Combat Countdown (2012) s01e10 Episode Script
Game Changers
narrator: in modern warfare, the side with the most advanced military hardware [ gunshot .]
has a massive advantage.
[ explosion .]
if you bring weapons that they cannot counter then you have an advantage that can be decisive.
[ cannon fires .]
the better technology will lead to a better result.
track now bear 0-6-7, five nautical miles.
narrator: having a technological edge can be the difference between victory and defeat.
it can lessen your casualties, or it can completely stun and amaze your opponents.
narrator: we're counting down the top 10 most revolutionary war machines, looking at game-changing gear across every class of weapons system.
from the e-2 hawkeye to the cutting edge amos automatic mortar [ cannon fires .]
and the fearsome kuznetsov aircraft carrier to find out what pushes the limits of combat innovation.
[ rapid gunfire .]
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS narrator: in modern warfare, the best way to stack the odds in your favor is superior technology.
the importance of having a technological advantage over your enemy cannot be overstated.
narrator: if a modern military force can't keep up in the arms race, it can have disastrous consequences.
around the world, all the big military forces spend an enormous amount on defense research for that purpose.
narrator: with the help of military experts, we're going inside the most revolutionary military machines on the battlefield.
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 is the missile that changed the course of war.
the patriot system.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $7.
5 million.
weight -- 2,000 pounds.
length -- 17 feet.
ballistic missiles carrying explosive chemical or nuclear payloads can devastate cities or even entire armies.
and stopping these apocalyptic weapons is one of the greatest challenges facing u.
s.
armed forces.
to attack an incoming missile is a very difficult thing to do.
a typical incoming warhead is just three feet in diameter, traveling at over a mile a second.
to combat the threat, patriot has some of the most sophisticated mobile radar ever created.
the patriot's sensors and guidance systems are its particular strength.
what they do is watch the battle space and track incoming threats.
narrator: the an/mpq-65 array covers 60 miles, tracking 100 potential targets at once.
the radar tracks the speed, altitude, and heading for the three-man crew in the engagement control center.
a patriot battery consists of eight launchers, armed with up to 16 missiles each.
the computer automatically calculates which launchers are best positioned for maximum hit probability and launches two missiles a few seconds apart.
[ beeps .]
in less than five seconds, the missile hits five times the speed of sound.
patriot gives you the ability to destroy incoming threats at quite a long distance away.
narrator: the closing speed for target and interceptor is more than 7,500 miles an hour.
the ground radar illuminates the target, and the missile's on-board guidance system keeps the patriot honing in.
the patriot missile is designed to explode and fragment into a wide area.
any one of those fragments can push a missile off course or trigger it to explode.
basically, if it flies, it dies.
if you have a patriot system that can take away the enemy's ability to fire missiles, then that's a very nice place to be.
narrator: and if keeping the skies clear of ballistic missiles isn't enough of a game changer, patriot's radar can also light up smaller threats to be targeted by other missile systems that cost less than the patriot's $3.
4 million a shot.
they can guide other weapon systems onto incoming missiles, mortars, or whatever that threat may be.
narrator: the multilayer protection patriot offers to an army on the move or even entire cities makes it a true game changer.
patriot's service record goes back to its sensational debut in the 1991 gulf war.
it's versatile enough to destroy airborne targets or guide other weapons.
the design has evolved to meet battlefield needs.
it's the unrivaled king of ballistic missile defense.
overall, patriot earns the number-10 position.
coming in at number 9, the battle tank that adds the best of the west to tough soviet technology.
the pt-91 twardy.
origin -- poland.
cost -- $5.
9 million.
weight -- 50 tons.
length -- 31 feet.
when poland was a part of the warsaw pact, its main battle tank was the soviet-designed t-72.
but when the iron curtain came down, the poles were stuck with the outdated cold war gear.
what do you do when the warsaw pact comes to an end and a lot of those nations then become part of nato? but they don't have equipment that's at all suitable to work alongside nato.
narrator: while most countries look to import expensive foreign hardware, the poles threw out the rule book and put their veteran tanks through a makeover so comprehensive, they can compete with cutting-edge russian hardware.
the result is the pt-91 twardy.
twardy is polish for "tough,' and that's not a coincidence.
it's an example of what a nation can do to upgrade equipment that's fallen behind technologically, but using its own national resources.
particularly on the technological side, they've improved the tank immeasurably.
narrator: the twardy's turret and the front of the hull are protected by 394 explosive reactive armored blocks.
the blocks are designed to explode when hit by an incoming round, deflecting it away with their own blast, improving the tank's protection by up to 70%.
it's also been powered up with the old soviet engine replaced by an 850 horsepower s12u diesel, capable of reaching 37 miles per hour with a range of almost 300 miles.
and they've increased the lethality of the tank's heavy-hitting 125-millimeter smoothbore gun with a dual access stabilized fire control system and an automatic reloading mechanism, which increases the rate of fire from eight to 10 rounds per minute.
caddick-adams: it's far more stabilized.
it can fire accurately on the move, and that's the key to success in modern armored warfare.
narrator: the drawa fire control system uses modern western tech to give the gunner a magnifying day sight, thermovision night sight, and a laser range finder.
caddick-adams: the optics are much better.
the night sights are far beyond anything that was around in the era of the soviet union.
narrator: adding 21st century combat capability makes the pt-91 a remarkable evolution of a classic design, and it's started grabbing global attention.
modern armies around the world are ordering the upgrade package.
caddick-adams: and so what you've got is an all-around better tank.
so, what you've taken is the best of western technology that's at least 20 years in advance of the old tank.
and using simply the chassis, you've created something very new and exciting, indeed.
narrator: the twardy's service record does not yet include any combat deployments.
the extensive modifications have massively boosted the tank's versatility.
tricking out a cold war tank for the 21st century battlefield is a design masterstroke.
in its class, it's only outperformed by the very best western tanks.
overall, the twardy's solid combination of design and versatility earns the number-9 position.
still to come, the war machines that are rewriting the military playbook.
it can throw round after round at you.
narrator: in our countdown of the most revolutionary weapons systems on the planet, at number 8, a cutting-edge infantry fighting vehicle.
the vbci.
origin -- france.
cost -- $5.
5 million.
weight -- 28 tons.
length -- 25 feet.
[ gunfire .]
vbci stands for "armored vehicle for combat infantry.
