Combat Countdown (2012) s01e07 Episode Script
Heavy Haulers
[ engine turns over .]
narrator: in war, getting machines, men, and munitions to the battle zone is half the fight.
caddick-adams: you need big machines that can take huge quantities of stuff around the battlefield.
[ thunder rumbling .]
man: whoa.
our front-line troops absolutely rely on this piece of machinery right here.
narrator: wherever the battle is fought, machines that can haul massive loads are critical to success.
bigger is better.
narrator: we're counting down the greatest heavy-hauling war machines across every class of weapon system, from the ch-47 chinook to the mighty wasp-class assault ship and the awesome merkava battle tank to find out which machines excel at moving massive vital tonnage to and from the battlefield.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS English Sbutitles Collected and Modified By: hit the guy on the road.
man: roger.
weapons away.
narrator: in warfare, heavy-hauling machines are vital.
the ability to move equipment, munitions, and people around the battlefield is crucial.
[ indistinct shouting .]
narrator: the side that does this heavy hauling best has a massive advantage.
huston: they can carry all kinds of things, from a tank to a whole bunch of people.
narrator: with the help of military experts i've seen the chinook perform missions in afghanistan that i never would have guessed they could have done.
narrator: we're counting down the ultimate heavy-hauling war machines.
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, it's the world's longest-serving heavy-lift helicopter [ beeping .]
the ch-47 chinook.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $32 million.
weight -- 25 tons.
length -- 99 feet.
man: the assignment is evaluate the armed choppers.
and there are perfectly good vietcong positions down there to evaluate them on.
[ gunfire .]
narrator: 50 years after its first deployment in the jungles of vietnam, the chinook is still the go-to vertical-lift heavy hauler for 20 of the world's military nations.
the chinook now is almost a must-have on the modern battlefield, and it's proved itself time and time again.
the commanders on the battlefield can't get enough chinooks.
they're very effective at taking a large amount of equipment, a large amount of supplies, and dropping them exactly where a commander needs them.
narrator: the chinook owes its exceptional 12-ton hauling performance to its innovative twin-rotor system.
typically, a single-main-rotor helicopter uses 15% of its power operating the tail rotor to counteract the torque from the main rotor.
but on the chinook, 100% of the 9,500-horsepower engines is channeled into pure hauling muscle.
this engine right here actually produces more shaft horsepower than both of the engines on a black hawk together.
narrator: to reach remote drop zones, the chinook makes full use of its 350-mile range.
this whole area back here -- this bubble area -- is the fuel tanks.
we can carry around 6,500 pounds of fuel.
that will let us fly for about three hours.
narrator: external fuel tanks free up fuselage space.
at 22,700 square feet, it's big enough to carry 33 troops or a 155-millimeter howitzer.
man: if we can fit it in, we'll take it, pretty much -- anything from humvees, 4-wheelers, ammo, water, gas.
man: 7-6-5-4-4.
narrator: for outsized loads, the chinook turns to its external triple-hook system.
it can sling-load up to 50,000 pounds, which means the hooks underneath it -- the center hook can actually lift 26,000 pounds by itself.
narrator: with 12 tons of raw hauling power, the chinook scores high.
what makes it a game changer is its ability to deliver this tonnage into the most hostile environments.
i've seen the chinook perform missions in afghanistan that i never would have guessed they could have done -- two-wheel landings on top of a roof to extract soldiers or to put in a special operations team.
narrator: at 99 feet long, the chinook has massive drop-zone impact and makes it a tempting target for enemy counterfire.
but the helo's 25-ton bulk can take a lot of pain.
they can be brought right up to the front line because a chinook is not just very versatile -- it's also extremely heavily armored and can take an awful lot of punishment.
narrator: the chinook isn't just one of the biggest heavy haulers in the business.
with a 196-mile-per-hour top speed, it's also the fastest.
mcfadden: when you strip all that excess weight off the chinook, it becomes the fastest aircraft on the battlefield, and it routinely outruns its apache cover.
man: i love this aircraft.
i have basically entrusted my life to this aircraft in numerous situations, and every single time, it's brought me home safe and sound.
narrator: 50 years of service speaks for itself.
the chinook's ability to perform a wide range of missions scores high.
the revolutionary twin-rotor system was pioneered on another helicopter.
the ch-47 has recently been surpassed by some larger modern choppers.
the chinook's combined scores earn it the number-10 position.
next in our countdown is america's biggest self-propelled artillery [ beeping .]
the m109a6 paladin.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $1.
6 million.
weight -- 32 tons.
length -- 32 feet.
the 39-caliber m109a6 paladin is the heavy howitzer of choice for the u.
s.
's armored and mechanized infantry divisions.
man: our front-line troops absolutely rely on this piece of machinery right here, being how devastating the fire can be.
narrator: the howitzer's massive 14.
6-foot barrel weighs 2.
1 tons.
the chassis weighs another 20.
add on the tracks and munitions, and you have 32 tons of devastating firepower.
most heavy howitzers need to be towed across the battlefield, but the paladin scores high for being able to move at speed from one target position to the next.
the ability to have a paladin weapon system which can move fast, shoot accurately, and keep up with maneuver forces is an incredible force multiplier.
narrator: burning a gallon of fuel every 1.
4 miles, the a6 paladin can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, keeping up with tanks over rough terrain.
its strength is that it has this amazing cross-country capability.
those tracks will take it absolutely anywhere.
that means that you can bring that firepower up the front line, so that it can actually reach farther into the enemy's territory.
narrator: powering to within 2 miles of the front line, the heavy gun deploys heavy firepower to destroy the opposition.
forward observers use laser range finders to line up target coordinates up to 20 miles away.
[ beeps .]
inside the beast, the gunners slam 100-pound shells into the barrel chamber.
[ machinery whirring .]
[ indistinct shouting .]
the 155-millimeter cannon unleashes three 1,100-mile-per-hour shells in 15 seconds [ gunshot .]
and the 20-ton chassis sucks up the pain.
what you've got is a very solid and stable platform that can go anywhere and can fire shell after shell 30 kilometers away with great accuracy.
that is an awesome firepower capability.
fire.
narrator: dishing out this kind of damage gives the paladin's position away to the enemy, but this 32-ton gun can shoot and scoot.
