Combat Countdown (2012) s01e09 Episode Script
Super Strikers
narrator: today long-range strike weapons are revolutionizing the battlefield.
the ability to hit an enemy from so far away that it can't hit back guarantees victory.
they don't know this weapon is on its way, and they don't know where you are.
a long-range weapon has an awesome potential.
narrator: with rare access to top-secret weapons, we're counting down the greatest long-range assets in modern warfare.
from the mighty b-1 bomber to the barrett rifle [ gunshot .]
and the fearsome smerch rocket launcher to find out which war machines reach the furthest and hit the hardest.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS English Sbutitles Collected and Modified By: for any weapons systems, two factors are decisive -- power and reach.
if you can design a weapon that has both, you can take on anyone.
you are able to engage and destroy the enemy before he can engage and destroy you.
narrator: today's technological advances have made it possible to deliver super-long-distance attacks with power and precision.
anyone who's not scared of 12 300mm rocket launchers needs their head examined.
narrator: with the help of military experts, we're evaluating the greatest long-range strike weapons on the planet.
each machine will be assessed on a balance of proven battle capability, versatility, design ingenuity, and rank within their class to determine our definitive top 10.
coming in at number 10, the u.
s.
's longest-range mobile rocket launcher.
the himars.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $4 million.
weight -- 12 tons.
length -- 23 feet.
the himars is a high-mobility artillery rocket system.
it's very mobile, it's very fast in the battlefield, and it's a very effective weapons system.
narrator: introduced during the 2003 iraq war, himars can deliver up to 1,200 pounds of warheads onto an enemy target almost 40 miles away.
it provides long-range artillery support out to exceptional distances.
it can cover the area of a football field easily so that nothing survives on it with a single salvo.
narrator: himars' phenomenal range and firepower means that one 5-ton truck can provide artillery cover over an area larger than connecticut.
for all-out long-range destruction, himars dispatches six gmlrs rockets packed with cluster bombs.
it can fire submunitions -- in other words, small bomblets which break out of a larger tube.
narrator: this provides the launcher with enough punch to knock out anything from bunkers to battle tanks.
capps: it just completely devastates an area.
every tree, light, building, vehicles, people -- everything is just completely missing after that goes off.
narrator: replacing the rockets with a single missile provides the 3-man crew with even more game-changing range.
instead of carrying six rockets, it can be loaded with one missile with a range of well over 200 kilometers.
which brings the capability to strike targets deep inside the enemy's territory.
narrator: 450 of these missiles were launched during operation iraqi freedom to devastating effect.
but on today's battlefield, it's accuracy, not just shock and awe, that counts.
and that's where himars scores high.
elliot: this weapons system, i can go ahead and deploy, shoot a rocket from over 75 klicks away and hit you on top of the head.
narrator: the himars targeting system is precise and highly automated.
the gunner inputs the enemy's coordinates, and the rocket is locked on target.
then the launcher raises itself to the correct angle, and the rocket is unleashed.
traveling at 3,000 feet per second, and onboard gps guidance system updates its trajectory every millisecond.
each strike is accurate to within 16 feet, allowing himars to take out a single sniper from the other side of baghdad.
this truck, to me, it's pretty badass.
i like it a lot.
narrator: during firing, the armored cab protects the 3-man crew from attack.
and before an enemy can retaliate, himars can be on its way to a new launch position.
as soon as it's launched its weapons, it then drives off so it can avoid counter-battery fire coming back down onto the launch site.
narrator: himars has been deployed in afghanistan and iraq to devastating effect.
its flexible weapons load makes it truly versatile.
the design is optimized for speed, distance, and precision.
himars is close to the top of the class of long-range precision weapons.
overall, himars takes the number-10 position.
at number 9, the sniper rifle with the most long-range kills on the modern battlefield.
the barrett m82.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $8,900.
weight -- 31 pounds.
length -- 57 inches.
these snipers from norway's elite telemark battalion are loading up for patrol with one of the most devastating long-range rifles on the planet.
the m82 barrett, this is a portable howitzer.
it's amazingly powerful.
narrator: from stock to muzzle, every inch of a barrett is optimized for long-range kill capability.
it was configured to manage first-round kills, at one point, 8 kilometers, and that's an awesome distance.
narrator: the 30-pound, steel-and-composite gun is rugged enough to handle extreme conditions but light enough to be carried to distant targets deep in enemy territory.
in a sniper's hands, the m82 is a devastating antipersonnel rifle.
in 2004, it recorded a kill shot of over 2,500 yards.
but it's against light-armored vehicles and enemy equipment that the m82 becomes a show stopper.
this car is over 1,500 yards away.
to take out a target at that distance, the shooter loads up massive 5?-inch-long explosive rounds.
to increase accuracy, the m82's steel barrel is lined with chrome.
the spotter's role is vital, conveying precise adjustments for atmospheric conditions to keep the bullet true.
the m82 lets loose the bullet at 2,800 feet per second.
[ gunshot .]
over twice the speed of sound.
it rips through the target before the enemy hears the rifle crack.
at this velocity, the 1.
5-ounce bullet slices through both sides of the vehicle and anything in between.
[ gunshot .]
the m82 is in service with over 40 nations.
capabilities against hard and soft targets provide good versatility.
as the first semiautomatic .
50-caliber rifle, the design scores high and stands in a class of its own.
overall, the m82 takes the number 9 position.
[ gunshot .]
coming up, the long-range strikers that are pushing back the boundaries on the modern battlefield.
narrator: at number 8, the most dominant carrier-based strike fighter in combat today.
the f-18 super hornet.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $57 million.
weight -- 33 tons.
length -- 60 feet.
in 1999, boeing engineers took one of the world's top fighters, the f-18 hornet, and redesigned it from the wheels up.
two years later, the production model super hornet was unveiled.
be it afghanistan, iraq, or wherever in the world we're needed, we can go anywhere.
narrator: 25% bigger wings allowed it to pack two extra strike weapons, while a bigger fuel reserve and five external tanks pushed its range past the 1,600 mile mark, allowing it to strike at targets deep in enemy territory.
but the key to the super hornet's long-range strike role is its ability to be globally deployed from any of the u.
s.