" and it's a game changer because it's not just a troop transport, it's a deadly combat vehicle in its own right.
it's everything that a tank or very good armored car can do.
plus, it suddenly releases infantrymen which will seriously ruin your day.
it's a genuine war master because of its extreme speed and maneuverability, and its tremendous and huge firepower.
[ gunfire .]
narrator: for its primary role of getting troops into battle, speed is critical.
on roads, it's achieved speeds of 100 kilometers an hour.
that's unheard of for an armored vehicle.
narrator: a 550 horsepower diesel power plant gives it the speed and the stamina to run for 470 miles without refueling.
eight-wheel drive powers it through rivers four feet deep, over trenches 6 1/2-feet wide, and up 60-degree slopes.
and four self-steering wheels provide this 25-foot tank with astounding agility.
to keep its precious cargo intact, the vbci carries anti-ballistic and anti-mine armor plating coupled with an infrared decoy system and smoke grenades.
in afghanistan, the vehicle came under several rocket attacks or improvised explosive device attacks [ explosion .]
and we had no damages and no casualties.
narrator: when it reaches the target, the hydraulic back door flips open in four seconds to unleash up to nine fully-armed infantry soldiers.
and, once it has unloaded, the 7-foot high killing machine can dish out serious destruction.
[ rapid gunfire .]
it is vital that any armored infantry fighting vehicle has the ability to engage and destroy other vehicles of a similar type.
narrator: the turret comes equipped with an electronically targeted 25-millimeter cannon which fires nearly 400 rounds per minute.
[ rapid gunfire .]
the secret of that weapon system lies with the high speed of the cannon.
it can throw round after round at you.
a 25-millimeter cannon shower will penetrate concrete.
it will penetrate brick walls.
in other words, there's very little that's proof against it.
narrator: the vbci's deadly mix of mobility and firepower makes it one of the most advanced infantry fighting vehicles on the battlefield.
the vbci's service record includes extensive action in the middle east.
versatility is high because it fills transport and combat roles.
the design draws heavily upon foreign innovations.
it's in the top tier of infantry fighting vehicles in a crowded class.
overall, in spite of its strengths, the vbci's derivative design means it lands at number 8 in our countdown.
at number 7 in our countdown of military innovations, the lightweight assault carbine with battle-winning big-gun power.
the x95 micro tavor.
origin -- israel.
cost -- $2,000.
weight -- 6.
6 pounds.
length -- 23 inches.
[ gun cocks .]
for special forces troops on covert operations, it's vital to have a light, portable weapon that provides fully automatic firepower in close-quarter battles.
[ rapid gunfire .]
but for decades, close-range weapons have lacked long-range punch.
the micro tavor is a game changer because it provides both in one package, barely bigger than a pistol.
well, the tavor is quite a punchy weapon.
it's a .
556 caliber, although other calibers can be integrated into it.
narrator: the 5.
56 millimeter bullets are full-sized rifle rounds flying at nearly 3,000 feet per second.
they're just as powerful as anything that comes out of a much larger m16.
the key to this disproportionate performance is something called the bullpup layout.
the tavor is quite compact as a weapon system.
it uses the buttstock to employ some of the working mechanisms of the gun, so that means that we can reduce the overall length of the rifle.
but at the same time, you maintain the barrel length, which is good for muzzle velocity.
narrator: this layout is what enables the tavor to have a full-length rifle barrel, firing rifle bullets accurately at long ranges.
packing the parts together also makes a smaller, better-balanced weapon, and that makes a big difference on the battlefield.
well, to have a compact weapon is really useful to the soldier.
the reason for that is that it has a reduced logistic burden on him.
[ gunfire .]
narrator: for rapid, instinctive aiming, the tavor carries a m.
a.
r.
s.
holographic sight and a laser sight.
[ gunfire .]
speed of operation is a matter of life and death in a firefight.
[ gunfire .]
so the tavor's cocking handle, magazine release, and safety catch are all positioned to be accessible without moving your hand from the pistol grip.
it's this ease of use that makes the tavor a firm favorite for the soldiers who carry it into battle.
the tavor's service record includes fierce conflicts in israel and colombia.
the combination of long-range accuracy and close-range handling gives excellent versatility.
the tavor's design is a clever, modern adaptation of the classic bullpup configuration.
it scores respectively against strong competition in its class.
overall, the tavor's combination of versatility and ingenuity earn it the number-7 position.
coming up, the most radical advances in military technology.
narrator: coming in at number 6, the ship that took the russian fleet head-to-head with the u.
s.
navy's most powerful warships.
the kuznetsov aircraft carrier.
origin -- russia.
cost -- $2.
9 billion.
weight -- 46,000 tons.
length -- 1,000 feet.
in the cold war, there was one department where the soviet union could never compete with uncle sam.
the u.
s.
navy's formidable carrier fleet ruled the world's oceans, and no nation had any ship capable of tangling with that air power.
if you don't have aircraft carriers, your navy is not powerful, and it will not stand up to a navy that has carriers-- that's just a fact.
narrator: that's what makes the kuznetsov a game changer.
in 1981, the evil empire struck back when the nikolayev shipyards started work on the 240-foot wide floating fortress.
but building the ship was such a mammoth undertaking, it wasn't until 1990 that russia's mighty flagship was commissioned.
after a nine-year wait, russia could project air power anywhere in the world.
the kuznetsov now carries 18 super maneuverable su-33 jet fighters.
capable of going toe-to-toe with any other carrier-borne aircraft on the planet.
huston: phenomenal airplane.
very high speed intercept, a good fighter, maneuverability, very good air-to-air missiles.
so it's very, very good top-end fighter that is one of the most important airplanes in the russian arsenal.
narrator: each one is packed with up to 6.
5 tons of bombs and missiles.
instead of using a steam catapult to accelerate combat jets to takeoff speed, kuznetsov has a 14-degree ski-jump ramp to get the death-laden fighters into the air at an angle where their wings provide greater lift.
even so, the su-33s have to reach at least 160 miles per hour before the end of the ramp, or this $50 million jet will stall and fall into the sea.
kuznetsov's radar can spot hostile ships 500 kilometers away, and a battery of vertical rocket launchers can unleash a swarm of p-700 granit anti-ship missiles, each one the size of a fighter plane.
the granits are known in the west as "ship wreckers.
" against aircraft, kuznetsov can fire ground-to-air gauntlet missiles at a rate of eight per second.
and with 192 of them stored on the ship, there's no chance of running out.
and eight kashtan weapons modules with anti-missile missile launchers and two 30-millimeter gatling guns provide the close-range firepower.
