Supercarrier Airport at Sea

The USS Ronald Reagan: the world's most powerful aircraft carrier. A floating piece of American territory. And a powerful weapon, swarming with planes, explosives, and thousands of the Navy's best crew. This intimidating marine monster is also the world's largest combat airport, perfectly designed for one task: to launch and retrieve legions of strike fighter jets anywhere in the world, on extremely short notice. And the 5000 men and women onboard have to perform this task to perfection. Surrounded by roaring jet engines, explosive jet fuel, and dangerous weapons ... a mistake could mean disaster. From the Flight Deck to the cockpit to the Captain's chair, we're taking a behind the scenes look at the American military's ultimate weapon ... the Supercarrier: USS Ronald Reagan

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Documentaries: Mega Structures Missiles

In Cruise Missile we look at how this ultimate surgical attack weapon is capable of speeds of over 800km/hour, can seek out and destroy enemies from 2,500km away and can strike a target within 10 metres. But the Cruise missile hasn’t always been the Generals’ silver bullet. It took engineers decades to get it right. To build such a weapon, they had to overcome a series of extreme technical challenges. How do you push a one and a half ton missile out of the ocean, make it dodge enemy radar, and then home in on its target to strike with deadly accuracy?

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Documentaries: The Anatomy of an F18

This high-energy one-hour special takes a look into the revolutionary capabilities of the carrier-based strike fighter and the experience of the pilots who fly it. At California’s Naval Air Station Lemoore, the Navy’s most advanced F/A-18 training facility, viewers will learn what it takes to become a strike fighter pilot, from the rigors of the centrifuge to the thrill of dogfight training. The program also takes viewers on deployment with an actual Carrier Air Group and shows the intense world of naval aviation for which these trainees are preparing. Combining high-definition footage, animated 3-D graphics and thrilling air-to-air material, ANATOMY OF AN F/A-18 is an exciting, high-tech hour of television about the most versatile jet in active service.pilot.

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Documentaries: The Magic of Flight

Experience the thrill of a Blue Angels air show while learning of the science and history of flight. Featuring cutting edge aerial photography, this is the story of human potential and the importance of training and performance. 

In The Magic of Flight, we are inspired by a bird’s innate ease to take flight and review early flight attempts, as well as the ultimate successful flight of the Wright Brothers in 1903. The variety and versatility of today’s flying machines are also displayed throughout the film. We learn how the Harrier jet mimics a bird’s landing and take-off. The jet can be delicately maneuvered at slow speeds yet capable of moving over 500 mph. We also witness naval aviators, with the ability to fly up to 1,300 mph, precisely land on an aircraft carrier, the most difficult maneuver in all of aviation.

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Documentaries: Army Strong

Journey into a secret world where aeronautical dreams become military reality. Particle ray beam weapons, quiet supersonic flight, magnetic levitation and hyper-speed engines are all part of the technology that promises cutting-edge aircraft for 21st century combat. Learn how UCAVs - Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles - are poised to take the preeminent role in future air combat with their ability to undertake missions too dangerous for human pilots, striking land and air targets with robotic precision. Without the burden of designing for a human pilot, engineers of these robot planes - like Northrop's radical X-47 - are able to achieve some truly space-age designs. 

Witness the latest applications of stealth technology in aircraft like the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Boeing's out-of-this-world "Bird of Prey." Like the Klingon ship that inspired its name, this experimental plane is completely invisible to detection and truly looks years ahead of its time. But while stealth planes have been around for some time, stealth helicopters are the emerging stars of the air force. Watch as the new Comanche explodes onto the scene, flexing its muscles as the military's newest and deadliest tank killer. Then, climb into the cockpit for an exclusive, first-time tour of the Comanche to see the amazing abilities of this state-of-the-art attack chopper.

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Secrets of Seal Team 6

For three decades, the elite government operatives of Seal Team VI have existed under the radar, carrying out secret missions and combating threats to national security. But now, with the highly publicised success of Operation Neptune Spear and the death of Osama Bin Laden, the team's cover has been blown.

While their missions are shrouded in mystery, this special programme will reveal details about the elusive unit, their advanced weapons training and the specialised technology they use to infiltrate some of the most secure places on earth. 

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Inside North Korea

Under the pretense of following and documenting the medical procedures of an optometric surgeon performing much needed surgeries, pro bono, on over 1000 North Korean people in just a few days, whose diet and lack of proper medical care results in a staggeringly high rate of cataracts, a National Geographic team is able to capture the total cohesiveness and divine legitimization imposed by a tyrant leader. The film is called Inside North Korea.

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