's 11 nuclear aircraft carriers.
when something goes down in the world, we're usually the first ones to respond.
narrator: at launch, a steam catapult hurls the super hornet from zero to 165 miles per hour in just two seconds.
the super hornet hones in on its long-range targets at up to 1,370 miles per hour.
air-to-air targets are dispatched using sidewinders, or medium-range sparrow missiles.
for over-the-horizon annihilation, the super hornet turns to its anti-ship harpoon missiles or 1,000-pound joint standoff weapons.
to be able to have all the different configurations and different ammunition we can load on this jet, it just gives a way better advantage over anybody else.
narrator: striking from distance keeps the jet out of range of standard air defenses, increasing survivability.
but being a super hornet pilot is not easy.
every touchdown tests flying skills to the limit.
we're landing on a strip that's 250 feet long.
the last 15 seconds of the flight sometimes will make or break you.
if you mess up in that 15 seconds, it's life or death, really.
narrator: it takes the super hornet two seconds to stop and 10 minutes to refuel and reload and 2.
5 seconds to re-launch for another long-distance strike.
the super hornet was hugely effective both in iraq and afghanistan.
multi-role strike capabilities provide excellent versatility.
the super hornet is an ingenious evolution of an existing design.
this aircraft dominates the class of carrier-born combat jets.
overall, the super hornet takes the number-8 position.
at number 7, a weapon with game-changing reach and ground-shaking power.
the 120mm krh mortar.
origin -- finland.
cost -- $18,000.
weight -- 1,100 pounds.
length -- 6'5".
on the battlefield, size isn't everything.
for certain jobs, you have to get down and dirty, and the humble 120mm krh mortar can be more effective than any heavy artillery.
grice: when firing artillery, which comes in at a much shallower angle of fall, a lot of that fragmentation is just gonna go up into the air.
narrator: 120mm mortars are used by armies all over the world to fire shells at high trajectories onto entrenched enemy positions.
one of the critical advantages to firing a mortar on the battlefield is you're able to affect the enemy indefinitely, which means if he's hiding behind a hill or if he has entrenchments and he's able to get cover out of your direct line of sight, your direct line of fire, you're still able to fire projectiles in such a manner you'd be able to hit him.
narrator: a high-explosive frag shell generates a 330-foot kill radius, creating domes of destruction around the battlefield.
fire! fire! an incoming mortar to the enemy, it means that you're not gonna move.
you're gonna keep your head down, keep yourself protected.
you just don't want to be moving into the area where those mortars are landing.
narrator: each shell can reach about 5 miles, but what makes the 120mm mortar such a key long-range asset is its mobility.
[ speaking finnish .]
the 1,100-pound wheeled krh system can be quickly moved by four troops without mechanized support.
the string-operated firing pin unleashes 15 29-pound bombs per minute at more than 1,000 feet per second.
if you have a weapons system that can barrage the target with 5, 10, 15 mortar projectiles within seconds you have a much more devastating effect on the enemy.
narrator: krh mortars have been in service since world war ii.
interchangeable rounds provide versatility.
the mortar's design enables it to strike targets out of reach of other artillery.
the krh system performs well in a very crowded class.
overall, the 120mm mortar scores enough for the number-7 position.
coming up next, the guns, ships, and planes that dominate long-range warfare.
narrator: at number 6 in our countdown of "long-range strikers," the world's greatest high-tech howitzer.
the archer.
origin -- sweden.
cost -- $4 million.
weight -- 33 tons.
length -- 47 feet.
the archer is a surgically accurate long-range howitzer.
the massive .
52-caliber barrel can spew 21 precision-guided excalibur projectiles every 3.
5 minutes, annihilating targets up to 37 miles away.
firing from this distance gives the 33-ton gun the edge in attack and defense.
the reason why you want to strike your opponent from a distance is principally down to safety.
you want to make sure that you're not that close to your enemy.
because, of course, your enemy could shoot back at you.
narrator: when you're firing from such great distance, a tiny error can throw a shell massively off target.
for pinpoint accuracy, the archer turns to its next-generation guidance systems.
so, now we're precision-aimed at the target with a tiny fraction of a degree in both elevation and traverse.
narrator: by loading the gun with gps-guided excalibur projectiles, 92% of rounds strike within 4 meters of targets 25 miles away.
the huge howitzer can unleash its entire 2,200-pound stash of munitions in 2? minutes.
for traditional big artillery, reloading takes time.
but the archer can be rearmed with 21 rounds in just 8 minutes.
for sustained attack, the gun is shadowed by a resupply vehicle.
in intense exchanges, this can keep feeding the gun with enough fuel and ammo for 24 hours of nonstop long-range annihilation.
the archer's long-range strike capabilities are enhanced by the rugged vehicle in which it is housed.
the tough all-terrain volvo chassis gives it freedom to roam over 310 miles of any battlefield before refueling, making it impossible to pin down.
it can go from a full march, stop, gather the data, process it digitally, put the firing data to the gun, get the round out of the tube in less than 30 seconds.
fire all! fire all! firing now! narrator: a single shell can take out a house over 30 miles away, but the archer has more strings to its bow.
for the toughest long-range targets, the 26-foot-long gun is capable of multiple-round simultaneous impact -- mrsi.
by firing each round at a slightly altered trajectory, up to four shells can hit the same place at the same time.
the important thing about having three or four rounds impacting on a target is you've greatly increased your probability of kill.
narrator: nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
the archer's service record does not yet include combat deployments.
it's versatile enough to engage hard and soft targets.
the archer's targeting systems and ammunition are a huge leap forward.
nothing in this big gun's class offers greater reach and power.
overall, the archer earns the number-6 position.
at number 5, europe's greatest naval asset, the charles de gaulle aircraft carrier.
origin -- france.
cost -- $3.