[ rapid gunfire .]
kuznetsov's service record does not yet include combat deployments.
the ability to conduct air and sea warfare scores for versatility.
the kuznetsov's design is a major leap forward for russia.
carrying fewer jets than the american super carriers means kuznetsov is not top of its class.
overall, catapulting the russian navy into the big leagues wins the kuznetsov the number-6 spot in our countdown.
at number 5, the flat-out fastest helicopter ever built.
the westland lynx.
origin -- u.
k.
cost -- $22.
6 million.
weight -- 5.
6 tons.
length -- 50 feet.
the lynx is a multi-role helicopter that doesn't just do more than one job -- it does each of them better than many specialist choppers.
caddick-adams: it can operate on land, either as a utility helicopter or as an attack helicopter armed with things like hellfire missiles.
or it can work equally well at sea.
and that gives it a unique versatility.
narrator: it was as a land-based utility chopper that the lynx first made a name for itself.
shifting cargo, acting as an air ambulance, or carrying up to nine fully-armed combat troops right into battle.
lynx helicopter allows the commander the ability to move troops around the battlefield, to move supplies and support of the troops on the ground.
also, to support them through aerial weapon systems, be they anti-tank, or be they rocket launchers.
narrator: for combat transportation, speed is a matter of life and death, and the lynx has it in spades.
in 1986, the lynx set a world helicopter speed record of 249.
1 miles per hour.
that still stands 25 years later.
the keys to the lynx's speed and agility are its lightweight frame and two rolls-royce gem mark-42 turboshaft engines providing an awesome power-to-weight ratio.
if an army commander needs firepower instead of speed, the lynx can be easily adapted to the task at hand.
caddick-adams: there's all sorts of hard stations around the helicopter to which you can attach armaments.
narrator: depending on the mission profile the helicopter can be equipped with up to eight anti-tank missiles, twin 7.
62-millimeter machine guns, or two externally-mounted 20-millimeter cannons.
caddick-adams: the ability to bolt on all these different kinds of equipment means you can switch from armored battlefield taxi to attack helicopter in a very short space of time.
narrator: that extraordinary versatility is a game-changing advantage on the battlefield.
the lynx proved its combat capabilities in service of the british army and the royal navy in the falklands conflict and both gulf wars.
the lynx's service record spans multiple conflicts in the service of 18 nations.
the multi-role helicopter was built for versatility.
the design is simple, but effective, and has evolved continuously.
the world's best-selling utility chopper is at the top of its class.
overall, the lynx's strength across multiple categories earns it the number-5 position.
up next, the heavy-hitting hardware that's changing the way armies fight.
narrator: we're counting down the most radical military innovations on the modern battlefield.
at number 4, the u.
s.
navy's robocop of the seas.
the arleigh burke destroyer.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $500 million.
weight -- 9,500 tons.
length -- 509 feet.
in 1991, the u.
s.
navy produced a compact, lightweight escort vessel with big battleship firepower.
huston: the burke class is an attempt to create the biggest capability on the smallest platform.
man: an arleigh burke ship is like a one-ship fleet.
it's a multi-mission platform.
there's not much that we can't tackle on our own.
the ship is a battle winner under the water, on the water, or over the water.
narrator: what makes this destroyer such a transformative weapon is the incredible aegis combat system, which uses data from the ship's radar to help the crew assess threats and deal with them.
the heartbeat of our ship is the aegis combat systems.
that allows us to track air and surface targets, whether they be airplanes, missiles, other ships, and then we use that system to employ the weapons we have on board.
if we were on a football field of some kind, and we saw 10 people running at us we would immediately know the ones that were the fastest, and the ones that had the biggest weapon.
and we'd ascertain which ones we needed to take care of the most quickly.
it has that kind of ability.
if an enemy decides to shoot a missile at us they would have no chance of surviving.
unknown aircraft at 0-8-7.
that's affirmative.
narrator: no matter what the threat is track now bear 0-6-7, five nautical miles.
the aegis gives the crew the ability to unleash an instant deadly response.
it has the ability to attack other surface ships and to defend itself extremely capably.
so, if it's one surface ship against one other surface ship, burke would be a very good ship to be on.
i wouldn't want to be on the other ship.
an amazing feeling to be on the bridge of a ship with extreme maneuverability, and knowing that, whatever comes up, you have the capabilities to handle that threat.
narrator: the 30-foot long, fully automatic, 5-inch gun can hurl 70-pound shells up to 13 miles at twice the speed of sound.
that one five-inch gun is capable of firing up to 20 rounds per minute.
so, every three seconds, it can put a five-inch projectile into a target area, which can be absolutely devastating.
narrator: to take out any incoming missiles or aircraft, the burke turns to the phalanx close-in weapon system, or ciws, capable of unleashing 450,000 rounds per minute.
[ rapid gunfire .]
if you're a bad guy flying a plane on the way in with ciws engaged, you won't be doing it for long.
narrator: and the big punch is the ship's vertical launch system, or vls, which carries over 90 missiles.
you have to be able to hit your target, and the missiles that they carry are extremely accurate.
narrator: the deadly cocktail of tomahawks, standard anti-aircraft missiles, and harpoon anti-ship missiles means the burke can take out any target.
the arleigh burke has had a big impact in recent operations in iraq and libya.
high versatility enables it to tackle any threat on land, sea, or air.
the one-ship fleet incorporates major design innovations.
arleigh burke is the most deadly destroyer afloat.
overall, the arleigh burke's versatility and innovation win the number-4 position.
coming in at number 3, the most deadly indirect-fire weapon system on the planet.
the patria amos.
origin -- finland/sweden.
cost -- $10 million.
weight -- 26 tons.
length -- 25 feet.
an ordinary mortar is a fearsome prospect for any infantry soldier.
the advantage of a mortar is the mortar's going to come down into the target area, and all that fragmentation is going to go straight across the target area which makes it a much more effective anti-personnel weapon.
narrator: the amos is a game changer because it multiplies that destructive capability with a fully automatic high rate of fire and the superb all-terrain mobility of the patria armored vehicle that carries it.
essentially, we're moving away from big tanks that weigh a lot, that have tracks, a lot of parts that can go wrong, to much lighter armored vehicles that have wheels.
narrator: the patria armored modular vehicle takes the mortar from being a cumbersome weapon manhandled into battle to a battlefield speedster capable of 60 miles per hour across the toughest terrain.
the turret mounting gives a full 360-degree field of fire and can elevate up to 85 degrees to aim at targets more than six miles away.
the patria carries a load of 60 high explosive mortar bombs, which amos can unleash at a rate of 24 per minute.