60 seconds after firing, the paladin powers away to safety.
this vehicle right here, without a doubt, is one of the coolest pieces of machinery within the military's arsenal.
narrator: the m109 has hauled the big gun into action everywhere from vietnam to afghanistan.
it may not be versatile, but it does its job faultlessly.
the howitzer's innovative design builds on existing technology.
nothing can match the paladin's mobility and power.
overall, the paladin's scores earn it the number-9 position.
still to come more heavy-hauling power than you can handle.
hold it! narrator: we're counting down the heaviest hauling war machines on the modern battlefield.
hauling troops and ammo is one thing.
hauling a bridge that will take the weight of an army on the move takes it to the next level.
at number 8, the leopard 2 leguan bridge system.
origin -- germany.
cost -- $5.
5 million.
weight -- 65 tons.
length -- 119 feet, fully extended.
a combat bridge is a chunk of heavy metal designed to support a 68-ton main battle tank.
hauling that is a major challenge.
if you want to -- to lay a large bridge, then you need a fairly heavy system to do that.
narrator: the leopard's 12-foot-wide tank chassis carries the 10.
8-ton leguan bridge system.
these bridge-laying tanks are designed to cross rivers of anything up to 80 feet wide.
narrator: getting to the crossing point fast is vital.
caddick-adams: if you're an army in a hurry, then you need to be able to lay that bridge as quickly as possible.
narrator: at 2,600 rpm, the driver can propel 65 earth-shaking tons forwards at nearly 45 miles per hour.
just the feel of having 1,500 horsepower under you is -- it's just great.
narrator: the 15-foot-high bridge layer has to haul its heavy-metal payload right to the front line.
caddick-adams: if you arrive at the bridging site when your enemy is still there, you need to lay that bridge under cover.
narrator: but the third-generation steel-composite armor means the operator doesn't have to worry about enemy fire.
a 12-foot-wide bar steadies the beast, and a hydraulic piston detaches the first 5.
4-ton bridge section and slides it forwards.
the second section automatically couples with the first.
and the 13-foot-wide bridge powers into place.
the 10.
8-ton bridge weight is counterbalanced by the leopard's massive 55-ton weight.
and in under 5 minutes, a 70-ton-capacity bridge is locked, dropped, and ready for action.
variants of the leguan bridge system have been in service in iraq and afghanistan.
it's a specialist dedicated to hauling one critical load.
the sliding tracks are a designed masterstroke.
this huge bridge layer can compete with the best in class.
overall, the leopard does enough to earn the number-8 spot.
at number 7, the soviet union's record-breaking heavy-lift helicopter [ beeping .]
the mi-26, nato code name -- halo.
origin -- russia.
cost -- $18 million.
weight -- 29 tons.
length -- 131 feet.
longer than a pro basketball court taller than a 2-story house the mi-26 is the largest production helicopter in aviation history.
with its staggering capacity exceeding 20 tons, it can haul almost twice the tonnage of the ch-47 chinook.
20 tons of military hardware is an awesome capability that very few armies in the world actually even possess.
narrator: doubling up on lifting capability meant doubling up on blades.
the mi-26 is the first helicopter in history with eight main rotor blades, spanning 105 feet.
the rotors are powered by 2 massive 11,000-horsepower turboshafts.
22,000 horsepower gives the mi-26 a staggering maximum take-off weight of 56 tons and the muscle to haul a huge variety of vital battle supplies.
caddick-adams: the more you can bring, whether it's food, whether it's ammunition, whether it's water, then the longer you, as a modern commander on the battlefield, can carry on fighting.
narrator: the mi-26's heavy-hauling ability is as flexible as it is formidable.
in emergencies, it can extract up to 60 battlefield causalities or haul a stricken 12-ton attack helicopter back to base.
when defense turns to offense, the 800-cubic-foot cargo area can carry a 15-ton btr armored vehicle or 90 troops deep into enemy territory.
caddick-adams: when one of these things turns up on your doorstep and either dumps a light tank in front of you or 90 infantrymen, you're in real trouble.
narrator: the mi-26 has seen extensive combat over 30 years.
the massive chopper's sheer bulk gives it excellent versatility.
the design tears up the blueprints for heavy-lift helicopters.
the mi-26's power puts it top of the class.
overall, the mi-26's scores take it to the number-7 position.
up next, the heaviest hauling machines in 21st-century warfare.
narrator: at number 6, a beast that can haul the heaviest tanks on the battlefield [ beeping .]
the buffalo.
origin -- germany.
cost -- $5.
6 million.
weight -- 55 tons.
length -- 30 feet.
tanks are multimillion-dollar cutting-edge war machines.
but in the heat of battle, breakdowns are inevitable.
tanks are composed of huge numbers of moving parts -- tracks that break, engines that fail -- all sorts of things that can suddenly stop.
narrator: when that happens, a $6-million asset is nothing more than a 60-ton sitting duck.
rescuing disabled tanks is a job for machines with massive hauling power.
and the 1,500-horsepower buffalo has pulling power in spades.
the buffalo is like the sumo wrestler of the military world.
narrator: in battle, getting to the damaged machine quickly is critical.
[ engine revs .]
caddick-adams: you need the ability to get up to these things in the combat zone and repair them as quickly as possible.
narrator: the buffalo carries the same 30-foot chassis as the leopard 2, the world's fastest main battle tank.
[ clicking .]
[ engine turns over .]
at 3,000 rpm, the turbocharged diesel engine propels 55 tons across the battlefield at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.
for emergency fixes, the buffalo turns to its 30-ton-capacity crane.
deploying its 590-foot-long, 1.
2-inch-thick steel cable, it takes a matter of minutes to haul this tank to safety.
for the heaviest war machines, like this howitzer, the buffalo stows its crane and transforms into a 55-ton tow truck.
at 60 tons, this pzh 2000 is 5 tons heavier than the buffalo.
the 3-man crew harness the howitzer using two 300-pound tow bars.
with the big gun hooked up, the massive 1,500-horsepower v-12 goes into overdrive.
but when it comes to hauling, it is torque, rotational force transferred to the buffalo's tracks, that really matters -- 30,000 foot-pounds of torque through the 2-foot-wide tracks, so it can tow loads heavier than itself.
thanks to the buffalo's huge hauling power, 115 tons of hardware is free to power across the battlefield.
you want strength.
you want power.
and that's what the buffalo has.
narrator: variants of the buffalo have seen 20 years of reliable service.
it's hugely versatile.
there's almost nothing this machine can't haul.
the buffalo is a development of an existing design.
speed and power edge the buffalo to the top of its class.
overall, the buffalo takes the number-6 position.
powering its way to the number-5 spot, the heaviest hauling main battle tank in the world [ beeping .]
the merkava mark iv.
origin -- israel.
cost -- $6 million.
weight -- 65 tons.
length -- 29.