8 billion.
weight -- 4,200 tons.
length -- 858 feet.
the charles de gaulle is the world's only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the u.
s.
navy.
it enables france to project aerial power around the globe.
if you have a carrier, your options are now almost unlimited of what you can do and how quickly you can do it.
narrator: this huge ship carries 1,950 combat-ready sailors with one purpose -- to give france long-range striking power.
when the call comes in, the charles de gaulle can swallow up over 600 nautical miles a day at speeds of 27 knots.
this performance comes courtesy of two pressurized nuclear reactors which can power the 858-foot ship across the oceans for five years without refueling.
the ability to sail for weeks and weeks at absolute top speed is just hard to overstate.
so nuclear power is an amazing advantage to a ship.
narrator: with a complement of up to 40 aircraft, the charles de gaulle can put french airpower anywhere on the globe.
in 2011, it launched 1,350 sorties over libya and played a vital role in overthrowing the regime.
the cutting edge was the dassault rafale fighter-bomber.
charles de gaulle can launch one of these predators every minute, extending the carrier's strike reach out from the ocean and over land.
the ability to project power ashore of the carrier is key in a mission.
tanked up with 10,000 pounds of fuel, the rafale can patrol over 2,300 miles of enemy territory.
and with nearly 10 tons of munitions on board, each plane can launch multiple air strikes at targets up to 1,000 miles away.
the charles de gaulle performed faultlessly during the libyan conflict.
its offensive and defensive capabilities score high for versatility.
the aircraft carrier borrows heavily from existing designs.
outside of the u.
s.
, there is nothing in its class to rival it.
overall, the charles de gaulle takes the number-5 spot.
coming up next, the long-range strikers that take the fight to the enemy.
narrator: at number 4 in our countdown of "long-distance strikers," the most powerful rocket launcher on the planet.
the bm-30 smerch.
origin -- russia.
cost -- classified.
weight -- 44 tons.
length -- 40 feet.
introduced into service in 1987 the bm-30 smerch is 44 tons of russian-engineered long-range armageddon.
"smerch" means "tornado.
" so, what they're hoping to do is unleash a tornado of destruction.
narrator: on the battlefield, smerch can fire a dozen 1,700-pound rockets in under 40 seconds and reduce 830 square yards of real estate to rubble.
anyone who's not scared of 12 300mm rocket launchers needs their head examined.
narrator: but what makes this hardware such a game changer is its massive range.
each missile can obliterate targets 55 miles away.
that's 10 miles more than the american equivalent.
it's launching rockets a long distance, but targeted against very specific pinpoints, often command posts.
long-range accuracy to within 150 meters comes courtesy of glonass, the russian military's version of the united states' gps system.
smerch's 300mm-caliber rockets can be armed with an array of warheads.
but for long-range, bunker-busting strikes, the 4-man crew load up 220-pound thermobaric warheads.
hazell: a thermobaric explosion is like a standard explosion on steroids.
the combination of the fuel and the air leads to a much more powerful blast wave.
narrator: on impact, thermobaric weapons send out a cloud of explosive gas or liquid.
this ignites, creating a massive blast wave which reaches into buildings or caves, destroying anything inside.
a powerful blast wave means that you can destroy structures more easily.
that's devastating.
[ click .]
narrator: once launched, the 12 self-homing, fire-and-forget missiles are almost impossible to stop.
and because the smerch can attack from up to 55 miles away, it can remain out of range of effective artillery counter fire.
the farther away you are from the target, the more difficult it is to track down if you're looking for one of these things.
narrator: smerch's highly mobile 8x8 launching vehicle further increases the russian heavyweight strike reach.
the colossal 38.
9-liter engine is 10 times bigger than a land rover's.
but a 100-gallon tank furnishes it with a huge 400-mile range.
and just 3 minutes after firing its lethal salvo, smerch powers on towards its next target.
smerch saw combat during the russian wars in chechnya.
interchangeable warheads provide excellent versatility.
the ingenious design is deceptively simple.
as the world's most powerful rocket launcher, it leads its class.
adding up the scores, smerch takes the number-4 position.
at number 3, an extraordinary plane uniquely adapted for long-range warfare.
the kc-10 extender.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $88 million.
weight -- 295 tons.
length -- 181 feet.
whether you're a stealth bomber or a long-range fighter, fuel is as vital as firepower.
huston: air-to-air refueling is one of those things that the united states does every day all over the world.
it extends your range in such a way that no one knows where you're gonna go or how far you can go to accomplish a mission.
narrator: the kc-10 gives u.
s.
air forces virtually unlimited reach.
planes whose fuel tanks restricted them to 400 miles are able to reach out across the globe.
huston: the kc-10 allows you to extend your range on any mission to an almost undefined amount.
if you wanted fighters, for example, to suddenly show up over tehran that you launch out of kansas, you could do that.
narrator: the kc-10 is similar to the commercial dc-10 but carries upgraded avionics and a customized cargo bay.
man: what you're looking at is the fuselage of the converted airline jet.
where normally your baggage would be placed, we now have replaced it with jet fuel.
narrator: these three extra tanks and the wing reserves push the plane's refueling capacity up to a massive 178 tons, enough to power any plane to any target on earth.
mission ready, the kc-10 tips the scales at nearly 300 tons.
so getting the giant gas station off the ground takes plenty of muscle.
takeoff power.
auto.
auto.
on takeoff, the three high-bypass turbofans kick out over 150,000 pounds of thrust and power it through 4,400 miles of airspace.
the clinical refueling process is overseen by one crewman.
the receiving aircraft, a c-5 galaxy, closes in at 350 miles per hour.
the operator then deploys a 36-foot-long boom and guides it in using a remote-controlled, fly-by-wire system.
boom will come down.
aircraft move in about 50 feet away, stabilize, then move up.
then we'll touch the aircraft with the boom.
we can refuel at approximately 1,100 gallons per minute with the boom.
narrator: the kc-10 is now pumping out enough fuel to fill up a jeep wrangler every second nose to tail with a 175-ton jet.
if that sounds dangerous, that's because it is.
man: we are in contact.
we are touching another airplane flying at 23,000, 25,000 feet.
so that's get a little nerve-racking.
narrator: to minimize risk, the c-5 refuels quickly.
man: i've got six air pumps that i can use to push fuel off the aircraft through the boom.
we can do approximately 8,000 pounds per minute at a max offload for a large aircraft.
narrator: 14 minutes of refueling gives the c-5 enough gas to keep flying for another 1,000 miles.
in combat, the kc-10 can tank up anything from a b-52 to a eurofighter, keeping them flying and in the fight over any distance.
well, how much gas can that tanker give it? thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds, no problem, on the way and on the way back.
suddenly, the ability of that airplane to get there and come back is doubled or tripled or quadrupled.
so you can't be sure at all where it's coming from or where it's going.
narrator: the extender kept the coalition flying through both gulf wars.
the ability to carry cargo as well as fuel scores for versatility.
the kc-10 borrows heavily from an existing design.
there is simply nothing else in its class.
overall, the extender takes the number-3 slot.
still to come, the top two long-range strike weapons on the planet.
narrator: taking the runner-up position in our "long-range strike" countdown, the fearsome supersonic heavy bomber the b-1 lancer.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $283 million.
weight -- 216 tons.
length -- 146 feet.
ellsworth air force base, south dakota.
home to 35 b-1 strategic bombers.
purpose-built to give the u.
s.
the ability to strike any target anywhere in the world without having to refuel.
with their 37.