[ cannon fires .]
compared to a manual system, you might be able to knock off maybe five a minute, maybe six.
to be able to do 24 per minute is quite impressive.
narrator: that's fast, but what makes the amos truly revolutionary is the automatic loading system, which gives it the ability to deliver a devastating burst of four rounds in five seconds.
if you have a slow rate of fire, after the first round strikes the target, everyone's gonna take cover.
if you have a weapon system that can barrage the target with 5, 10, 15 mortar projectiles within seconds, you'll be able to catch the enemy unaware.
narrator: there is literally nowhere to hide from the overwhelming firepower.
the amos has not yet been seriously tested in combat.
the combination of mobility and firepower gives high versatility.
the design of the fully automatic mortar system is truly ground-breaking.
the amos is the first of a new class of weapon system.
overall, the amos is only held back by its service record to claim the number-3 position.
still to come, the top two game changers in modern warfare.
narrator: counting down the weapons that have changed the way modern warfare is conducted.
at number 2, the world's best carrier-based, airborne, early-warning aircraft.
the e-2 hawkeye.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $80 million.
weight -- 27 tons.
length -- 58 feet.
the hawkeye is a game changer in carrier warfare because it performs two critical missions.
extending situational awareness beyond the horizon multiplies the combat power of entire carrier groups, and conducting airborne command and control for the combat jets gives them a massive edge in aerial combat.
flying at 37,000 feet, hawkeye can detect low-flying aircraft more than 200 miles away, over five times further than a ship's radar.
huston: their radars are so good and so powerful, they're very likely to detect anybody that's trying to get in to whatever it is you're protecting.
narrator: the hawkeye has an unmatched capability to track and identify more than 2,000 targets within a 6 million cubic mile column of airspace.
huston: they have just an unbelievable capability to see the entire air picture, and oftentimes, the ground picture.
and they know who's where.
they can identify every airplane that's in the air.
narrator: the all-seeing eye in the sky is the 24-foot diameter radar dish.
it rotates at six revolutions per minute, giving the system 360-degree vision.
the steam catapult boosts the hawkeye to takeoff speed of 150 miles an hour in just 2 seconds.
once it's flying, the hawkeye is far more than an airborne radar station.
it acts as a mobile command center, vectoring fighters on up to 40 hostile targets at any one time.
having a command and control center airborne like that is a huge edge, because it moves with you.
and if you're in iraq or afghanistan or iran or wherever, they're gonna be there with you.
narrator: the hawkeye can be hundreds of miles from its parent ship, but its capabilities enable senior officers on the carrier to maintain control of the fight.
huston: they can do data link and communicate with you completely silently through an encrypted signal that just appears on your screen and direct you and tell you where to go.
narrator: with hawkeye on mission, carrier commanders can see further, act faster, strike deeper.
and with the entire fleet protected beneath the cover of its radar, they can operate safely anywhere in the world.
the hawkeye's service record spans four decades of combat.
performing airborne radar and command and control duties scores for versatility.
no other design has matched the hawkeye's capabilities.
in its class, there really is nothing to equal it.
overall, the hawkeye's massive impact on carrier warfare wins it the number-2 slot.
some war machines change the game with cutting-edge tech.
others change the way we fight, or even alter the balance of power through simple, efficient design.
[ gunfire .]
when you factor in all the key elements, one war machine's groundbreaking capabilities and global influence put it head and shoulders above the rest.
at number 1, the u.
s.
army's most combat proven infantry fighting vehicle.
the m2 bradley.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $3.
1 million.
weight -- 25 tons.
length -- 21 feet.
the bradley revolutionized mechanized warfare not just for the u.
s.
army, but for every major army in the developed world.
the bradley has heralded the whole new family of infantry fighting vehicle.
narrator: before the m2, troops had to dismount from the vehicle before entering the fight.
the bradley altered that dynamic completely by becoming a deadly weapon in its own right.
you've got a turret on top with a really powerful weapon so you can fight back from within your vehicle.
the 25-millimeter gun will take down a cinder-block building within a matter of seconds.
its firepower, its lethality, the kinetic energy that's delivered by the rounds is absolutely devastating.
narrator: firing explosive shells at a rate of 200 per minute, the bushmaster cannon can take down buildings or light armored vehicles.
it's got a lot of armament.
it's got the main cannon, a coaxial 7.
62, smoke grenades, missiles.
narrator: the tow anti-tank missiles are capable of devastating main battle tanks at ranges up to 2.
3 miles.
there is nothing that can get in the way of you or stop you from getting anywhere that you want to go.
narrator: despite its 25-ton bulk, the bradley's 600-horsepower engine gives it a top speed of 45 miles per hour across virtually any terrain.
mcfadden: the bradley's very mobile and very agile.
it was designed to operate in germany against the soviet threat in rugged terrain.
narrator: the bradley's design is so strong, it has easily adapted to rapidly changing global conflicts.
during the gulf war, it wiped out more enemy armor than any other u.
s.
vehicle.
when you shift battlefields from its original design in germany, now you go to afghanistan and iraq, you find out that armor protection and that firepower becomes much more important.
narrator: deadly as it is, the bradley's mission critical role is getting the infantry right into the fight.
mcfadden: the bradley by itself is a big vehicle, but when you combine that with the infantry soldiers that dismount from it, and you fight that as a system against an enemy, that's a pretty awesome threat.
narrator: the key to keeping the combat troops safe is the heavyweight, welded, aluminum, armored hull.
when it comes in from rifle fire on this vehicle, you almost laugh at it.
it's just -- you look out the scope.
you see a guy shooting at you, and it's -- you're like, "what is this guy doing?" narrator: by combining the mobility of a personnel carrier with the power and protection of a tank, the bradley has revolutionized infantry operations.
the bradley has been in every major u.
s.
conflict since the 1980s.
versatility is high because it can fight, transport troops, and do recon.
the design pioneered a new concept in armored fighting vehicles.
it's the world's premier tracked infantry fighting vehicle.
overall, the bradley's global influence, changing the way modern armies fight, earns it the number-1 spot.
technology has been a decisive factor since the very beginning of war, and in this countdown, we've analyzed the most game-changing war machines on the planet.
from the innovative tavor carbine to the game-changing kuznetsov carrier, there are strong contenders, but there's no doubt which weapon system rewrote the military playbook -- the bradley infantry fighting vehicle.
has a massive advantage.