7 feet.
as the main battle tank of the israeli army, the merkava mark iv carries 65 tons of devastating firepower into the heart of battle.
thomas: a merkava, to a potential enemy, is a very dangerous weapon system.
narrator: the mark iv carries an upgraded 120-millimeter smoothbore gun that can take out attack helicopters 5 miles away with heavy-duty armor-piercing rounds.
but increased firepower means increased weight.
the gun alone weighs over 3.
5 tons.
and the tank's fighting weight is equal to 30 hummers.
hauling this weight into combat takes titanic muscle.
this comes courtesy of a massive 1,500-horsepower liquid-cooled v-12 engine.
alone, this weighs 4.
9 tons.
but it can power the tank up to 40 miles per hour.
and uniquely, it goes in the front, not the back.
we've learned to put the engine up front, both to give us more power and, also, to protect the crew.
having the engine up there gives extra defense.
it can go against any tank in the world.
narrator: for extra protection, the merkava is layered with modular ceramic and nickel-steel-alloy armor and comes equipped with the trophy rocket- and rpg-interception system.
thomas: the exact composition of that armor is very sensitive, but it's designed to defeat high-explosive antitank rounds and armor-piercing rounds.
narrator: all this armor adds weight, and a battle-ready merkava tips the scales at 65 tons.
but what really puts this tank into the super league of heavy haulers is the complement of eight fully equipped troops that this monster carries in its belly.
the main battle tank and an infantry personnel carrier rolled into one.
and therefore, it can operate like no other vehicle.
narrator: when this hatch opens and an entire infantry squad races out for close-quarter combat, it's game over.
the merkava has seen over 33 years of almost continuous combat.
as a main battle tank and armored personnel carrier, it earns extra points for versatility.
the design carries several unique features.
what it lacks in agility, it more than makes up for in protection.
overall, the merkava's scores earn it the number-5 position.
after the break the 21st-century war machines doing the heavy lifting for the modern battlefield.
narrator: at number 4 in the "heavy hauling" countdown, the u.
s.
air force's most important transport aircraft [ beeping .]
the c-17 globemaster.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $250 million.
weight -- 292 tons.
length -- 174 feet.
when the u.
s.
air force wants to haul 85 tons of cargo halfway around the world, they turn to the c-17.
the 88-foot-long, 18-foot-wide cargo bay can get entire army units on the move.
man: we can get over five small helicopters into the cargo compartment.
the largest loads we've ever had in here -- we had two black hawk helicopters and all their associated personnel and their gear.
narrator: a 21-foot rear-access ramp allows fast loading of up to 10 3-ton humvees.
straight.
hold it.
narrator: for parachute drops, there's room for over 100 troops or 18 10,000-pound pallets, hauled in on rails.
locked, loaded, and ready for lift-off, the plane weighs over 292 tons.
getting that off the ground takes something special four pratt & whitney f117-pw-100 engines.
each channel 40,400 pounds of thrust to get the big bird airborne.
this extreme downward force gives the c-17 twice the climb rate of other heavy-hauling planes up to a service ceiling of 45,000 feet.
landing nearly 300 tons of fully laden plane on small remote airfields is a huge challenge.
to do this, the c-17 relies on its nasa-engineered flaps and 160,000 pounds of reverse thrust.
these give the c-17 a stopping distance of only 3,000 feet, so it can carry cargo into almost any global airfield.
man: they've got a larger flap setting to be able to fly at slower air speeds on approach.
and when you get slower air speeds, you can stop the aircraft in a much shorter distance.
narrator: in the mountains of afghanistan, landing is not an option.
so the 3-man crew are specialists in the art of precision in-air drop-offs.
approaching the drop zone, the c-17 nose-dives at up to 15,000 feet per minute.
leveling out at 1,000 feet, the rear door opens, and in just 10 seconds, 82 tons of vital supplies are delivered to a remote ops base.
caddick-adams: afghanistan has proven time and time again how important it is to shift huge quantities of combat supplies to outposts.
narrator: nothing else can power right into a combat zone at 515 miles per hour and unload 102 paratroopers in midair.
the c-17 has seen extensive service in afghanistan and iraq.
hauling cargo or paratroopers proves its excellent versatility.
the nasa-designed flap system scores for ingenuity.
short take-off and landing capabilities make it a class leader.
hauling 85 tons into hard-to-reach places wins it the number-4 position.
at number 3, the mightiest military hovercraft ever seen in combat [ beeping .]
the u.
s.
navy's lcac.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $22 million.
weight -- 120 tons.
length -- 92 feet.
lcacs -- landing craft air cushions -- are 18,400 horsepower of heavy hauling amphibious might.
they will just go right through the surf and right up on to the shore, over land -- anywhere you want.
narrator: the lcac's primary role is to carry over 70 tons of troops and hardware from an offshore assault ship onto the beach, ready for battle.
huston: 15% of the world's beaches are open to conventional landing craft.
85% of it can be overcome by an lcac.
that's the difference.
narrator: here at little creek naval base, virginia, a u.
s.
navy crew are preparing an lcac for a 68-ton offshore payload.
to haul that much weight, the lcac deploys seismic amounts of power.
each machine boasts four 4,600-horsepower gas turbine engines.
these drive 5-foot-wide centrifugal fans, which provide air to two bow thrusters and pump air into a rubberized woven nylon-fabric skirt that lifts it 7 feet off the ground.
for thrust, the lcac turns to its 12-foot-diameter four-blade propellers and bow thrusters.
you can hear those things a long way away.
[ rumbling .]
it is just deafening.
narrator: these monster props push all 120 tons at 40 ear-splitting knots.
to range up to 300 miles from shore, the lcac's engines need 5,000 gallons of fuel.
and handling this beast in open ocean is anything but plain sailing for the 5-man crew.
[ thunder rumbling .]
operating in heavy seas takes every ounce of the lcac's power.
and in these conditions whoa.
squeezing the 47-foot-wide craft into a well deck only 2 feet wider is a major challenge.
man: how am i doing on port? man #2: port 1.
back 1.
woman: come right.
roger.
stop at 2.
come back 1.
roger.
that was exciting.
narrator: once inside the wasp, a 68-ton abrams tank is loaded up and secured down on the 1,969-square-foot cargo deck.
now they can take this tank back to shore and into battle.
hey, we need to get this wrapped up.
to haul a combined weight of 188 tons back to the beach, the crew pump up the power.