5-ton payload, they epitomize long-range striking power.
man: i've flown on 24-hour sorties before.
they're tiring, and it's grueling on your body, but it's an amazing feeling to be able to project that kind of force anywhere across the globe.
narrator: taking off for a long-range mission, the four g.
e.
turbofans produce 120,000 pounds of thrust as the pilot powers the plane up to mach 1.
25.
man: to have 120,000 pounds of thrust in your left hand and have a 300,000-pound aircraft in your right hand -- that's why i get up and love my job every day.
narrator: at high speed, the wings sweep back from 15 to 67.
5 degrees reducing drag and increasing range.
the sleek jet's reach is further enhanced by cruising through thinner air at 30,000 feet.
to fuel a 7,500-mile mission, the jet takes on a massive 265,000 pounds of gas.
striking power comes courtesy of up to 84 500-pound general purpose bombs or 24 gps-guided, bunker-busting missiles.
man: every time we release one of these, it's like kicking a honda civic out of the bomb bay.
narrator: approaching the drop zone, the b-1 maintains speed but loses altitude.
huston: if you can come in low and fast, the odds of penetrating effectively are much higher, and the b-1 is very good at that.
narrator: for a close attack, the bomber deploys an array of unguided munitions.
but for precise, long-range devastation, the four crewmen rely on the gyro-stabilized sniper xr, the military's most accurate long-range guidance pod.
man: this is the coolest thing we have on the b-1.
this is an ultimate force multiplier.
it allows us to put weapons precisely where we need them, even on moving targets.
narrator: using the sniper's tracking information, joint standoff weapons wipe out enemy vehicles 20 miles away.
and for over-the-horizon enemy installations, the weapons bay unleashes 2,000-pound, 200-mile-range, laser-guided munitions.
a 2,000-pound bomb is massively destructive.
any major building would be completely obliterated with a 2,000-pound bomb.
narrator: with over 60 world records for speed, payload, and range under its belt, the big jet is worth every cent of its price tag.
this is, by far, the biggest, baddest, meanest, nastiest bomber that's ever been built.
narrator: the b-1 performed well in operations over kosovo, iraq, and libya.
its massive array of munitions provides excellent versatility.
the jet's swing-wing design scores for ingenuity.
it's one of the world's deadliest heavy bombers.
these scores earn the b-1 the number-2 position in our countdown.
whether the battle is on land, sea, or in the air, the ability to deliver destruction from a distance is fundamental to success.
from number 10 down to number 2, there are strong contenders for the top position.
but there's one weapon whose range and apocalyptic firepower leaves everything else trailing in its wake.
at number 1, it's the ultimate sanction.
the nuke with truly globe-spanning reach -- the minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $7 million.
weight -- 39.
7 tons.
length -- 60 feet.
the minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile has provided the u.
s.
with nuclear strike capability for half a century.
caddick-adams: these rocket systems had huge range because you are targeting moscow from the depths of your own country.
what you're offering is world war iii.
narrator: we've been granted rare access to minot air force base, north dakota some of the most heavily protected 500 square miles on the planet.
if anyone was trying to sneak in and access any of the items that we have here, it would not be a good day for them.
narrator: minot is home to 150 minuteman missiles -- one third of the entire u.
s.
arsenal.
inside, the 91st missile wing works 24/7 to ensure these cataclysmically powerful long-range weapons are ready for war.
each 60-foot long missile houses three booster stages, packed with a classified solid rocket fuel that can power the weapon to any target on earth.
we can get anywhere on the earth's surface in a matter of minutes.
narrator: the 39-ton missile is tipped with a 350-kiloton nuclear warhead.
this provides this one base with 3,200-times more destructive power than the bomb dropped on hiroshima.
minuteman is the u.
s.
's only land-launched nuclear asset, so it's vital to keep it out of reach of a retaliatory strike.
protection comes in the form of concrete-lined steel silos, capped with 110-ton blast-proof retractable covers.
strap in and lock chairs.
in the hermetically sealed control center, crews constantly rehearse launch procedures.
man: we're dealing with one of the nation's most powerful weapons.
so ensuring that these weapons, day to day, are safe, secure, reliable is critically important.
narrator: to prevent accidental launch, the teams must follow a strict protocol known as the 2-person concept.
3, 2, 1, turn.
if orders and codes are validated, minuteman can be launched in seconds.
man: we turn keys, we execute, and we can get to anywhere in the earth, measured in minutes.
narrator: the solid rocket fuel ignites, unleashing 200,000 pounds of thrust.
after first-stage separations, the missile climbs to 240,000 feet.
soon it is covering more than 4 miles per second.
at an altitude of over 90 miles, thrusters make precision adjustments to the missile's trajectory.
and the re-entry vehicle containing the warhead hurtles towards its target.
within minutes of launch, minuteman obliterates any targeted impacts on any continent on earth.
grice: there's no real defense against it.
incredibly powerful and, frankly, quite frightening weapons system.
narrator: the terrifying potential of minuteman helped the u.
s.
win the cold war.
a weapon on this scale is beyond versatility.
as the first solid-fueled icbm, it scores big for design ingenuity.
for long-range, overwhelming power, nothing compares to the minuteman.
overall, the minuteman clearly deserves the number-1 position.
long-range weapons increasingly define the modern battlefield.
from the fearsome smerch to the barrett rifle and the b-1 bomber, they inflict maximum damage on the enemy from a safe distance.
there are many strong contenders for the number-1 position, but ultimately, one weapon epitomizes the long-range strike -- the minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile.