[ explosion .]
if you bring weapons that they cannot counter then you have an advantage that can be decisive.
[ cannon fires .]
the better technology will lead to a better result.
track now bear 0-6-7, five nautical miles.
narrator: having a technological edge can be the difference between victory and defeat.
it can lessen your casualties, or it can completely stun and amaze your opponents.
narrator: we're counting down the top 10 most revolutionary war machines, looking at game-changing gear across every class of weapons system.
from the e-2 hawkeye to the cutting edge amos automatic mortar [ cannon fires .]
and the fearsome kuznetsov aircraft carrier to find out what pushes the limits of combat innovation.
[ rapid gunfire .]
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS narrator: in modern warfare, the best way to stack the odds in your favor is superior technology.
the importance of having a technological advantage over your enemy cannot be overstated.
narrator: if a modern military force can't keep up in the arms race, it can have disastrous consequences.
around the world, all the big military forces spend an enormous amount on defense research for that purpose.
narrator: with the help of military experts, we're going inside the most revolutionary military machines on the battlefield.
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 is the missile that changed the course of war.
the patriot system.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $7.
5 million.
weight -- 2,000 pounds.
length -- 17 feet.
ballistic missiles carrying explosive chemical or nuclear payloads can devastate cities or even entire armies.
and stopping these apocalyptic weapons is one of the greatest challenges facing u.
s.
armed forces.
to attack an incoming missile is a very difficult thing to do.
a typical incoming warhead is just three feet in diameter, traveling at over a mile a second.
to combat the threat, patriot has some of the most sophisticated mobile radar ever created.
the patriot's sensors and guidance systems are its particular strength.
what they do is watch the battle space and track incoming threats.
narrator: the an/mpq-65 array covers 60 miles, tracking 100 potential targets at once.
the radar tracks the speed, altitude, and heading for the three-man crew in the engagement control center.
a patriot battery consists of eight launchers, armed with up to 16 missiles each.
the computer automatically calculates which launchers are best positioned for maximum hit probability and launches two missiles a few seconds apart.
[ beeps .]
in less than five seconds, the missile hits five times the speed of sound.
patriot gives you the ability to destroy incoming threats at quite a long distance away.
narrator: the closing speed for target and interceptor is more than 7,500 miles an hour.
the ground radar illuminates the target, and the missile's on-board guidance system keeps the patriot honing in.
the patriot missile is designed to explode and fragment into a wide area.
any one of those fragments can push a missile off course or trigger it to explode.
basically, if it flies, it dies.
if you have a patriot system that can take away the enemy's ability to fire missiles, then that's a very nice place to be.
narrator: and if keeping the skies clear of ballistic missiles isn't enough of a game changer, patriot's radar can also light up smaller threats to be targeted by other missile systems that cost less than the patriot's $3.
4 million a shot.
they can guide other weapon systems onto incoming missiles, mortars, or whatever that threat may be.
narrator: the multilayer protection patriot offers to an army on the move or even entire cities makes it a true game changer.
patriot's service record goes back to its sensational debut in the 1991 gulf war.
it's versatile enough to destroy airborne targets or guide other weapons.
the design has evolved to meet battlefield needs.
it's the unrivaled king of ballistic missile defense.
overall, patriot earns the number-10 position.
coming in at number 9, the battle tank that adds the best of the west to tough soviet technology.
the pt-91 twardy.
origin -- poland.
cost -- $5.
9 million.
weight -- 50 tons.
length -- 31 feet.
when poland was a part of the warsaw pact, its main battle tank was the soviet-designed t-72.
but when the iron curtain came down, the poles were stuck with the outdated cold war gear.
what do you do when the warsaw pact comes to an end and a lot of those nations then become part of nato? but they don't have equipment that's at all suitable to work alongside nato.
narrator: while most countries look to import expensive foreign hardware, the poles threw out the rule book and put their veteran tanks through a makeover so comprehensive, they can compete with cutting-edge russian hardware.
the result is the pt-91 twardy.
twardy is polish for "tough,' and that's not a coincidence.
it's an example of what a nation can do to upgrade equipment that's fallen behind technologically, but using its own national resources.
particularly on the technological side, they've improved the tank immeasurably.
narrator: the twardy's turret and the front of the hull are protected by 394 explosive reactive armored blocks.
the blocks are designed to explode when hit by an incoming round, deflecting it away with their own blast, improving the tank's protection by up to 70%.
it's also been powered up with the old soviet engine replaced by an 850 horsepower s12u diesel, capable of reaching 37 miles per hour with a range of almost 300 miles.
and they've increased the lethality of the tank's heavy-hitting 125-millimeter smoothbore gun with a dual access stabilized fire control system and an automatic reloading mechanism, which increases the rate of fire from eight to 10 rounds per minute.
caddick-adams: it's far more stabilized.
it can fire accurately on the move, and that's the key to success in modern armored warfare.
narrator: the drawa fire control system uses modern western tech to give the gunner a magnifying day sight, thermovision night sight, and a laser range finder.
caddick-adams: the optics are much better.
the night sights are far beyond anything that was around in the era of the soviet union.
narrator: adding 21st century combat capability makes the pt-91 a remarkable evolution of a classic design, and it's started grabbing global attention.
modern armies around the world are ordering the upgrade package.
caddick-adams: and so what you've got is an all-around better tank.
so, what you've taken is the best of western technology that's at least 20 years in advance of the old tank.
and using simply the chassis, you've created something very new and exciting, indeed.
narrator: the twardy's service record does not yet include any combat deployments.
the extensive modifications have massively boosted the tank's versatility.
tricking out a cold war tank for the 21st century battlefield is a design masterstroke.
in its class, it's only outperformed by the very best western tanks.
overall, the twardy's solid combination of design and versatility earns the number-9 position.
still to come, the war machines that are rewriting the military playbook.
it can throw round after round at you.
narrator: in our countdown of the most revolutionary weapons systems on the planet, at number 8, a cutting-edge infantry fighting vehicle.
the vbci.
origin -- france.
cost -- $5.
5 million.
weight -- 28 tons.
length -- 25 feet.
[ gunfire .]
vbci stands for "armored vehicle for combat infantry.
" and it's a game changer because it's not just a troop transport, it's a deadly combat vehicle in its own right.
it's everything that a tank or very good armored car can do.
plus, it suddenly releases infantrymen which will seriously ruin your day.
it's a genuine war master because of its extreme speed and maneuverability, and its tremendous and huge firepower.