[ thunder rumbles .]
engines spin at 15,400 rpm each, lifting the lcac 7 feet above the swell and driving it to 30 knots.
man: 150 yards, 30 knots.
narrator: within minutes, the lcac reaches the beach, and 68 tons of battle-ready firepower is delivered.
huston: one trip to the beach -- they can drop off a lot of things.
a tank coming aboard one of those things is a game changer.
the lcac has provided critical hauling power in recent military engagements.
its amphibious capabilities provide it with huge versatility.
the lcac is a clever adaptation of existing technology.
in coastal combat, it's at the top of its class.
overall, the lcac takes the number-3 position.
coming up extreme war machines with extreme hauling power.
narrator: soaring to the runner-up position in the "heavy hauling" countdown a big bomber with a career spanning 60 years [ beeping .]
the b-52 stratofortress.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $70 million.
weight -- 250 tons.
length -- 159 feet.
the b-52 was designed to drop over 20 tons of nuclear warheads onto any of america's cold war enemies.
b-52 bombers do what they say on the tin -- "b" stands for "bomber.
" '52 is the year it first flew operationally.
narrator: since then, it has spearheaded attacks in vietnam, yugoslavia, and the middle east and unleashed over 3 million tons of munitions.
they can drop huge bomb loads -- conventional or otherwise -- and other airplanes just can't do it.
narrator: today's b-52s can haul up to 35 tons of bombs with a firepower of 200 hiroshima nukes.
but to carry that much weight that far, it needs to be big, astonishingly big.
the b-52 is one of those aircraft that, when you see it, you just don't really believe what you're looking at because it's so huge.
narrator: the b-52's fuselage is just shy of 160 feet long.
this is sandwiched by 4,000-square-foot wings so heavy, they need supporting wheels.
these push the loaded take-off weight up to 250 tons.
to get this huge tonnage airborne, the b-52 relies on a staggering eight pratt & whitney tf33 turbojets each producing 17,000 pounds of thrust.
that's like having two f-15s strapped to each wing.
the fact that it's got eight engines -- not many aircraft in the world were ever designed or built that way, so every one of them is about 16,000, 17,000 pounds of thrust.
we've got in excess of about 140,000 pounds of thrust if we needed it.
narrator: as it powers to the target, the b-52 flies high, and it flies fast -- 50,000 feet at just under mach 1, burning fuel at over 3,300 gallons per hour.
the 5-man crew consists of 2 pilots, an electronic warfare officer, and the navigators, who handle the weapons.
we can simultaneously drop all three kinds of munitions onto that target complex at the same time, taking out probably up to 20 different targets on that airfield in one pass.
narrator: in the b-52's lower flight deck, the navigator guides the plane to the drop zone.
man: in about 6 minutes, we're gonna offset to the east to skirt the threat, and then we'll proceed on approximately 1-2-0 heading for about 5 minutes.
narrator: next to him, the radar navigator deploys his massive payload of 45 750-pound bombs or 20 agm-86 cruise missiles.
21 weapons away.
15 seconds to impact.
roger.
there is no target capable of withstanding this awesome arsenal.
the b-52 is projected to leave service in 2040, almost 90 years after its first flight, but this is one heavy hauler which isn't showing its age.
i don't think there is a more important bomber since world war ii.
narrator: nothing can remotely rival the b-52's record.
the b-52's awesome arsenal can tackle any target.
it's the strength of the original design that keeps it in service.
the heavy bomber has few rivals.
overall, the big bomber does enough for the runner-up position.
in every theater of war, the ability to carry weight to the fight is critical.
it doesn't matter whether it's troops, tanks, ammo, or even whole helicopters.
if your heavy haulers can't take the strain you're not going to win.
and when you factor in all the key elements hold it.
one war machine's extraordinary heavy-hauling abilities lift it head and shoulders above the rest.
[ beeping .]
at number-1, the wasp-class amphibious assault ship.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $750 million.
weight -- 42,000 tons.
length -- 844 feet.
the wasp amphibious assault ship is basically everything you need to take over your own tropical government or island.
you've got 2,000 soldiers.
you've got harriers on top 60-something amphibious landing vehicles.
basically, it's an invasion in a box.
narrator: built for the u.
s.
marines, the wasp class of ships can deploy a 2,000-strong marine expeditionary unit to any global combat zone.
but what transforms the wasp from an elite troop transporter into a grade-a heavy hauler is the cargo of nearly 2,000 tons of ground, amphibious, and aerial assets.
a fully laden wasp tops 42,000 tons.
the only heavier u.
s.
warship is the nimitz-class aircraft carrier.
like an aircraft carrier, the wasp is equipped with a 91,000-square-foot flight deck.
that's twice as much floor space as the white house.
on missions, this real estate carries over 25 helicopters, including four ch-53 heavy-lift sea stallions.
bolt on a further six harrier jump jets and the cutting-edge v-22 osprey and you have over 215 tons of aerial weaponry.
huston: the ability to carry those things -- helicopters, v-22s, amphibious -- they've got everything.
and they will throw it all at you at the same time in the same way.
you're in trouble.
narrator: and for the enemy, things only get worse when you peel back the flight deck.
hidden in the stern, you'll find a 13,600-square-foot flooded well deck.
on missions, the well deck stores and deploys up to three lcacs, each capable of carrying up to 75 tons straight into battle for rapid troop deployment.
the wasp then sends out a swarm of up to 52 amphibious assault vehicles, or aavs, creating a 1,250-ton tsunami of steel.
with over 30 aerial assets delivering destruction from above, the enemy aren't in a ton of trouble -- they're buried in over 1,500 tons of bad.
if somebody goes out there to try and stand on the beach and oppose a marine landing, that's a really bad idea.
narrator: onshore, the aavs unleash 840 battle-ready marines.
faced with this onslaught, the enemy has two choices -- fight or flight.
probably, i would just surrender.
i think, if a united states marine expeditionary unit shows up at my doorstep, surrender.
narrator: the marines get the glory, but it's the wasp that carries them to victory.
the wasp has performed faultlessly in every conflict where it has been deployed.
air, land, and amphibious capabilities give unmatched versatility.
the design has been hugely influential.
the world's biggest assault ship dominates its class.
carrying up to 52 aavs and a small air force makes this one a no-brainer.
the wasp takes the number-1 position.
there's nothing more important than getting men, equipment, and supplies to the fight.
and in this countdown, we've analyzed the heaviest hauling war 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 wasp-class assault ship.
narrator: in war, getting machines, men, and munitions to the battle zone is half the fight.
caddick-adams: you need big machines that can take huge quantities of stuff around the battlefield.