the ability to hit an enemy from so far away that it can't hit back guarantees victory.
they don't know this weapon is on its way, and they don't know where you are.
a long-range weapon has an awesome potential.
narrator: with rare access to top-secret weapons, we're counting down the greatest long-range assets in modern warfare.
from the mighty b-1 bomber to the barrett rifle [ gunshot .]
and the fearsome smerch rocket launcher to find out which war machines reach the furthest and hit the hardest.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS English Sbutitles Collected and Modified By: for any weapons systems, two factors are decisive -- power and reach.
if you can design a weapon that has both, you can take on anyone.
you are able to engage and destroy the enemy before he can engage and destroy you.
narrator: today's technological advances have made it possible to deliver super-long-distance attacks with power and precision.
anyone who's not scared of 12 300mm rocket launchers needs their head examined.
narrator: with the help of military experts, we're evaluating the greatest long-range strike weapons on the planet.
each machine will be assessed on a balance of proven battle capability, versatility, design ingenuity, and rank within their class to determine our definitive top 10.
coming in at number 10, the u.
s.
's longest-range mobile rocket launcher.
the himars.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $4 million.
weight -- 12 tons.
length -- 23 feet.
the himars is a high-mobility artillery rocket system.
it's very mobile, it's very fast in the battlefield, and it's a very effective weapons system.
narrator: introduced during the 2003 iraq war, himars can deliver up to 1,200 pounds of warheads onto an enemy target almost 40 miles away.
it provides long-range artillery support out to exceptional distances.
it can cover the area of a football field easily so that nothing survives on it with a single salvo.
narrator: himars' phenomenal range and firepower means that one 5-ton truck can provide artillery cover over an area larger than connecticut.
for all-out long-range destruction, himars dispatches six gmlrs rockets packed with cluster bombs.
it can fire submunitions -- in other words, small bomblets which break out of a larger tube.
narrator: this provides the launcher with enough punch to knock out anything from bunkers to battle tanks.
capps: it just completely devastates an area.
every tree, light, building, vehicles, people -- everything is just completely missing after that goes off.
narrator: replacing the rockets with a single missile provides the 3-man crew with even more game-changing range.
instead of carrying six rockets, it can be loaded with one missile with a range of well over 200 kilometers.
which brings the capability to strike targets deep inside the enemy's territory.
narrator: 450 of these missiles were launched during operation iraqi freedom to devastating effect.
but on today's battlefield, it's accuracy, not just shock and awe, that counts.
and that's where himars scores high.
elliot: this weapons system, i can go ahead and deploy, shoot a rocket from over 75 klicks away and hit you on top of the head.
narrator: the himars targeting system is precise and highly automated.
the gunner inputs the enemy's coordinates, and the rocket is locked on target.
then the launcher raises itself to the correct angle, and the rocket is unleashed.
traveling at 3,000 feet per second, and onboard gps guidance system updates its trajectory every millisecond.
each strike is accurate to within 16 feet, allowing himars to take out a single sniper from the other side of baghdad.
this truck, to me, it's pretty badass.
i like it a lot.
narrator: during firing, the armored cab protects the 3-man crew from attack.
and before an enemy can retaliate, himars can be on its way to a new launch position.
as soon as it's launched its weapons, it then drives off so it can avoid counter-battery fire coming back down onto the launch site.
narrator: himars has been deployed in afghanistan and iraq to devastating effect.
its flexible weapons load makes it truly versatile.
the design is optimized for speed, distance, and precision.
himars is close to the top of the class of long-range precision weapons.
overall, himars takes the number-10 position.
at number 9, the sniper rifle with the most long-range kills on the modern battlefield.
the barrett m82.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $8,900.
weight -- 31 pounds.
length -- 57 inches.
these snipers from norway's elite telemark battalion are loading up for patrol with one of the most devastating long-range rifles on the planet.
the m82 barrett, this is a portable howitzer.
it's amazingly powerful.
narrator: from stock to muzzle, every inch of a barrett is optimized for long-range kill capability.
it was configured to manage first-round kills, at one point, 8 kilometers, and that's an awesome distance.
narrator: the 30-pound, steel-and-composite gun is rugged enough to handle extreme conditions but light enough to be carried to distant targets deep in enemy territory.
in a sniper's hands, the m82 is a devastating antipersonnel rifle.
in 2004, it recorded a kill shot of over 2,500 yards.
but it's against light-armored vehicles and enemy equipment that the m82 becomes a show stopper.
this car is over 1,500 yards away.
to take out a target at that distance, the shooter loads up massive 5?-inch-long explosive rounds.
to increase accuracy, the m82's steel barrel is lined with chrome.
the spotter's role is vital, conveying precise adjustments for atmospheric conditions to keep the bullet true.
the m82 lets loose the bullet at 2,800 feet per second.
[ gunshot .]
over twice the speed of sound.
it rips through the target before the enemy hears the rifle crack.
at this velocity, the 1.
5-ounce bullet slices through both sides of the vehicle and anything in between.
[ gunshot .]
the m82 is in service with over 40 nations.
capabilities against hard and soft targets provide good versatility.
as the first semiautomatic .
50-caliber rifle, the design scores high and stands in a class of its own.
overall, the m82 takes the number 9 position.
[ gunshot .]
coming up, the long-range strikers that are pushing back the boundaries on the modern battlefield.
narrator: at number 8, the most dominant carrier-based strike fighter in combat today.
the f-18 super hornet.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $57 million.
weight -- 33 tons.
length -- 60 feet.
in 1999, boeing engineers took one of the world's top fighters, the f-18 hornet, and redesigned it from the wheels up.
two years later, the production model super hornet was unveiled.
be it afghanistan, iraq, or wherever in the world we're needed, we can go anywhere.
narrator: 25% bigger wings allowed it to pack two extra strike weapons, while a bigger fuel reserve and five external tanks pushed its range past the 1,600 mile mark, allowing it to strike at targets deep in enemy territory.
but the key to the super hornet's long-range strike role is its ability to be globally deployed from any of the u.
s.