[ gunfire .]
narrator: for its primary role of getting troops into battle, speed is critical.
on roads, it's achieved speeds of 100 kilometers an hour.
that's unheard of for an armored vehicle.
narrator: a 550 horsepower diesel power plant gives it the speed and the stamina to run for 470 miles without refueling.
eight-wheel drive powers it through rivers four feet deep, over trenches 6 1/2-feet wide, and up 60-degree slopes.
and four self-steering wheels provide this 25-foot tank with astounding agility.
to keep its precious cargo intact, the vbci carries anti-ballistic and anti-mine armor plating coupled with an infrared decoy system and smoke grenades.
in afghanistan, the vehicle came under several rocket attacks or improvised explosive device attacks [ explosion .]
and we had no damages and no casualties.
narrator: when it reaches the target, the hydraulic back door flips open in four seconds to unleash up to nine fully-armed infantry soldiers.
and, once it has unloaded, the 7-foot high killing machine can dish out serious destruction.
[ rapid gunfire .]
it is vital that any armored infantry fighting vehicle has the ability to engage and destroy other vehicles of a similar type.
narrator: the turret comes equipped with an electronically targeted 25-millimeter cannon which fires nearly 400 rounds per minute.
[ rapid gunfire .]
the secret of that weapon system lies with the high speed of the cannon.
it can throw round after round at you.
a 25-millimeter cannon shower will penetrate concrete.
it will penetrate brick walls.
in other words, there's very little that's proof against it.
narrator: the vbci's deadly mix of mobility and firepower makes it one of the most advanced infantry fighting vehicles on the battlefield.
the vbci's service record includes extensive action in the middle east.
versatility is high because it fills transport and combat roles.
the design draws heavily upon foreign innovations.
it's in the top tier of infantry fighting vehicles in a crowded class.
overall, in spite of its strengths, the vbci's derivative design means it lands at number 8 in our countdown.
at number 7 in our countdown of military innovations, the lightweight assault carbine with battle-winning big-gun power.
the x95 micro tavor.
origin -- israel.
cost -- $2,000.
weight -- 6.
6 pounds.
length -- 23 inches.
[ gun cocks .]
for special forces troops on covert operations, it's vital to have a light, portable weapon that provides fully automatic firepower in close-quarter battles.
[ rapid gunfire .]
but for decades, close-range weapons have lacked long-range punch.
the micro tavor is a game changer because it provides both in one package, barely bigger than a pistol.
well, the tavor is quite a punchy weapon.
it's a .
556 caliber, although other calibers can be integrated into it.
narrator: the 5.
56 millimeter bullets are full-sized rifle rounds flying at nearly 3,000 feet per second.
they're just as powerful as anything that comes out of a much larger m16.
the key to this disproportionate performance is something called the bullpup layout.
the tavor is quite compact as a weapon system.
it uses the buttstock to employ some of the working mechanisms of the gun, so that means that we can reduce the overall length of the rifle.
but at the same time, you maintain the barrel length, which is good for muzzle velocity.
narrator: this layout is what enables the tavor to have a full-length rifle barrel, firing rifle bullets accurately at long ranges.
packing the parts together also makes a smaller, better-balanced weapon, and that makes a big difference on the battlefield.
well, to have a compact weapon is really useful to the soldier.
the reason for that is that it has a reduced logistic burden on him.
[ gunfire .]
narrator: for rapid, instinctive aiming, the tavor carries a m.
a.
r.
s.
holographic sight and a laser sight.
[ gunfire .]
speed of operation is a matter of life and death in a firefight.
[ gunfire .]
so the tavor's cocking handle, magazine release, and safety catch are all positioned to be accessible without moving your hand from the pistol grip.
it's this ease of use that makes the tavor a firm favorite for the soldiers who carry it into battle.
the tavor's service record includes fierce conflicts in israel and colombia.
the combination of long-range accuracy and close-range handling gives excellent versatility.
the tavor's design is a clever, modern adaptation of the classic bullpup configuration.
it scores respectively against strong competition in its class.
overall, the tavor's combination of versatility and ingenuity earn it the number-7 position.
coming up, the most radical advances in military technology.
narrator: coming in at number 6, the ship that took the russian fleet head-to-head with the u.
s.
navy's most powerful warships.
the kuznetsov aircraft carrier.
origin -- russia.
cost -- $2.
9 billion.
weight -- 46,000 tons.
length -- 1,000 feet.
in the cold war, there was one department where the soviet union could never compete with uncle sam.
the u.
s.
navy's formidable carrier fleet ruled the world's oceans, and no nation had any ship capable of tangling with that air power.
if you don't have aircraft carriers, your navy is not powerful, and it will not stand up to a navy that has carriers-- that's just a fact.
narrator: that's what makes the kuznetsov a game changer.
in 1981, the evil empire struck back when the nikolayev shipyards started work on the 240-foot wide floating fortress.
but building the ship was such a mammoth undertaking, it wasn't until 1990 that russia's mighty flagship was commissioned.
after a nine-year wait, russia could project air power anywhere in the world.
the kuznetsov now carries 18 super maneuverable su-33 jet fighters.
capable of going toe-to-toe with any other carrier-borne aircraft on the planet.
huston: phenomenal airplane.
very high speed intercept, a good fighter, maneuverability, very good air-to-air missiles.
so it's very, very good top-end fighter that is one of the most important airplanes in the russian arsenal.
narrator: each one is packed with up to 6.
5 tons of bombs and missiles.
instead of using a steam catapult to accelerate combat jets to takeoff speed, kuznetsov has a 14-degree ski-jump ramp to get the death-laden fighters into the air at an angle where their wings provide greater lift.
even so, the su-33s have to reach at least 160 miles per hour before the end of the ramp, or this $50 million jet will stall and fall into the sea.
kuznetsov's radar can spot hostile ships 500 kilometers away, and a battery of vertical rocket launchers can unleash a swarm of p-700 granit anti-ship missiles, each one the size of a fighter plane.
the granits are known in the west as "ship wreckers.
" against aircraft, kuznetsov can fire ground-to-air gauntlet missiles at a rate of eight per second.
and with 192 of them stored on the ship, there's no chance of running out.
and eight kashtan weapons modules with anti-missile missile launchers and two 30-millimeter gatling guns provide the close-range firepower.