[ thunder rumbling .]
man: whoa.
our front-line troops absolutely rely on this piece of machinery right here.
narrator: wherever the battle is fought, machines that can haul massive loads are critical to success.
bigger is better.
narrator: we're counting down the greatest heavy-hauling war machines across every class of weapon system, from the ch-47 chinook to the mighty wasp-class assault ship and the awesome merkava battle tank to find out which machines excel at moving massive vital tonnage to and from the battlefield.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS English Sbutitles Collected and Modified By: hit the guy on the road.
man: roger.
weapons away.
narrator: in warfare, heavy-hauling machines are vital.
the ability to move equipment, munitions, and people around the battlefield is crucial.
[ indistinct shouting .]
narrator: the side that does this heavy hauling best has a massive advantage.
huston: they can carry all kinds of things, from a tank to a whole bunch of people.
narrator: with the help of military experts i've seen the chinook perform missions in afghanistan that i never would have guessed they could have done.
narrator: we're counting down the ultimate heavy-hauling war machines.
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, it's the world's longest-serving heavy-lift helicopter [ beeping .]
the ch-47 chinook.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $32 million.
weight -- 25 tons.
length -- 99 feet.
man: the assignment is evaluate the armed choppers.
and there are perfectly good vietcong positions down there to evaluate them on.
[ gunfire .]
narrator: 50 years after its first deployment in the jungles of vietnam, the chinook is still the go-to vertical-lift heavy hauler for 20 of the world's military nations.
the chinook now is almost a must-have on the modern battlefield, and it's proved itself time and time again.
the commanders on the battlefield can't get enough chinooks.
they're very effective at taking a large amount of equipment, a large amount of supplies, and dropping them exactly where a commander needs them.
narrator: the chinook owes its exceptional 12-ton hauling performance to its innovative twin-rotor system.
typically, a single-main-rotor helicopter uses 15% of its power operating the tail rotor to counteract the torque from the main rotor.
but on the chinook, 100% of the 9,500-horsepower engines is channeled into pure hauling muscle.
this engine right here actually produces more shaft horsepower than both of the engines on a black hawk together.
narrator: to reach remote drop zones, the chinook makes full use of its 350-mile range.
this whole area back here -- this bubble area -- is the fuel tanks.
we can carry around 6,500 pounds of fuel.
that will let us fly for about three hours.
narrator: external fuel tanks free up fuselage space.
at 22,700 square feet, it's big enough to carry 33 troops or a 155-millimeter howitzer.
man: if we can fit it in, we'll take it, pretty much -- anything from humvees, 4-wheelers, ammo, water, gas.
man: 7-6-5-4-4.
narrator: for outsized loads, the chinook turns to its external triple-hook system.
it can sling-load up to 50,000 pounds, which means the hooks underneath it -- the center hook can actually lift 26,000 pounds by itself.
narrator: with 12 tons of raw hauling power, the chinook scores high.
what makes it a game changer is its ability to deliver this tonnage into the most hostile environments.
i've seen the chinook perform missions in afghanistan that i never would have guessed they could have done -- two-wheel landings on top of a roof to extract soldiers or to put in a special operations team.
narrator: at 99 feet long, the chinook has massive drop-zone impact and makes it a tempting target for enemy counterfire.
but the helo's 25-ton bulk can take a lot of pain.
they can be brought right up to the front line because a chinook is not just very versatile -- it's also extremely heavily armored and can take an awful lot of punishment.
narrator: the chinook isn't just one of the biggest heavy haulers in the business.
with a 196-mile-per-hour top speed, it's also the fastest.
mcfadden: when you strip all that excess weight off the chinook, it becomes the fastest aircraft on the battlefield, and it routinely outruns its apache cover.
man: i love this aircraft.
i have basically entrusted my life to this aircraft in numerous situations, and every single time, it's brought me home safe and sound.
narrator: 50 years of service speaks for itself.
the chinook's ability to perform a wide range of missions scores high.
the revolutionary twin-rotor system was pioneered on another helicopter.
the ch-47 has recently been surpassed by some larger modern choppers.
the chinook's combined scores earn it the number-10 position.
next in our countdown is america's biggest self-propelled artillery [ beeping .]
the m109a6 paladin.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $1.
6 million.
weight -- 32 tons.
length -- 32 feet.
the 39-caliber m109a6 paladin is the heavy howitzer of choice for the u.
s.
's armored and mechanized infantry divisions.
man: our front-line troops absolutely rely on this piece of machinery right here, being how devastating the fire can be.
narrator: the howitzer's massive 14.
6-foot barrel weighs 2.
1 tons.
the chassis weighs another 20.
add on the tracks and munitions, and you have 32 tons of devastating firepower.
most heavy howitzers need to be towed across the battlefield, but the paladin scores high for being able to move at speed from one target position to the next.
the ability to have a paladin weapon system which can move fast, shoot accurately, and keep up with maneuver forces is an incredible force multiplier.
narrator: burning a gallon of fuel every 1.
4 miles, the a6 paladin can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, keeping up with tanks over rough terrain.
its strength is that it has this amazing cross-country capability.
those tracks will take it absolutely anywhere.
that means that you can bring that firepower up the front line, so that it can actually reach farther into the enemy's territory.
narrator: powering to within 2 miles of the front line, the heavy gun deploys heavy firepower to destroy the opposition.
forward observers use laser range finders to line up target coordinates up to 20 miles away.
[ beeps .]
inside the beast, the gunners slam 100-pound shells into the barrel chamber.
[ machinery whirring .]
[ indistinct shouting .]
the 155-millimeter cannon unleashes three 1,100-mile-per-hour shells in 15 seconds [ gunshot .]
and the 20-ton chassis sucks up the pain.
what you've got is a very solid and stable platform that can go anywhere and can fire shell after shell 30 kilometers away with great accuracy.
that is an awesome firepower capability.
fire.
narrator: dishing out this kind of damage gives the paladin's position away to the enemy, but this 32-ton gun can shoot and scoot.
