting our small boats ready so we can do everything possible to help.
narrator: any ordinary ship has to slow down or stop to launch boats, giving the enemy a chance to get away.
now set boat-lowering detail.
roger.
understood.
but the legend is no ordinary ship.
her specially-designed hull allows for ultrafast launches.
with a push of a button, a door opens, the ocean rushes in, and the interceptors are released straight into the chase.
legend can keep plowing through the waves while the fast, maneuverable pursuit boats get close enough to make an arrest.
the prosecutors gun their 480-horsepower engines in hot pursuit.
we try and stay calm.
we try and rely on our training so that we can get the mission done.
narrator: moving at speeds up to 40 knots, the fast boats catch up with the enemy quickly.
this is the coast guard.
stop your vessel immediately, or you may be fired upon.
narrator: faced with a desperate enemy, the coast guard doesn't take any chances.
they go in heavy.
everybody place your hands where i an see them! 751, this is 174.
boarding team is on board.
three boarding team members over the rail with positive control of the vessel.
this is what you can do if you've got the speed.
the legends have only recently entered service.
versatility is unmatched in its class.
design ingenuity is another area where the legends score high.
the cutters are head and shoulders above other coastal defense vessels.
overall, the legends score enough for the number 9 position.
still to come [ shouts indistinctly .]
more speed than you can handle.
narrator: coming in at number 8 in "the need for speed" countdown, the world's fastest off-roader for battlefield reconnaissance -- the jackal.
nationality -- u.
k.
cost -- $750,000.
weight -- 7.
5 tons.
length -- 18 feet.
the british army's jackal is designed for the rough terrain of afghanistan.
its job is to get in fast, spot the bad guys enemy threat! go right! get out even faster.
jackal's speed will take it anywhere over any kind of terrain at the highest speed of any equivalent military vehicle.
narrator: the key to the jackal's incredible all-terrain speed is the cutting-edge air suspension system.
above each wheel mounting, a reinflatable air bag absorbs any sudden jolts or impacts.
if the crew is expecting a bumpy ride they can inflate the air bags, raising the ride height a full 40 inches, keeping the chassis away from rocks that would tear the guts out of any ordinary off-roader.
for a recon vehicle, getting to the enemy is less than half the job.
enemy threat, right! to fulfill the mission, they have to find the enemy.
and the jackal is built to be a fast hunter.
the open upper section of the vehicle leaves the crew totally unprotected by armor, but it lets them see trouble coming before it hits.
the final part of any recon vehicle's mission is to survive long enough to report back to base.
that means running fast, over any terrain in its path.
and the speed will get it into trouble but out of trouble extremely quickly.
narrator: jackal only has a 185-horsepower engine, but the gearing and suspension systems combine to ensure that every ounce of that power is transferred to the ground beneath the tires, propelling jackal forward at high speed.
jackal has a track record of saving lives.
as well as recon, jackal performs convoy protection.
the design is ground-breaking.
jackal is head and shoulders above the rest of its class.
overall, the jackal scores enough for the number 8 position.
at number 7, the most successful missile defense system in the world -- iron dome.
origin -- israel.
cost -- $50 million per battery.
weight -- 200 pounds.
length -- 10 feet.
this is a nation under constant threat of missile attack.
israel has been targeted by hezbollah rockets on a very frequent basis.
narrator: in the dangerous border areas, every bus stop is a missile shelter.
this is not a way of living that you would like to have, once you know that you are being threatened all the time.
narrator: the rockets come in at more than twice the speed of sound.
you could counter a katusha rocket with existing systems if you knew exactly where it was coming from and when it was going to be fired.
unfortunately, the guy on the other side that's shooting that thing has a vote, too, and he votes not to tell you either one of those things.
narrator: the rockets' velocity makes them unstoppablealmost.
only one thing can bring them down -- an even faster weapon.
we were given unheard-of access to a restricted location southwest of jerusalem to get up close and personnel with the iron dome missile interception system.