[ rapid gunfire .]
kuznetsov's service record does not yet include combat deployments.
the ability to conduct air and sea warfare scores for versatility.
the kuznetsov's design is a major leap forward for russia.
carrying fewer jets than the american super carriers means kuznetsov is not top of its class.
overall, catapulting the russian navy into the big leagues wins the kuznetsov the number-6 spot in our countdown.
at number 5, the flat-out fastest helicopter ever built.
the westland lynx.
origin -- u.
k.
cost -- $22.
6 million.
weight -- 5.
6 tons.
length -- 50 feet.
the lynx is a multi-role helicopter that doesn't just do more than one job -- it does each of them better than many specialist choppers.
caddick-adams: it can operate on land, either as a utility helicopter or as an attack helicopter armed with things like hellfire missiles.
or it can work equally well at sea.
and that gives it a unique versatility.
narrator: it was as a land-based utility chopper that the lynx first made a name for itself.
shifting cargo, acting as an air ambulance, or carrying up to nine fully-armed combat troops right into battle.
lynx helicopter allows the commander the ability to move troops around the battlefield, to move supplies and support of the troops on the ground.
also, to support them through aerial weapon systems, be they anti-tank, or be they rocket launchers.
narrator: for combat transportation, speed is a matter of life and death, and the lynx has it in spades.
in 1986, the lynx set a world helicopter speed record of 249.
1 miles per hour.
that still stands 25 years later.
the keys to the lynx's speed and agility are its lightweight frame and two rolls-royce gem mark-42 turboshaft engines providing an awesome power-to-weight ratio.
if an army commander needs firepower instead of speed, the lynx can be easily adapted to the task at hand.
caddick-adams: there's all sorts of hard stations around the helicopter to which you can attach armaments.
narrator: depending on the mission profile the helicopter can be equipped with up to eight anti-tank missiles, twin 7.
62-millimeter machine guns, or two externally-mounted 20-millimeter cannons.
caddick-adams: the ability to bolt on all these different kinds of equipment means you can switch from armored battlefield taxi to attack helicopter in a very short space of time.
narrator: that extraordinary versatility is a game-changing advantage on the battlefield.
the lynx proved its combat capabilities in service of the british army and the royal navy in the falklands conflict and both gulf wars.
the lynx's service record spans multiple conflicts in the service of 18 nations.
the multi-role helicopter was built for versatility.
the design is simple, but effective, and has evolved continuously.
the world's best-selling utility chopper is at the top of its class.
overall, the lynx's strength across multiple categories earns it the number-5 position.
up next, the heavy-hitting hardware that's changing the way armies fight.
narrator: we're counting down the most radical military innovations on the modern battlefield.
at number 4, the u.
s.
navy's robocop of the seas.
the arleigh burke destroyer.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $500 million.
weight -- 9,500 tons.
length -- 509 feet.
in 1991, the u.
s.
navy produced a compact, lightweight escort vessel with big battleship firepower.
huston: the burke class is an attempt to create the biggest capability on the smallest platform.
man: an arleigh burke ship is like a one-ship fleet.
it's a multi-mission platform.
there's not much that we can't tackle on our own.
the ship is a battle winner under the water, on the water, or over the water.
narrator: what makes this destroyer such a transformative weapon is the incredible aegis combat system, which uses data from the ship's radar to help the crew assess threats and deal with them.
the heartbeat of our ship is the aegis combat systems.
that allows us to track air and surface targets, whether they be airplanes, missiles, other ships, and then we use that system to employ the weapons we have on board.
if we were on a football field of some kind, and we saw 10 people running at us we would immediately know the ones that were the fastest, and the ones that had the biggest weapon.
and we'd ascertain which ones we needed to take care of the most quickly.
it has that kind of ability.
if an enemy decides to shoot a missile at us they would have no chance of surviving.
unknown aircraft at 0-8-7.
that's affirmative.
narrator: no matter what the threat is track now bear 0-6-7, five nautical miles.
the aegis gives the crew the ability to unleash an instant deadly response.
it has the ability to attack other surface ships and to defend itself extremely capably.
so, if it's one surface ship against one other surface ship, burke would be a very good ship to be on.
i wouldn't want to be on the other ship.
an amazing feeling to be on the bridge of a ship with extreme maneuverability, and knowing that, whatever comes up, you have the capabilities to handle that threat.
narrator: the 30-foot long, fully automatic, 5-inch gun can hurl 70-pound shells up to 13 miles at twice the speed of sound.
that one five-inch gun is capable of firing up to 20 rounds per minute.
so, every three seconds, it can put a five-inch projectile into a target area, which can be absolutely devastating.
narrator: to take out any incoming missiles or aircraft, the burke turns to the phalanx close-in weapon system, or ciws, capable of unleashing 450,000 rounds per minute.
[ rapid gunfire .]
if you're a bad guy flying a plane on the way in with ciws engaged, you won't be doing it for long.
narrator: and the big punch is the ship's vertical launch system, or vls, which carries over 90 missiles.
you have to be able to hit your target, and the missiles that they carry are extremely accurate.
narrator: the deadly cocktail of tomahawks, standard anti-aircraft missiles, and harpoon anti-ship missiles means the burke can take out any target.
the arleigh burke has had a big impact in recent operations in iraq and libya.
high versatility enables it to tackle any threat on land, sea, or air.
the one-ship fleet incorporates major design innovations.
arleigh burke is the most deadly destroyer afloat.
overall, the arleigh burke's versatility and innovation win the number-4 position.
coming in at number 3, the most deadly indirect-fire weapon system on the planet.
the patria amos.
origin -- finland/sweden.
cost -- $10 million.
weight -- 26 tons.
length -- 25 feet.
an ordinary mortar is a fearsome prospect for any infantry soldier.
the advantage of a mortar is the mortar's going to come down into the target area, and all that fragmentation is going to go straight across the target area which makes it a much more effective anti-personnel weapon.
narrator: the amos is a game changer because it multiplies that destructive capability with a fully automatic high rate of fire and the superb all-terrain mobility of the patria armored vehicle that carries it.
essentially, we're moving away from big tanks that weigh a lot, that have tracks, a lot of parts that can go wrong, to much lighter armored vehicles that have wheels.
narrator: the patria armored modular vehicle takes the mortar from being a cumbersome weapon manhandled into battle to a battlefield speedster capable of 60 miles per hour across the toughest terrain.
the turret mounting gives a full 360-degree field of fire and can elevate up to 85 degrees to aim at targets more than six miles away.
the patria carries a load of 60 high explosive mortar bombs, which amos can unleash at a rate of 24 per minute.
