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S2 E6 · Darkness Visible: the Stealth Fighter
Decisive Weapons is a documentary TV series that premiered on BBC Two on September 18, 1996. It has 2 seasons and 12 episodes so far and has ended. The latest episode, Season 2 Episode 6 "Darkness Visible: the Stealth Fighter", aired on October 13, 1997.
Decisive Weapons is a television series made by the BBC in association with the US channel A&E. It ran for two years airing on BBC2 in the UK from 1996 to 1997. The series was devised and produced by Martin Davidson who also co-wrote the book Decisive Weapons with series researcher Adam Levy.
Last updated
12 episodes · 2 seasons
1996 · 6 episodes · Last episode: 30 years ago
Untested in combat and generally derided by the British military establishment, the Harrier proved itself in the Falklands conflict when just 20 of them took on a 200-strong Argentinian air force.
The longbow was the lethal weapon of the Middle Ages, a killing machine that could stop a fully-armoured knight dead in his tracks. Its simple form and devastating power made it the ideal weapon for the English when they invaded France in 1415 and, at Agincourt, faced a massive French army.
In 1943, the large and slow Flying Fortresses, used in the US Air Force's daylight bombing raids, were being shot out of the sky at a rate of up to 60 per day. Only one fighter plane could save them - the single-seat P51 Mustang. The P51 enabled American pilots to fly eight-hour missions - by the end of the war, it accounted for half of all German planes destroyed, either in the air or on the ground. American and German veterans recount the legend that was the Mustang.
The Bell-Huey helicopter was designer and built for air mobility, the rapid transport of troops and the provision of gun and rocket support. It gave the Americans an early advantage in the jungles of South Vietnam, but the North Vietnamese soon learned to lure the Hueys to the places they wanted to fight. Through such films as Apocalypse Now, the Huey came to symbolise the American involvement in the Vietnam conflict.
The story of the Soviet T34 tank, the manufacture of which heralded the largest industrial migration in history. In 1941, the Soviets faced almost certain defeat by the Germans, until the arrival of the Red Army's ultra-secret new tank, the T-34. In the hands of those who built and then drove it, this was the tank that led the fightback, all the way to Hitler's bunker in 1945.
1997 · 6 episodes · Last episode: 29 years ago
The F-117 A Stealth Fighter is the world's first operational combat plane designed to be invisible to radar. But while powerfully impressive during the Gulf War, doubts have persisted over the plane's ability to avoid radar detection. Is its reputation justified?
This programme looks into the origins and history of the samurai sword, considering the processes and engineering that went into its design and making, and its importance as a weapon in battle when repelling the Mongol invasions.
Initial U-Boat success in strangling the transatlantic supply routes began a battle to protect the Atlantic convoys. The Allies developed sophisticated anti-submarine warfare.
Accurate over distances of 500 metres, and with a vastly increased rate of fire, the Springfield rifle marked a great leap forward in rifle technology. The first weapon to be mass-produced, it was used to devastating effect by Union soldiers during the American Civil War.
First invented by the British during the First World War, the aircraft carrier was frowned on by traditionalists. But Japanese recognition of the carrier's potential led to the devastating 1941 attack on the US fleet at Pearl Harbor.
Documentary looking at the design and role of the Hurricane during the Battle of Britain and World War II, and how it actually played a larger and more important role than the Spitfire, which is usually credited with repelling the Luftwaffe's air attacks in 1940. Ex-pilots talks about the plane and its qualities.
Sean Bean
Narator
Decisive Weapons has ended, so no new episodes are scheduled. The final episode aired on October 13, 1997.
The most recent episode of Decisive Weapons, Season 2 Episode 6 "Darkness Visible: the Stealth Fighter", aired on October 13, 1997.
Decisive Weapons has 2 seasons with 12 episodes in total.
Decisive Weapons first aired on BBC Two on September 18, 1996.
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S1 · E552 3 months ago
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S18 · E260 4 years ago
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