60 seconds after firing, the paladin powers away to safety.
this vehicle right here, without a doubt, is one of the coolest pieces of machinery within the military's arsenal.
narrator: the m109 has hauled the big gun into action everywhere from vietnam to afghanistan.
it may not be versatile, but it does its job faultlessly.
the howitzer's innovative design builds on existing technology.
nothing can match the paladin's mobility and power.
overall, the paladin's scores earn it the number-9 position.
still to come more heavy-hauling power than you can handle.
hold it! narrator: we're counting down the heaviest hauling war machines on the modern battlefield.
hauling troops and ammo is one thing.
hauling a bridge that will take the weight of an army on the move takes it to the next level.
at number 8, the leopard 2 leguan bridge system.
origin -- germany.
cost -- $5.
5 million.
weight -- 65 tons.
length -- 119 feet, fully extended.
a combat bridge is a chunk of heavy metal designed to support a 68-ton main battle tank.
hauling that is a major challenge.
if you want to -- to lay a large bridge, then you need a fairly heavy system to do that.
narrator: the leopard's 12-foot-wide tank chassis carries the 10.
8-ton leguan bridge system.
these bridge-laying tanks are designed to cross rivers of anything up to 80 feet wide.
narrator: getting to the crossing point fast is vital.
caddick-adams: if you're an army in a hurry, then you need to be able to lay that bridge as quickly as possible.
narrator: at 2,600 rpm, the driver can propel 65 earth-shaking tons forwards at nearly 45 miles per hour.
just the feel of having 1,500 horsepower under you is -- it's just great.
narrator: the 15-foot-high bridge layer has to haul its heavy-metal payload right to the front line.
caddick-adams: if you arrive at the bridging site when your enemy is still there, you need to lay that bridge under cover.
narrator: but the third-generation steel-composite armor means the operator doesn't have to worry about enemy fire.
a 12-foot-wide bar steadies the beast, and a hydraulic piston detaches the first 5.
4-ton bridge section and slides it forwards.
the second section automatically couples with the first.
and the 13-foot-wide bridge powers into place.
the 10.
8-ton bridge weight is counterbalanced by the leopard's massive 55-ton weight.
and in under 5 minutes, a 70-ton-capacity bridge is locked, dropped, and ready for action.
variants of the leguan bridge system have been in service in iraq and afghanistan.
it's a specialist dedicated to hauling one critical load.
the sliding tracks are a designed masterstroke.
this huge bridge layer can compete with the best in class.
overall, the leopard does enough to earn the number-8 spot.
at number 7, the soviet union's record-breaking heavy-lift helicopter [ beeping .]
the mi-26, nato code name -- halo.
origin -- russia.
cost -- $18 million.
weight -- 29 tons.
length -- 131 feet.
longer than a pro basketball court taller than a 2-story house the mi-26 is the largest production helicopter in aviation history.
with its staggering capacity exceeding 20 tons, it can haul almost twice the tonnage of the ch-47 chinook.
20 tons of military hardware is an awesome capability that very few armies in the world actually even possess.
narrator: doubling up on lifting capability meant doubling up on blades.
the mi-26 is the first helicopter in history with eight main rotor blades, spanning 105 feet.
the rotors are powered by 2 massive 11,000-horsepower turboshafts.
22,000 horsepower gives the mi-26 a staggering maximum take-off weight of 56 tons and the muscle to haul a huge variety of vital battle supplies.
caddick-adams: the more you can bring, whether it's food, whether it's ammunition, whether it's water, then the longer you, as a modern commander on the battlefield, can carry on fighting.
narrator: the mi-26's heavy-hauling ability is as flexible as it is formidable.
in emergencies, it can extract up to 60 battlefield causalities or haul a stricken 12-ton attack helicopter back to base.
when defense turns to offense, the 800-cubic-foot cargo area can carry a 15-ton btr armored vehicle or 90 troops deep into enemy territory.
caddick-adams: when one of these things turns up on your doorstep and either dumps a light tank in front of you or 90 infantrymen, you're in real trouble.
narrator: the mi-26 has seen extensive combat over 30 years.
the massive chopper's sheer bulk gives it excellent versatility.
the design tears up the blueprints for heavy-lift helicopters.
the mi-26's power puts it top of the class.
overall, the mi-26's scores take it to the number-7 position.
up next, the heaviest hauling machines in 21st-century warfare.
narrator: at number 6, a beast that can haul the heaviest tanks on the battlefield [ beeping .]
the buffalo.
origin -- germany.
cost -- $5.
6 million.
weight -- 55 tons.
length -- 30 feet.
tanks are multimillion-dollar cutting-edge war machines.
but in the heat of battle, breakdowns are inevitable.
tanks are composed of huge numbers of moving parts -- tracks that break, engines that fail -- all sorts of things that can suddenly stop.
narrator: when that happens, a $6-million asset is nothing more than a 60-ton sitting duck.
rescuing disabled tanks is a job for machines with massive hauling power.
and the 1,500-horsepower buffalo has pulling power in spades.
the buffalo is like the sumo wrestler of the military world.
narrator: in battle, getting to the damaged machine quickly is critical.
[ engine revs .]
caddick-adams: you need the ability to get up to these things in the combat zone and repair them as quickly as possible.
narrator: the buffalo carries the same 30-foot chassis as the leopard 2, the world's fastest main battle tank.
[ clicking .]
[ engine turns over .]
at 3,000 rpm, the turbocharged diesel engine propels 55 tons across the battlefield at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.
for emergency fixes, the buffalo turns to its 30-ton-capacity crane.
deploying its 590-foot-long, 1.
2-inch-thick steel cable, it takes a matter of minutes to haul this tank to safety.
for the heaviest war machines, like this howitzer, the buffalo stows its crane and transforms into a 55-ton tow truck.
at 60 tons, this pzh 2000 is 5 tons heavier than the buffalo.
the 3-man crew harness the howitzer using two 300-pound tow bars.
with the big gun hooked up, the massive 1,500-horsepower v-12 goes into overdrive.
but when it comes to hauling, it is torque, rotational force transferred to the buffalo's tracks, that really matters -- 30,000 foot-pounds of torque through the 2-foot-wide tracks, so it can tow loads heavier than itself.
thanks to the buffalo's huge hauling power, 115 tons of hardware is free to power across the battlefield.
you want strength.
you want power.
and that's what the buffalo has.
narrator: variants of the buffalo have seen 20 years of reliable service.
it's hugely versatile.
there's almost nothing this machine can't haul.
the buffalo is a development of an existing design.
speed and power edge the buffalo to the top of its class.
overall, the buffalo takes the number-6 position.
powering its way to the number-5 spot, the heaviest hauling main battle tank in the world [ beeping .]
the merkava mark iv.
origin -- israel.
cost -- $6 million.
weight -- 65 tons.
length -- 29.