[ cannon fires .]
compared to a manual system, you might be able to knock off maybe five a minute, maybe six.
to be able to do 24 per minute is quite impressive.
narrator: that's fast, but what makes the amos truly revolutionary is the automatic loading system, which gives it the ability to deliver a devastating burst of four rounds in five seconds.
if you have a slow rate of fire, after the first round strikes the target, everyone's gonna take cover.
if you have a weapon system that can barrage the target with 5, 10, 15 mortar projectiles within seconds, you'll be able to catch the enemy unaware.
narrator: there is literally nowhere to hide from the overwhelming firepower.
the amos has not yet been seriously tested in combat.
the combination of mobility and firepower gives high versatility.
the design of the fully automatic mortar system is truly ground-breaking.
the amos is the first of a new class of weapon system.
overall, the amos is only held back by its service record to claim the number-3 position.
still to come, the top two game changers in modern warfare.
narrator: counting down the weapons that have changed the way modern warfare is conducted.
at number 2, the world's best carrier-based, airborne, early-warning aircraft.
the e-2 hawkeye.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $80 million.
weight -- 27 tons.
length -- 58 feet.
the hawkeye is a game changer in carrier warfare because it performs two critical missions.
extending situational awareness beyond the horizon multiplies the combat power of entire carrier groups, and conducting airborne command and control for the combat jets gives them a massive edge in aerial combat.
flying at 37,000 feet, hawkeye can detect low-flying aircraft more than 200 miles away, over five times further than a ship's radar.
huston: their radars are so good and so powerful, they're very likely to detect anybody that's trying to get in to whatever it is you're protecting.
narrator: the hawkeye has an unmatched capability to track and identify more than 2,000 targets within a 6 million cubic mile column of airspace.
huston: they have just an unbelievable capability to see the entire air picture, and oftentimes, the ground picture.
and they know who's where.
they can identify every airplane that's in the air.
narrator: the all-seeing eye in the sky is the 24-foot diameter radar dish.
it rotates at six revolutions per minute, giving the system 360-degree vision.
the steam catapult boosts the hawkeye to takeoff speed of 150 miles an hour in just 2 seconds.
once it's flying, the hawkeye is far more than an airborne radar station.
it acts as a mobile command center, vectoring fighters on up to 40 hostile targets at any one time.
having a command and control center airborne like that is a huge edge, because it moves with you.
and if you're in iraq or afghanistan or iran or wherever, they're gonna be there with you.
narrator: the hawkeye can be hundreds of miles from its parent ship, but its capabilities enable senior officers on the carrier to maintain control of the fight.
huston: they can do data link and communicate with you completely silently through an encrypted signal that just appears on your screen and direct you and tell you where to go.
narrator: with hawkeye on mission, carrier commanders can see further, act faster, strike deeper.
and with the entire fleet protected beneath the cover of its radar, they can operate safely anywhere in the world.
the hawkeye's service record spans four decades of combat.
performing airborne radar and command and control duties scores for versatility.
no other design has matched the hawkeye's capabilities.
in its class, there really is nothing to equal it.
overall, the hawkeye's massive impact on carrier warfare wins it the number-2 slot.
some war machines change the game with cutting-edge tech.
others change the way we fight, or even alter the balance of power through simple, efficient design.
[ gunfire .]
when you factor in all the key elements, one war machine's groundbreaking capabilities and global influence put it head and shoulders above the rest.
at number 1, the u.
s.
army's most combat proven infantry fighting vehicle.
the m2 bradley.
origin -- usa.
cost -- $3.
1 million.
weight -- 25 tons.
length -- 21 feet.
the bradley revolutionized mechanized warfare not just for the u.
s.
army, but for every major army in the developed world.
the bradley has heralded the whole new family of infantry fighting vehicle.
narrator: before the m2, troops had to dismount from the vehicle before entering the fight.
the bradley altered that dynamic completely by becoming a deadly weapon in its own right.
you've got a turret on top with a really powerful weapon so you can fight back from within your vehicle.
the 25-millimeter gun will take down a cinder-block building within a matter of seconds.
its firepower, its lethality, the kinetic energy that's delivered by the rounds is absolutely devastating.
narrator: firing explosive shells at a rate of 200 per minute, the bushmaster cannon can take down buildings or light armored vehicles.
it's got a lot of armament.
it's got the main cannon, a coaxial 7.
62, smoke grenades, missiles.
narrator: the tow anti-tank missiles are capable of devastating main battle tanks at ranges up to 2.
3 miles.
there is nothing that can get in the way of you or stop you from getting anywhere that you want to go.
narrator: despite its 25-ton bulk, the bradley's 600-horsepower engine gives it a top speed of 45 miles per hour across virtually any terrain.
mcfadden: the bradley's very mobile and very agile.
it was designed to operate in germany against the soviet threat in rugged terrain.
narrator: the bradley's design is so strong, it has easily adapted to rapidly changing global conflicts.
during the gulf war, it wiped out more enemy armor than any other u.
s.
vehicle.
when you shift battlefields from its original design in germany, now you go to afghanistan and iraq, you find out that armor protection and that firepower becomes much more important.
narrator: deadly as it is, the bradley's mission critical role is getting the infantry right into the fight.
mcfadden: the bradley by itself is a big vehicle, but when you combine that with the infantry soldiers that dismount from it, and you fight that as a system against an enemy, that's a pretty awesome threat.
narrator: the key to keeping the combat troops safe is the heavyweight, welded, aluminum, armored hull.
when it comes in from rifle fire on this vehicle, you almost laugh at it.
it's just -- you look out the scope.
you see a guy shooting at you, and it's -- you're like, "what is this guy doing?" narrator: by combining the mobility of a personnel carrier with the power and protection of a tank, the bradley has revolutionized infantry operations.
the bradley has been in every major u.
s.
conflict since the 1980s.
versatility is high because it can fight, transport troops, and do recon.
the design pioneered a new concept in armored fighting vehicles.
it's the world's premier tracked infantry fighting vehicle.
overall, the bradley's global influence, changing the way modern armies fight, earns it the number-1 spot.
technology has been a decisive factor since the very beginning of war, and in this countdown, we've analyzed the most game-changing war machines on the planet.
from the innovative tavor carbine to the game-changing kuznetsov carrier, there are strong contenders, but there's no doubt which weapon system rewrote the military playbook -- the bradley infantry fighting vehicle.