the idea of the iron dome is to intercept the rockets while they are still in the air.
narrator: the technology is so classified, access to any active defense system is highly restricted.
it's a one-of-a-kind system right now.
there's not anything that duplicates it.
narrator: the creators of iron dome are so vital to the nation's security, we cannot reveal this man's identity.
though we have been granted permission to speak with him, we do not show his face.
man: here we're looking at the business end of canisters.
now, these are the interceptors.
narrator: the interceptors are three-yard-long guided missiles that launch to more than twice the speed of sound in just seconds.
that's fast, but that's not what makes iron dome a speed machine.
to save lives, iron dome depends on a supersophisticated, superfast radar system.
the iron dome is connected to a network of radars that are around in this area that respond in a very, very short time.
the response time must be very, very short, obviously.
so, it's a matter of seconds.
narrator: within seconds of the radars detecting a hostile launch, iron dome unleashes an interceptor.
man: you got to fly to a certain point in the sky.
when you get to that point in the sky, you turn on your seeker, which is the seeing-eye radar in your head, and you're going to see the bad guy.
narrator: iron dome is so effective it doesn't even need to score a direct hit.
man: iron dome has a very, very high-tech warhead.
and this high-tech warhead is made of high-tech shrapnel.
it's almost like standing next to the guy and firing at him with a shotgun.
narrator: with iron dome, close will get you a cigar.
it's proven, and it's tested, and it works, and it saves lives.
narrator: iron dome has been a game changer in israel.
the specialist role scores low for versatility.
the missile defense system is a world first.
no nation has anything to rival iron dome.
overall, the iron dome scores enough to win the number 7 slot.
still to come war machines faster than a speeding bullet.
probably flies faster than the missile that's coming to get it.
narrator: counting down the fastest weapons systems on the planet.
racing to the rescue at number 6, the u.
s.
military solution to getting their wounded off the battlefield fast the medevac black hawk.
origin -- u.
s.
cost -- $16 million.
weight -- 10 tons.
length -- 65 feet.
[ machine-gun fire .]
there's a man down, and the clock is ticking.
if a serious casualty doesn't get medical treatment in the next 60 minutes, there is a 90% chance he will die.
this is the golden hour and speed is the difference between life and death.
doing operations in afghanistan, we had to include a medevac and a casualty evacuation using black hawks.
narrator: the crew of this flying e.
r.
routinely put themselves in harm's way to save their comrades' lives.
pretty much every medevac crew member i know has come under fire at least one point in time.
it's part of the job.
narrator: this crew is getting ready for deployment in afghanistan.
mission overview -- today we're doing medevac coverage.
we'll fly up to the l.
z.
we'll put the medic down first.
by the time the crew gets the call, the golden hour is already ticking away.
the need for speed doesn't get much more serious than this.
black hawk medevac capability is absolutely crucial.
marshall: our goal is to be off the ground within 15 minutes.
can be dead asleep in your bunk and then flying through the sky.
narrator: getting the casualties out fast doesn't count for much unless they survive the journey.
so this airborne ambulance has got a whole bag of tricks to keep them breathing during evac missions that can range as far as 370 miles.
we have six onboard oxygen systems that, once it's fully charged, it's putting out 99% pure medical oxygen, just like you would get in a hospital.
narrator: two 1,900-horsepower turboshaft engines drive the hh-60 to the casualty evac point at speeds over 180 miles per hour.
the faster they can get the medic onto the ground, the better chance they have of saving lives.
marshall: if somebody's just been wounded, you have an absolute chance of encountering enemy fire.