's 11 nuclear aircraft carriers.
when something goes down in the world, we're usually the first ones to respond.
narrator: at launch, a steam catapult hurls the super hornet from zero to 165 miles per hour in just two seconds.
the super hornet hones in on its long-range targets at up to 1,370 miles per hour.
air-to-air targets are dispatched using sidewinders, or medium-range sparrow missiles.
for over-the-horizon annihilation, the super hornet turns to its anti-ship harpoon missiles or 1,000-pound joint standoff weapons.
to be able to have all the different configurations and different ammunition we can load on this jet, it just gives a way better advantage over anybody else.
narrator: striking from distance keeps the jet out of range of standard air defenses, increasing survivability.
but being a super hornet pilot is not easy.
every touchdown tests flying skills to the limit.
we're landing on a strip that's 250 feet long.
the last 15 seconds of the flight sometimes will make or break you.
if you mess up in that 15 seconds, it's life or death, really.
narrator: it takes the super hornet two seconds to stop and 10 minutes to refuel and reload and 2.
5 seconds to re-launch for another long-distance strike.
the super hornet was hugely effective both in iraq and afghanistan.
multi-role strike capabilities provide excellent versatility.
the super hornet is an ingenious evolution of an existing design.
this aircraft dominates the class of carrier-born combat jets.
overall, the super hornet takes the number-8 position.
at number 7, a weapon with game-changing reach and ground-shaking power.
the 120mm krh mortar.
origin -- finland.
cost -- $18,000.
weight -- 1,100 pounds.
length -- 6'5".
on the battlefield, size isn't everything.
for certain jobs, you have to get down and dirty, and the humble 120mm krh mortar can be more effective than any heavy artillery.
grice: when firing artillery, which comes in at a much shallower angle of fall, a lot of that fragmentation is just gonna go up into the air.
narrator: 120mm mortars are used by armies all over the world to fire shells at high trajectories onto entrenched enemy positions.
one of the critical advantages to firing a mortar on the battlefield is you're able to affect the enemy indefinitely, which means if he's hiding behind a hill or if he has entrenchments and he's able to get cover out of your direct line of sight, your direct line of fire, you're still able to fire projectiles in such a manner you'd be able to hit him.
narrator: a high-explosive frag shell generates a 330-foot kill radius, creating domes of destruction around the battlefield.
fire! fire! an incoming mortar to the enemy, it means that you're not gonna move.
you're gonna keep your head down, keep yourself protected.
you just don't want to be moving into the area where those mortars are landing.
narrator: each shell can reach about 5 miles, but what makes the 120mm mortar such a key long-range asset is its mobility.
[ speaking finnish .]
the 1,100-pound wheeled krh system can be quickly moved by four troops without mechanized support.
the string-operated firing pin unleashes 15 29-pound bombs per minute at more than 1,000 feet per second.
if you have a weapons system that can barrage the target with 5, 10, 15 mortar projectiles within seconds you have a much more devastating effect on the enemy.
narrator: krh mortars have been in service since world war ii.
interchangeable rounds provide versatility.
the mortar's design enables it to strike targets out of reach of other artillery.
the krh system performs well in a very crowded class.
overall, the 120mm mortar scores enough for the number-7 position.
coming up next, the guns, ships, and planes that dominate long-range warfare.
narrator: at number 6 in our countdown of "long-range strikers," the world's greatest high-tech howitzer.
the archer.
origin -- sweden.
cost -- $4 million.
weight -- 33 tons.
length -- 47 feet.
the archer is a surgically accurate long-range howitzer.
the massive .
52-caliber barrel can spew 21 precision-guided excalibur projectiles every 3.
5 minutes, annihilating targets up to 37 miles away.
firing from this distance gives the 33-ton gun the edge in attack and defense.
the reason why you want to strike your opponent from a distance is principally down to safety.
you want to make sure that you're not that close to your enemy.
because, of course, your enemy could shoot back at you.
narrator: when you're firing from such great distance, a tiny error can throw a shell massively off target.
for pinpoint accuracy, the archer turns to its next-generation guidance systems.
so, now we're precision-aimed at the target with a tiny fraction of a degree in both elevation and traverse.
narrator: by loading the gun with gps-guided excalibur projectiles, 92% of rounds strike within 4 meters of targets 25 miles away.
the huge howitzer can unleash its entire 2,200-pound stash of munitions in 2? minutes.
for traditional big artillery, reloading takes time.
but the archer can be rearmed with 21 rounds in just 8 minutes.
for sustained attack, the gun is shadowed by a resupply vehicle.
in intense exchanges, this can keep feeding the gun with enough fuel and ammo for 24 hours of nonstop long-range annihilation.
the archer's long-range strike capabilities are enhanced by the rugged vehicle in which it is housed.
the tough all-terrain volvo chassis gives it freedom to roam over 310 miles of any battlefield before refueling, making it impossible to pin down.
it can go from a full march, stop, gather the data, process it digitally, put the firing data to the gun, get the round out of the tube in less than 30 seconds.
fire all! fire all! firing now! narrator: a single shell can take out a house over 30 miles away, but the archer has more strings to its bow.
for the toughest long-range targets, the 26-foot-long gun is capable of multiple-round simultaneous impact -- mrsi.
by firing each round at a slightly altered trajectory, up to four shells can hit the same place at the same time.
the important thing about having three or four rounds impacting on a target is you've greatly increased your probability of kill.
narrator: nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
the archer's service record does not yet include combat deployments.
it's versatile enough to engage hard and soft targets.
the archer's targeting systems and ammunition are a huge leap forward.
nothing in this big gun's class offers greater reach and power.
overall, the archer earns the number-6 position.
at number 5, europe's greatest naval asset, the charles de gaulle aircraft carrier.
origin -- france.
cost -- $3.