7 feet.
as the main battle tank of the israeli army, the merkava mark iv carries 65 tons of devastating firepower into the heart of battle.
thomas: a merkava, to a potential enemy, is a very dangerous weapon system.
narrator: the mark iv carries an upgraded 120-millimeter smoothbore gun that can take out attack helicopters 5 miles away with heavy-duty armor-piercing rounds.
but increased firepower means increased weight.
the gun alone weighs over 3.
5 tons.
and the tank's fighting weight is equal to 30 hummers.
hauling this weight into combat takes titanic muscle.
this comes courtesy of a massive 1,500-horsepower liquid-cooled v-12 engine.
alone, this weighs 4.
9 tons.
but it can power the tank up to 40 miles per hour.
and uniquely, it goes in the front, not the back.
we've learned to put the engine up front, both to give us more power and, also, to protect the crew.
having the engine up there gives extra defense.
it can go against any tank in the world.
narrator: for extra protection, the merkava is layered with modular ceramic and nickel-steel-alloy armor and comes equipped with the trophy rocket- and rpg-interception system.
thomas: the exact composition of that armor is very sensitive, but it's designed to defeat high-explosive antitank rounds and armor-piercing rounds.
narrator: all this armor adds weight, and a battle-ready merkava tips the scales at 65 tons.
but what really puts this tank into the super league of heavy haulers is the complement of eight fully equipped troops that this monster carries in its belly.
the main battle tank and an infantry personnel carrier rolled into one.
and therefore, it can operate like no other vehicle.
narrator: when this hatch opens and an entire infantry squad races out for close-quarter combat, it's game over.
the merkava has seen over 33 years of almost continuous combat.
as a main battle tank and armored personnel carrier, it earns extra points for versatility.
the design carries several unique features.
what it lacks in agility, it more than makes up for in protection.
overall, the merkava's scores earn it the number-5 position.
after the break the 21st-century war machines doing the heavy lifting for the modern battlefield.
narrator: at number 4 in the "heavy hauling" countdown, the u.
s.
air force's most important transport aircraft [ beeping .]
the c-17 globemaster.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $250 million.
weight -- 292 tons.
length -- 174 feet.
when the u.
s.
air force wants to haul 85 tons of cargo halfway around the world, they turn to the c-17.
the 88-foot-long, 18-foot-wide cargo bay can get entire army units on the move.
man: we can get over five small helicopters into the cargo compartment.
the largest loads we've ever had in here -- we had two black hawk helicopters and all their associated personnel and their gear.
narrator: a 21-foot rear-access ramp allows fast loading of up to 10 3-ton humvees.
straight.
hold it.
narrator: for parachute drops, there's room for over 100 troops or 18 10,000-pound pallets, hauled in on rails.
locked, loaded, and ready for lift-off, the plane weighs over 292 tons.
getting that off the ground takes something special four pratt & whitney f117-pw-100 engines.
each channel 40,400 pounds of thrust to get the big bird airborne.
this extreme downward force gives the c-17 twice the climb rate of other heavy-hauling planes up to a service ceiling of 45,000 feet.
landing nearly 300 tons of fully laden plane on small remote airfields is a huge challenge.
to do this, the c-17 relies on its nasa-engineered flaps and 160,000 pounds of reverse thrust.
these give the c-17 a stopping distance of only 3,000 feet, so it can carry cargo into almost any global airfield.
man: they've got a larger flap setting to be able to fly at slower air speeds on approach.
and when you get slower air speeds, you can stop the aircraft in a much shorter distance.
narrator: in the mountains of afghanistan, landing is not an option.
so the 3-man crew are specialists in the art of precision in-air drop-offs.
approaching the drop zone, the c-17 nose-dives at up to 15,000 feet per minute.
leveling out at 1,000 feet, the rear door opens, and in just 10 seconds, 82 tons of vital supplies are delivered to a remote ops base.
caddick-adams: afghanistan has proven time and time again how important it is to shift huge quantities of combat supplies to outposts.
narrator: nothing else can power right into a combat zone at 515 miles per hour and unload 102 paratroopers in midair.
the c-17 has seen extensive service in afghanistan and iraq.
hauling cargo or paratroopers proves its excellent versatility.
the nasa-designed flap system scores for ingenuity.
short take-off and landing capabilities make it a class leader.
hauling 85 tons into hard-to-reach places wins it the number-4 position.
at number 3, the mightiest military hovercraft ever seen in combat [ beeping .]
the u.
s.
navy's lcac.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $22 million.
weight -- 120 tons.
length -- 92 feet.
lcacs -- landing craft air cushions -- are 18,400 horsepower of heavy hauling amphibious might.
they will just go right through the surf and right up on to the shore, over land -- anywhere you want.
narrator: the lcac's primary role is to carry over 70 tons of troops and hardware from an offshore assault ship onto the beach, ready for battle.
huston: 15% of the world's beaches are open to conventional landing craft.
85% of it can be overcome by an lcac.
that's the difference.
narrator: here at little creek naval base, virginia, a u.
s.
navy crew are preparing an lcac for a 68-ton offshore payload.
to haul that much weight, the lcac deploys seismic amounts of power.
each machine boasts four 4,600-horsepower gas turbine engines.
these drive 5-foot-wide centrifugal fans, which provide air to two bow thrusters and pump air into a rubberized woven nylon-fabric skirt that lifts it 7 feet off the ground.
for thrust, the lcac turns to its 12-foot-diameter four-blade propellers and bow thrusters.
you can hear those things a long way away.
[ rumbling .]
it is just deafening.
narrator: these monster props push all 120 tons at 40 ear-splitting knots.
to range up to 300 miles from shore, the lcac's engines need 5,000 gallons of fuel.
and handling this beast in open ocean is anything but plain sailing for the 5-man crew.
[ thunder rumbling .]
operating in heavy seas takes every ounce of the lcac's power.
and in these conditions whoa.
squeezing the 47-foot-wide craft into a well deck only 2 feet wider is a major challenge.
man: how am i doing on port? man #2: port 1.
back 1.
woman: come right.
roger.
stop at 2.
come back 1.
roger.
that was exciting.
narrator: once inside the wasp, a 68-ton abrams tank is loaded up and secured down on the 1,969-square-foot cargo deck.
now they can take this tank back to shore and into battle.
hey, we need to get this wrapped up.
to haul a combined weight of 188 tons back to the beach, the crew pump up the power.
[ thunder rumbles .]
engines spin at 15,400 rpm each, lifting the lcac 7 feet above the swell and driving it to 30 knots.
man: 150 yards, 30 knots.
narrator: within minutes, the lcac reaches the beach, and 68 tons of battle-ready firepower is delivered.
huston: one trip to the beach -- they can drop off a lot of things.
a tank coming aboard one of those things is a game changer.
the lcac has provided critical hauling power in recent military engagements.
its amphibious capabilities provide it with huge versatility.
the lcac is a clever adaptation of existing technology.
in coastal combat, it's at the top of its class.
overall, the lcac takes the number-3 position.
coming up extreme war machines with extreme hauling power.
narrator: soaring to the runner-up position in the "heavy hauling" countdown a big bomber with a career spanning 60 years [ beeping .]
the b-52 stratofortress.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $70 million.
weight -- 250 tons.
length -- 159 feet.
the b-52 was designed to drop over 20 tons of nuclear warheads onto any of america's cold war enemies.
b-52 bombers do what they say on the tin -- "b" stands for "bomber.
" '52 is the year it first flew operationally.
narrator: since then, it has spearheaded attacks in vietnam, yugoslavia, and the middle east and unleashed over 3 million tons of munitions.
they can drop huge bomb loads -- conventional or otherwise -- and other airplanes just can't do it.
narrator: today's b-52s can haul up to 35 tons of bombs with a firepower of 200 hiroshima nukes.
but to carry that much weight that far, it needs to be big, astonishingly big.
the b-52 is one of those aircraft that, when you see it, you just don't really believe what you're looking at because it's so huge.
narrator: the b-52's fuselage is just shy of 160 feet long.
this is sandwiched by 4,000-square-foot wings so heavy, they need supporting wheels.
these push the loaded take-off weight up to 250 tons.
to get this huge tonnage airborne, the b-52 relies on a staggering eight pratt & whitney tf33 turbojets each producing 17,000 pounds of thrust.
that's like having two f-15s strapped to each wing.
the fact that it's got eight engines -- not many aircraft in the world were ever designed or built that way, so every one of them is about 16,000, 17,000 pounds of thrust.
we've got in excess of about 140,000 pounds of thrust if we needed it.
narrator: as it powers to the target, the b-52 flies high, and it flies fast -- 50,000 feet at just under mach 1, burning fuel at over 3,300 gallons per hour.
the 5-man crew consists of 2 pilots, an electronic warfare officer, and the navigators, who handle the weapons.
we can simultaneously drop all three kinds of munitions onto that target complex at the same time, taking out probably up to 20 different targets on that airfield in one pass.
narrator: in the b-52's lower flight deck, the navigator guides the plane to the drop zone.
man: in about 6 minutes, we're gonna offset to the east to skirt the threat, and then we'll proceed on approximately 1-2-0 heading for about 5 minutes.
narrator: next to him, the radar navigator deploys his massive payload of 45 750-pound bombs or 20 agm-86 cruise missiles.
21 weapons away.
15 seconds to impact.
roger.
there is no target capable of withstanding this awesome arsenal.
the b-52 is projected to leave service in 2040, almost 90 years after its first flight, but this is one heavy hauler which isn't showing its age.
i don't think there is a more important bomber since world war ii.
narrator: nothing can remotely rival the b-52's record.
the b-52's awesome arsenal can tackle any target.
it's the strength of the original design that keeps it in service.
the heavy bomber has few rivals.
overall, the big bomber does enough for the runner-up position.
in every theater of war, the ability to carry weight to the fight is critical.
it doesn't matter whether it's troops, tanks, ammo, or even whole helicopters.
if your heavy haulers can't take the strain you're not going to win.
and when you factor in all the key elements hold it.
one war machine's extraordinary heavy-hauling abilities lift it head and shoulders above the rest.
[ beeping .]
at number-1, the wasp-class amphibious assault ship.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $750 million.
weight -- 42,000 tons.
length -- 844 feet.
the wasp amphibious assault ship is basically everything you need to take over your own tropical government or island.
you've got 2,000 soldiers.
you've got harriers on top 60-something amphibious landing vehicles.
basically, it's an invasion in a box.
narrator: built for the u.
s.
marines, the wasp class of ships can deploy a 2,000-strong marine expeditionary unit to any global combat zone.
but what transforms the wasp from an elite troop transporter into a grade-a heavy hauler is the cargo of nearly 2,000 tons of ground, amphibious, and aerial assets.
a fully laden wasp tops 42,000 tons.
the only heavier u.
s.
warship is the nimitz-class aircraft carrier.
like an aircraft carrier, the wasp is equipped with a 91,000-square-foot flight deck.
that's twice as much floor space as the white house.
on missions, this real estate carries over 25 helicopters, including four ch-53 heavy-lift sea stallions.
bolt on a further six harrier jump jets and the cutting-edge v-22 osprey and you have over 215 tons of aerial weaponry.
huston: the ability to carry those things -- helicopters, v-22s, amphibious -- they've got everything.
and they will throw it all at you at the same time in the same way.
you're in trouble.
narrator: and for the enemy, things only get worse when you peel back the flight deck.
hidden in the stern, you'll find a 13,600-square-foot flooded well deck.
on missions, the well deck stores and deploys up to three lcacs, each capable of carrying up to 75 tons straight into battle for rapid troop deployment.
the wasp then sends out a swarm of up to 52 amphibious assault vehicles, or aavs, creating a 1,250-ton tsunami of steel.
with over 30 aerial assets delivering destruction from above, the enemy aren't in a ton of trouble -- they're buried in over 1,500 tons of bad.
if somebody goes out there to try and stand on the beach and oppose a marine landing, that's a really bad idea.
narrator: onshore, the aavs unleash 840 battle-ready marines.
faced with this onslaught, the enemy has two choices -- fight or flight.
probably, i would just surrender.
i think, if a united states marine expeditionary unit shows up at my doorstep, surrender.
narrator: the marines get the glory, but it's the wasp that carries them to victory.
the wasp has performed faultlessly in every conflict where it has been deployed.
air, land, and amphibious capabilities give unmatched versatility.
the design has been hugely influential.
the world's biggest assault ship dominates its class.
carrying up to 52 aavs and a small air force makes this one a no-brainer.
the wasp takes the number-1 position.
there's nothing more important than getting men, equipment, and supplies to the fight.
and in this countdown, we've analyzed the heaviest hauling war 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 wasp-class assault ship.