[ machine-gun fire .]
move out of the way! narrator: when there's no clear ground for a touchdown, getting down in a firefight is tough.
nowhere to land? no problem for the medevac black hawk.
marshall: this point, we would be lowered down to wherever the patient is.
narrator: with the medic down, the hh-60's 53-foot-diameter rotors pull it back up to the relative safety of the sky.
as soon as the medic gives them the all-clear wave, black hawk swoops in for a high-speed pickup.
only once the casualty is onboard can the medic follow.
i've seen entire missions be done and over with in 17 minutes.
narrator: all secure, the pilots turn and run, racing to the hospital at speeds up to 190 miles per hour.
the black hawk has been instrumental in afghanistan and iraq.
the hh-60 is a specialist, so it scores low.
the wealth of specialist features gives a high score.
no other nation has anything to rival this dedicated medevac capability.
overall, it scores enough for the number 6 position.
coming in at number 5, the world's fastest, most agile amphibious assault craft the combat boat 90.
origin -- sweden.
cost -- $2.
5 million.
weight -- 18.
5 tons.
length -- 52 feet.
scandinavia has 20,000 miles of coastline, enough to circle the planet earth.
and when you're fighting across those distances, speed is a matter of life and death.
on june 6, 1944, allied soldiers suffered 12,000 casualties.
most got hit because they had to attack from a slow, vulnerable landing craft.
for a successful amphibious assault in the 21st century, you need speed.
with a flat-out max of 45 knots, the cb90 assault craft is an 18.
5-ton war machine with powerboat speed.
in the far north, well inside the frozen arctic circle, norway's elite naval commandos are conducting war games on a hostile stretch of coastline.
the cb90 slices through the icy sea at more than 40 knots.
the scania v-8 diesel engines provide the awesome power.
but the real key to the cb90's incredible performance is the rolls-royce water-jet propulsion system.
the assault craft arrows towards the coastline at full speed, making it a harder target for opponents.
this is where the water jets come into their own.
instead of gradually decelerating to approach the shoreline, the crew just reverses the flow of the water jets, bringing the vessel to a dead stop in just 25 yards, instead of the hundreds of yards it would take a normal ship.
the incredible crash stoppability means the cb90 hits the shore without slowing down, giving opponents no time to react.
when bullets are flying, a lengthy docking procedure would be a death sentence.
but the cb90 has an aluminum hull, specially strengthened to bash into hard-rock coastlines without fear of damage.
the ramp comes down, and the troops are off and into the fight in seconds.
the cb90 hasn't seen much action yet.
it can fill a wide range of roles.
the host of unique features scores high.
the amphibious assault craft is a world leader.
overall, the c90's score earns it the number 5 position.
still to come, the most impressive speed machines ever created.
adams: there is nothing else in the world that can match its capability.
narrator: number 4 in the "need for speed" countdown -- is it a bird? is it a plane? no, it's the fastest flying vertical takeoff transport ever built -- the v-22 osprey.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $80 million.
weight -- 19 tons.
length -- 57 feet.
the osprey combines the best characteristics of a helicopter and a conventional propeller-driven aircraft.
and because it can do both, it exceeds the capability of either.
narrator: when a chopper's speed just won't cut it the u.
s.
marine corps calls in the osprey.
it's this cool transformer between a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft.
narrator: the $80-million bell boeing v-22 osprey is all about speed.
the incredible tilt-rotor aircraft can take off totally vertically.
everybody all set, secure? man: we're all set.
once osprey is airborne, the rotors can shift from vertical to horizontal, accelerating the aircraft to speeds over 300 miles per hour -- twice as fast as an ordinary helicopter.
is the osprey a plane or a helicopter? i guess the answer is yes, 'cause it's both of those.
narrator: the elite crews of the united states marine corps use this revolutionary machine for tough jobs like the emergency extraction of a marine-corps recon team trapped behind enemy lines.
that means osprey has to fly fast and hard.
from a cold start, osprey can transform itself into flight configuration in just 11 seconds.
it's so versatile.
there is nothing else in the world that can match its capability.
narrator: the osprey locks the two 6,000-horsepower turboshaft engines into near vertical position.
with the power of 20 ferraris on each wing, the v-22 powers into the sky.
pull the power back, and you're secure.
as they reach the target area, the crew searches across the unforgiving landscape for the marine recon team.
for a clean, precise landing, osprey's engines rotate through 90 degrees to complete vertical.
the servo controlled tilt mechanism can set the rotors at any angle from zero to 90 degrees and even beyond, potentially making the osprey fly backwards.
when osprey's rotors are horizontal, the controls act like an ordinary plane's.
as they turn vertical, the controls respond more and more like a helicopter's enabling a precise vertical landing and a perfect pickup.
the osprey has only been in service since 2007.
it only does one job -- assault support.
two aircraft in one, the design ingenuity is unmatched.
the osprey scores big, leading the field in lightweight, high-speed aerial transportation.
overall, the osprey's scores win it the number 4 slot.
at number 3, the $70 million superjet that is redefining aerial warfare the f-35 lightning ii.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $70 million.
weight -- 15 tons.
length -- 51.
4 feet.
in the mid-1990s, the u.
s.
military realized it was going to have to replace four of its best combat jets.
and lockheed martin came up with one single design to perform every role filled by aircraft like the a-10 thunderbolt, the f-16 falcon, and the f-18 hornet.
it's a whole new level of capability.
it could be the most important fighter of the last 15 or 20 years.
narrator: the f-35 can fly at straight-line speeds of 1,200 miles per hour.
that is fast.
but the f-35b can do something incredible to get it to the fight faster than any other combat jet.
any ordinary high-speed jet fighter has to taxi to the end of a long runway.
it takes a long time and ties the aircraft to these mile-long lengths of concrete.
adams: there aren't always available long airstrips.
so, what you want is an aircraft that can take off from relatively short strips.
narrator: short takeoff and vertical landing, or stovl, is what sets the f-35b apart from the rest of the pack.
by deploying extra control surfaces to generate lift, the f-35 can perform a 100-yard rolling takeoff in just 3 seconds.
no aircraft in existence can match this combination of combat power and rapid deployment.
the f-35b can pivot its engine straight down to perform vertical landings or even hover in midair.
the ability to drop on a dime means it can land, rearm, refuel, and get back to the fight in record time.
adams: the f-35 represents the next generation of versatile fighter aircraft that can operate from land or sea.
narrator: the f-35 gets to the fight fast, and then it doesn't fight fair.
the f-35 is probably as capable, more capable, than anything in the current american inventory, and it has the added benefit of stealth.
narrator: stealth technology takes the lightning from deadly to unstoppable.
every surface is shaped and structured to absorb or redirect electromagnetic waves from radar scanners.
it all adds up to an almost undetectable radar signature.
huston: the first thing that may be an indication you're fighting an f-35 could be a missile coming through your canopy.
narrator: even if the bad guys see it coming, no one moves fast enough to avoid a lightning strike.
the f-35 has yet to see combat.
it will have to fill every combat role in the air force, navy, and marine corps.
the design ingenuity is unmatched.
it's a leader in more than one field.
the lack of combat service holds it back, so the f-35 only gets to number 3.
still to come, the most awesome speed machines ever to hit the field of battle.
narrator: counting down the fastest weapons systems on the planet.
coming in at number 2, the fastest armed naval vessel in the world -- norway's record-breaking skjold missile corvette.
origin -- norway.
cost -- $130 million.
weight -- 270 tons.
length -- 156 feet.
the norwegian navy developed the deadly 270-ton predator to defend norway's coastline from a powerful neighbor -- russia.
it certainly gives them capability that could prove useful encountering any aggressive force.
narrator: the skjold is a fearsome proposition for any enemy, heavily armed and with the speed of 60 knots, twice as fast as an ordinary warship.
today's combat scenario will give the 16-man crews a chance to show why the skjold earns its place in the countdown.
narrow, rocky channels, dangerously shallow waters, and arctic conditions will provide a tough test.
the skjold's speed isn't just down to raw power.