8 billion.
weight -- 4,200 tons.
length -- 858 feet.
the charles de gaulle is the world's only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the u.
s.
navy.
it enables france to project aerial power around the globe.
if you have a carrier, your options are now almost unlimited of what you can do and how quickly you can do it.
narrator: this huge ship carries 1,950 combat-ready sailors with one purpose -- to give france long-range striking power.
when the call comes in, the charles de gaulle can swallow up over 600 nautical miles a day at speeds of 27 knots.
this performance comes courtesy of two pressurized nuclear reactors which can power the 858-foot ship across the oceans for five years without refueling.
the ability to sail for weeks and weeks at absolute top speed is just hard to overstate.
so nuclear power is an amazing advantage to a ship.
narrator: with a complement of up to 40 aircraft, the charles de gaulle can put french airpower anywhere on the globe.
in 2011, it launched 1,350 sorties over libya and played a vital role in overthrowing the regime.
the cutting edge was the dassault rafale fighter-bomber.
charles de gaulle can launch one of these predators every minute, extending the carrier's strike reach out from the ocean and over land.
the ability to project power ashore of the carrier is key in a mission.
tanked up with 10,000 pounds of fuel, the rafale can patrol over 2,300 miles of enemy territory.
and with nearly 10 tons of munitions on board, each plane can launch multiple air strikes at targets up to 1,000 miles away.
the charles de gaulle performed faultlessly during the libyan conflict.
its offensive and defensive capabilities score high for versatility.
the aircraft carrier borrows heavily from existing designs.
outside of the u.
s.
, there is nothing in its class to rival it.
overall, the charles de gaulle takes the number-5 spot.
coming up next, the long-range strikers that take the fight to the enemy.
narrator: at number 4 in our countdown of "long-distance strikers," the most powerful rocket launcher on the planet.
the bm-30 smerch.
origin -- russia.
cost -- classified.
weight -- 44 tons.
length -- 40 feet.
introduced into service in 1987 the bm-30 smerch is 44 tons of russian-engineered long-range armageddon.
"smerch" means "tornado.
" so, what they're hoping to do is unleash a tornado of destruction.
narrator: on the battlefield, smerch can fire a dozen 1,700-pound rockets in under 40 seconds and reduce 830 square yards of real estate to rubble.
anyone who's not scared of 12 300mm rocket launchers needs their head examined.
narrator: but what makes this hardware such a game changer is its massive range.
each missile can obliterate targets 55 miles away.
that's 10 miles more than the american equivalent.
it's launching rockets a long distance, but targeted against very specific pinpoints, often command posts.
long-range accuracy to within 150 meters comes courtesy of glonass, the russian military's version of the united states' gps system.
smerch's 300mm-caliber rockets can be armed with an array of warheads.
but for long-range, bunker-busting strikes, the 4-man crew load up 220-pound thermobaric warheads.
hazell: a thermobaric explosion is like a standard explosion on steroids.
the combination of the fuel and the air leads to a much more powerful blast wave.
narrator: on impact, thermobaric weapons send out a cloud of explosive gas or liquid.
this ignites, creating a massive blast wave which reaches into buildings or caves, destroying anything inside.
a powerful blast wave means that you can destroy structures more easily.
that's devastating.
[ click .]
narrator: once launched, the 12 self-homing, fire-and-forget missiles are almost impossible to stop.
and because the smerch can attack from up to 55 miles away, it can remain out of range of effective artillery counter fire.
the farther away you are from the target, the more difficult it is to track down if you're looking for one of these things.
narrator: smerch's highly mobile 8x8 launching vehicle further increases the russian heavyweight strike reach.
the colossal 38.
9-liter engine is 10 times bigger than a land rover's.
but a 100-gallon tank furnishes it with a huge 400-mile range.
and just 3 minutes after firing its lethal salvo, smerch powers on towards its next target.
smerch saw combat during the russian wars in chechnya.
interchangeable warheads provide excellent versatility.
the ingenious design is deceptively simple.
as the world's most powerful rocket launcher, it leads its class.
adding up the scores, smerch takes the number-4 position.
at number 3, an extraordinary plane uniquely adapted for long-range warfare.
the kc-10 extender.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $88 million.
weight -- 295 tons.
length -- 181 feet.
whether you're a stealth bomber or a long-range fighter, fuel is as vital as firepower.
huston: air-to-air refueling is one of those things that the united states does every day all over the world.
it extends your range in such a way that no one knows where you're gonna go or how far you can go to accomplish a mission.
narrator: the kc-10 gives u.
s.
air forces virtually unlimited reach.
planes whose fuel tanks restricted them to 400 miles are able to reach out across the globe.
huston: the kc-10 allows you to extend your range on any mission to an almost undefined amount.
if you wanted fighters, for example, to suddenly show up over tehran that you launch out of kansas, you could do that.
narrator: the kc-10 is similar to the commercial dc-10 but carries upgraded avionics and a customized cargo bay.
man: what you're looking at is the fuselage of the converted airline jet.
where normally your baggage would be placed, we now have replaced it with jet fuel.
narrator: these three extra tanks and the wing reserves push the plane's refueling capacity up to a massive 178 tons, enough to power any plane to any target on earth.
mission ready, the kc-10 tips the scales at nearly 300 tons.
so getting the giant gas station off the ground takes plenty of muscle.
takeoff power.
auto.
auto.
on takeoff, the three high-bypass turbofans kick out over 150,000 pounds of thrust and power it through 4,400 miles of airspace.
the clinical refueling process is overseen by one crewman.
the receiving aircraft, a c-5 galaxy, closes in at 350 miles per hour.
the operator then deploys a 36-foot-long boom and guides it in using a remote-controlled, fly-by-wire system.
boom will come down.
aircraft move in about 50 feet away, stabilize, then move up.
then we'll touch the aircraft with the boom.
we can refuel at approximately 1,100 gallons per minute with the boom.
narrator: the kc-10 is now pumping out enough fuel to fill up a jeep wrangler every second nose to tail with a 175-ton jet.
if that sounds dangerous, that's because it is.
man: we are in contact.
we are touching another airplane flying at 23,000, 25,000 feet.
so that's get a little nerve-racking.
narrator: to minimize risk, the c-5 refuels quickly.
man: i've got six air pumps that i can use to push fuel off the aircraft through the boom.
we can do approximately 8,000 pounds per minute at a max offload for a large aircraft.
narrator: 14 minutes of refueling gives the c-5 enough gas to keep flying for another 1,000 miles.
in combat, the kc-10 can tank up anything from a b-52 to a eurofighter, keeping them flying and in the fight over any distance.
well, how much gas can that tanker give it? thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds, no problem, on the way and on the way back.
suddenly, the ability of that airplane to get there and come back is doubled or tripled or quadrupled.
so you can't be sure at all where it's coming from or where it's going.
narrator: the extender kept the coalition flying through both gulf wars.
the ability to carry cargo as well as fuel scores for versatility.
the kc-10 borrows heavily from an existing design.
there is simply nothing else in its class.
overall, the extender takes the number-3 slot.
still to come, the top two long-range strike weapons on the planet.
narrator: taking the runner-up position in our "long-range strike" countdown, the fearsome supersonic heavy bomber the b-1 lancer.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $283 million.
weight -- 216 tons.
length -- 146 feet.
ellsworth air force base, south dakota.
home to 35 b-1 strategic bombers.
purpose-built to give the u.
s.
the ability to strike any target anywhere in the world without having to refuel.
with their 37.