a separate set of diesel engines powers massive internal lift fans which blow downwards, lifting the ship up out of the water, so instead of sailing, the skjold is literally flying across the sea.
but when skjold flies, she can come back to earth with a thump, so she has a built-in impact absorption system.
the commanders must exercise perfect control over their vessels to make effective use of the skjold's most incredible ability.
the superspeed warship is stealthy.
what they've done is they've taken the stealth characteristics that they've used in aircraft and applied that to a naval design.
narrator: the skjold's cocktail of speed, stealth, and combat power is unbeatable.
the skjold is untested in combat.
defense, attack, or patrol, the skjold can do it all.
almost every feature of the skjold is an innovation.
it punches above its weight and leaves the rest of its class behind.
again, the lack of combat service is the only thing holding this back from being a world beater.
whatever form it comes in, speed is good.
there are fast helicopters, fast ships, even fast tanks.
but when you factor in all the key elements, there is only one world-champion of speed -- the sr-71 blackbird.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $34 million.
weight -- 70 tons.
length -- 108 feet.
it's literally one of the greatest aircraft ever designed in the history of aviation.
phenomenal airplane.
narrator: this incredible supersonic aircraft shattered the world speed record in 1976, and nothing has ever flown faster.
if you shot a rifle -- the fastest, highest, most powerful rifle at that airplane from right behind it, the bullet would never catch it.
narrator: 2,200 miles an hour 3.
3 times the speed of sound.
with its 3,000-mile range, it can cross the atlantic ocean in one hour.
i even actually had the opportunity to intercept one in an f-14.
this speed indicator was so big, we thought there was some problem, there's something wrong here.
no, it wasn't.
it was real.
narrator: the incredible machine was built to fly spy missions 80,000 feet above the most heavily defended, hostile air space in the world, so it had to be fast to survive.
the sr-71 probably flies faster than the missile that's coming to get it.
it could fly over truly hostile territory, and it provided a commander's view of the battlefield that was unsurpassed.
narrator: at launch, the blackbird flew 600 miles per hour faster than the quickest contemporary soviet fighter planes.
the russians could only watch it go past on their radar screens.
flying at the edge of earth's atmosphere, the pilots have to use totally pressurized protective suits just to breathe.
the $120,000 clothing has to be heat resistant up to 450 degrees fahrenheit to protect pilots if they have to eject into the supersonic shock wave of air that surrounds the plane during flight.
the incredible speed comes from two j-58 jet engines, each pushing out 32,000 pounds of thrust.
that's like having more than 200 muscle cars under the hood.
at low speeds, they act like an ordinary jet fighter's turbojet engines, but as the blackbird accelerates, the sharp cones known as shock cones sink back to act as air compressors, pushing the blackbird faster.
as the blackbird slices through the sky, the air in front of it is compressed into a supersonic shock wave.
it's generating this massive amount of heat from the friction.
narrator: the 800-degree temperatures could melt any ordinary plane.
so how did they crack this problem? they built the sr-71's air frame from super-tough titanium, all of which had to be imported from the soviet union at the height of the cold war.
little did the russians know the precious metal would be flying right back at them as the sr-71 conducted spy missions over soviet territory.
the speed of the sr-71 allowed it to do its mission before people knew it was there.
and if somebody shot at it, outrun the bullet.
narrator: everything about the blackbird is optimized for speed even down to the dark-blue heat-dispersing paint that gives the plane its name.
no other speed machine comes close.
the sr-71 provided vital intelligence for 30 years.
it's a super specialist and scores low.
top marks for engineering that has never been equaled.
the best in its class by a long, long way.
overall, the blackbird more than earns the number 1 position.
the need for speed gets real on the battlefield.
[ gunfire .]
move back.
and in this countdown, we've analyzed the most awesome speed machines on the planet.
from number 10 all the way down to number 2, there are strong contenders, but there's no doubt about the winner -- the sr-71 blackbird.