5-ton payload, they epitomize long-range striking power.
man: i've flown on 24-hour sorties before.
they're tiring, and it's grueling on your body, but it's an amazing feeling to be able to project that kind of force anywhere across the globe.
narrator: taking off for a long-range mission, the four g.
e.
turbofans produce 120,000 pounds of thrust as the pilot powers the plane up to mach 1.
25.
man: to have 120,000 pounds of thrust in your left hand and have a 300,000-pound aircraft in your right hand -- that's why i get up and love my job every day.
narrator: at high speed, the wings sweep back from 15 to 67.
5 degrees reducing drag and increasing range.
the sleek jet's reach is further enhanced by cruising through thinner air at 30,000 feet.
to fuel a 7,500-mile mission, the jet takes on a massive 265,000 pounds of gas.
striking power comes courtesy of up to 84 500-pound general purpose bombs or 24 gps-guided, bunker-busting missiles.
man: every time we release one of these, it's like kicking a honda civic out of the bomb bay.
narrator: approaching the drop zone, the b-1 maintains speed but loses altitude.
huston: if you can come in low and fast, the odds of penetrating effectively are much higher, and the b-1 is very good at that.
narrator: for a close attack, the bomber deploys an array of unguided munitions.
but for precise, long-range devastation, the four crewmen rely on the gyro-stabilized sniper xr, the military's most accurate long-range guidance pod.
man: this is the coolest thing we have on the b-1.
this is an ultimate force multiplier.
it allows us to put weapons precisely where we need them, even on moving targets.
narrator: using the sniper's tracking information, joint standoff weapons wipe out enemy vehicles 20 miles away.
and for over-the-horizon enemy installations, the weapons bay unleashes 2,000-pound, 200-mile-range, laser-guided munitions.
a 2,000-pound bomb is massively destructive.
any major building would be completely obliterated with a 2,000-pound bomb.
narrator: with over 60 world records for speed, payload, and range under its belt, the big jet is worth every cent of its price tag.
this is, by far, the biggest, baddest, meanest, nastiest bomber that's ever been built.
narrator: the b-1 performed well in operations over kosovo, iraq, and libya.
its massive array of munitions provides excellent versatility.
the jet's swing-wing design scores for ingenuity.
it's one of the world's deadliest heavy bombers.
these scores earn the b-1 the number-2 position in our countdown.
whether the battle is on land, sea, or in the air, the ability to deliver destruction from a distance is fundamental to success.
from number 10 down to number 2, there are strong contenders for the top position.
but there's one weapon whose range and apocalyptic firepower leaves everything else trailing in its wake.
at number 1, it's the ultimate sanction.
the nuke with truly globe-spanning reach -- the minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile.
origin -- u.
s.
a.
cost -- $7 million.
weight -- 39.
7 tons.
length -- 60 feet.
the minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile has provided the u.
s.
with nuclear strike capability for half a century.
caddick-adams: these rocket systems had huge range because you are targeting moscow from the depths of your own country.
what you're offering is world war iii.
narrator: we've been granted rare access to minot air force base, north dakota some of the most heavily protected 500 square miles on the planet.
if anyone was trying to sneak in and access any of the items that we have here, it would not be a good day for them.
narrator: minot is home to 150 minuteman missiles -- one third of the entire u.
s.
arsenal.
inside, the 91st missile wing works 24/7 to ensure these cataclysmically powerful long-range weapons are ready for war.
each 60-foot long missile houses three booster stages, packed with a classified solid rocket fuel that can power the weapon to any target on earth.
we can get anywhere on the earth's surface in a matter of minutes.
narrator: the 39-ton missile is tipped with a 350-kiloton nuclear warhead.
this provides this one base with 3,200-times more destructive power than the bomb dropped on hiroshima.
minuteman is the u.
s.
's only land-launched nuclear asset, so it's vital to keep it out of reach of a retaliatory strike.
protection comes in the form of concrete-lined steel silos, capped with 110-ton blast-proof retractable covers.
strap in and lock chairs.
in the hermetically sealed control center, crews constantly rehearse launch procedures.
man: we're dealing with one of the nation's most powerful weapons.
so ensuring that these weapons, day to day, are safe, secure, reliable is critically important.
narrator: to prevent accidental launch, the teams must follow a strict protocol known as the 2-person concept.
3, 2, 1, turn.
if orders and codes are validated, minuteman can be launched in seconds.
man: we turn keys, we execute, and we can get to anywhere in the earth, measured in minutes.
narrator: the solid rocket fuel ignites, unleashing 200,000 pounds of thrust.
after first-stage separations, the missile climbs to 240,000 feet.
soon it is covering more than 4 miles per second.
at an altitude of over 90 miles, thrusters make precision adjustments to the missile's trajectory.
and the re-entry vehicle containing the warhead hurtles towards its target.
within minutes of launch, minuteman obliterates any targeted impacts on any continent on earth.
grice: there's no real defense against it.
incredibly powerful and, frankly, quite frightening weapons system.
narrator: the terrifying potential of minuteman helped the u.
s.
win the cold war.
a weapon on this scale is beyond versatility.
as the first solid-fueled icbm, it scores big for design ingenuity.
for long-range, overwhelming power, nothing compares to the minuteman.
overall, the minuteman clearly deserves the number-1 position.
long-range weapons increasingly define the modern battlefield.
from the fearsome smerch to the barrett rifle and the b-1 bomber, they inflict maximum damage on the enemy from a safe distance.
there are many strong contenders for the number-1 position, but ultimately, one weapon epitomizes the long-range strike -- the minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile.