7 Incredible Modern Battles with ai view

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00:00:00Welcome to our compilation of seven modern era battles.

00:00:04It's the early morning of February the 28th 1994 and six volunteer pilots are on a bombing mission

00:00:11in violation of a NATO no-fly zone. The leader of the flight is pilot Ranko Vukmirovic from the

00:00:19Bosnian Serb Air Force. He and his men are in Jastro J-21 jets which are no match for the

00:00:26NATO F-16s

00:00:27in speed, maneuverability or weapons. The Jastro pilots are trying to keep below radar height

00:00:34but now with a target getting close they're forced to ascend to 2,000 meters to start the attack run

00:00:41on a weapons factory. In doing so the aging Serbian jets light up the watching NATO radars.

00:00:4950 miles away two patrolling F-16s are informed of the J-21's presence.

00:00:54Black flight you have six bogeys. BRAA 320 for 52 at 7,000. Flanking, copy that.

00:01:01The F-16s bank towards the target. In an attempt to shorten the war NATO has set up a no

00:01:07-fly zone

00:01:07and the F-16s have been sent on a route to intercept. Vukmirovic gets a visual on his target

00:01:15and arms his bombs. The flight positions themselves in pairs one after the other when suddenly a

00:01:22transmission comes through the radio. A pit grows in Vukmirovic's stomach. He can clearly see the

00:01:30trails of the two American Air Force jets dead ahead of them. He takes a deep breath.

00:01:37In previous missions the American jets have only watched and warned the enemy but not engaged.

00:01:43Vukmirovic knows if the F-16s had wanted to shoot him, they could have done so from miles away.

00:01:49But his eyes go wide as he sees the two F-16s approach at breakneck speed and roar through and

00:01:56past the Bosnian Serb rival.

00:01:58Vukmirovic's voice.

00:01:59Vukmirovic's voice.

00:02:01Vukmirovic's voice.

00:02:02Vukmirovic's voice.

00:02:03Vukmirovic's voice.

00:02:05Vukmirovic's voice.

00:02:05Despite the show of force the Serbian pilots are not distracted and keep their eyes on their objective.

00:02:12The Jastrebs are old tech and still use optical sights and as a target drifts into the crosshairs

00:02:18the aging planes release and drop their rudimentary but effective

00:02:23550-pound bombs on target, striking them from different directions.

00:02:39At the very rear of the formation, pilot Zlatan Sirnovich watches the last of the bombs strike.

00:02:49The six J-21s turn back towards their airbase, but their speed is no match for the F-16s,

00:02:56who sweep in behind them, lining up their sights on the very rear of the formation.

00:03:02The pilot switches to air-to-air mode and selects an AIM-120 missile on his right display computer.

00:03:08On his head-up display, a box designates the target.

00:03:11The F-16 pilot gets a lock and presses the weapon's release button.

00:03:17The missile flies off from the wingtip.

00:03:20The AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided missile fires and locks onto the running J-21's radar signature,

00:03:28rapidly approaching its target.

00:03:31Sirnovich is scanning the skies for the Americans when he sees an enormous flash.

00:03:39He wonders if he's been hit, but then he sees the explosion on his wingman's left wing,

00:03:45immediately shredding half of it off.

00:03:54The five remaining J-21s turn over and dive for the ground.

00:03:59One of the F-16s gives chase, following them all the way down into the valleys between the Bosnian hills.

00:04:06Each pair of J-21s goes its own way, leaving Sirnovich completely on his own.

00:04:12He frantically looks over his shoulder as he flies through the terrain,

00:04:16catching the terrifying sight of an American fighter hot on his heels.

00:04:27The F-16 fires an AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missile.

00:04:35It locks onto Sirnovich's hot engines and chases him down across the sky.

00:04:41Sirnovich, flying low, skims over some electrical transmission wires.

00:04:48The missile explodes near the wires and his tail, cutting part of his vertical stabilizer.

00:04:55But he's still flying.

00:04:59He reports the situation but finds his radio completely dead.

00:05:04Alone and vulnerable, Sirnovich looks over his shoulder,

00:05:09expecting a second impact at any moment.

00:05:12But instead, he sees the F-16 turning away.

00:05:21Back with Mikerević, he and his wingman push their aircraft to their limits,

00:05:26racing through the valleys.

00:05:28But the F-16 relentlessly closes the distance.

00:05:36He releases another AMRAM missile which rockets towards his target.

00:05:41Mikerević is still looking across the sky to catch a glimpse of an enemy fighter.

00:05:45When the missile flies in and disintegrates his wingman,

00:05:50the Yastreb explodes into flame and scrap.

00:05:56He breaks into evasive maneuvers once again as the F-16 fires another missile.

00:06:01It slams straight into his engines.

00:06:04The explosion shreds the fuselage and flames pour out of the holes.

00:06:10He wrestles a dying aircraft, pulling hard on the stick and willing it to ascend as it burns all around

00:06:16him.

00:06:18As flames engulf the cockpit, Mikerević pulls the canopy emergency handle and ejects.

00:06:28The F-16 roars past as Mikerević parachutes safely down.

00:06:34The F-16s continue towards the next pair of targets.

00:06:38They swap positions with the covering F-16 diving into action, armed with a fresh set of missiles.

00:06:44But their fuel is running low and in a few minutes they'll be forced to turn back.

00:06:50Approaching bingo fuel.

00:06:51Two bandits trying to escape.

00:06:53I may be able to get one shot.

00:06:55Roger that.

00:06:56South of the F-16 pair, Vukmierević and his wingman, Goran Zaric,

00:07:01have been forced to hear their friends taken down one by one in rapid succession.

00:07:06Any hope they have is crushed by the sight of an F-16 appearing over the hills behind them.

00:07:12He's enough.

00:07:13The pair break formation as the American jet sweeps in.

00:07:18With just enough fuel left to make it back, the F-16 gets along.

00:07:23Fox 2.

00:07:26Vukmierević sees the missile launch off the rail and turn toward him.

00:07:31He turns hard trying to outmaneuver it.

00:07:35But it's no use.

00:07:37It rapidly approaches from his right and explodes just off his wing.

00:07:42He's stunned, but the fragmentation does no significant damage.

00:07:47He looks back, expecting more.

00:07:49But instead, the F-16 pulls off the chase, out of fuel.

00:07:58But NATO command has dispatched two more F-16s.

00:08:07Vukmierević looks back up.

00:08:10The two J-21s scramble for speed, diving down as far as they dare into the valleys.

00:08:16They skim the treetops racing between the hills, with the F-16s all the while shadowing them and keeping up.

00:08:23They look over their shoulders to see the F-16s closing the gap.

00:08:27There's nothing they can do to come out on top.

00:08:30In desperation, Vukmierević tries a last-ditch idea.

00:08:36He turns straight towards a cliff at maximum speed.

00:08:40Zaric keeping close formation behind him.

00:08:45His heart races as the two jets head straight towards the earth.

00:08:55The two pilots pull their controls as hard as they can.

00:08:58Zaric is crushed down by the G-forces as the ground rapidly approaches his windshield.

00:09:09The Gmierević's jet clips the ground and bursts into flames.

00:09:19Zaric looks back. There's no parachute.

00:09:28The F-16s burst through the smoke, still in pursuit.

00:09:33He pulls back into a dive, rushing to use the terrain as cover.

00:09:37But they're far too close.

00:09:40Box two!

00:09:43The missile closes the gap and explodes into Zaric's tail.

00:09:48His fighter bursts into flames and he loses all control.

00:09:54He releases the canopy and ejects, but he's far too low.

00:09:59The parachute has no time to open and he falls into the fireball of his own crashed jet.

00:10:11Splash one! There's another bandit on the radar. Engaging!

00:10:14The F-16s leave the scene and catch up to another J-21 flying low over the countryside.

00:10:20It's Cernolic limping his damaged jet home to safety.

00:10:25He's keeping an eye on his gauges when an F-16 roar has passed.

00:10:30He's filled with dread and immediately pulls on the stick.

00:10:33His only plan is to gain enough altitude to eject before the American can finish him off.

00:10:40The F-16 gets behind him and he grabs the canopy emergency handle.

00:10:45But then the F-16 pulls up alongside, matching his speed.

00:10:51He locks eyes with the enemy pilot.

00:10:56The American salutes him and flies away.

00:11:01Out of the six Jastreb pilots that volunteered for that dangerous mission,

00:11:06three never returned home.

00:11:09Cernolic would later say,

00:11:10I don't have any bad feelings towards the American pilots.

00:11:14We had our own task. We had our own.

00:11:17This event is usually referred to as the Banya-Luka incident

00:11:21and represents the first NATO combat engagement in its history.

00:11:26Robert Wilbur Wright was credited with three victories,

00:11:29the highest score by a USAF pilot in a single mission since the Korean War,

00:11:33while pilot Steven Yogi Allen was credited with one victory.

00:11:40It's the 27th of March, 1999.

00:11:43An F-117 Nighthawk tears through the dark stormy skies,

00:11:47low over the Serbian countryside.

00:11:50The pilot is Lieutenant Colonel Daryl Zalko,

00:11:53and his mission is to bomb the command center of the Serbian Air Force in Belgrade.

00:11:58It's the headquarters of the force that's going to try and stop him on his mission tonight.

00:12:05Zalko is escorted by F-16 Vipers with missiles that can lock on and destroy enemy radar.

00:12:11As he approaches the Serbian border, he hears a command come over the radio.

00:12:16This is Joint Forces Air Component Commander.

00:12:18Because of the bad weather, the escorting Vipers are ordered to immediately turn back and return to base.

00:12:24He's on his own.

00:12:26If he's to make it home safely, he has to remain undetected.

00:12:30A ghost.

00:12:32Fortunately, he's in the most advanced operational fighter bomber that has ever flown.

00:12:37The Nighthawk's stealth capabilities make the 65-foot-long bomber appear on radar as if it was the size of

00:12:44a tennis ball,

00:12:45allowing it, so far, to go unchallenged in every mission.

00:12:49That is, every mission until this one.

00:12:53On the ground, an anti-air missile battery is waiting for him.

00:12:57It's under command of Lieutenant Colonel Zoltan Dani.

00:13:02Serbian spies have let him know that the enemy aircraft are coming, and he thinks today is his best chance

00:13:09to take down one of the elusive ghosts.

00:13:13Sweep the skies, Dani orders, and the P-18 early warning radar comes to life.

00:13:20They think, at its lowest frequency, it may be capable of detecting the enemy planes.

00:13:25But it also detects clouds and rain, resulting in a screen covered in fake signals.

00:13:31But, looking closely, Dani sees something.

00:13:35One tiny dot moving through the masses of clouds.

00:13:39A tiny dot headed right towards them.

00:13:43The spirit is here.

00:13:45Let's turn on the Nishansky radar.

00:13:48It's turned on.

00:13:49We have 20 seconds.

00:13:51We don't have a goal.

00:13:52We don't have a goal.

00:13:53We continue to look at the goal.

00:13:55Zauko's Nighthawk speeds towards his objective.

00:13:58The computer preparing the drop.

00:14:01Let's open.

00:14:02Fi-1 and Fi-2, look at the goal.

00:14:05Dani double-checks the low frequency radar.

00:14:08He can see the target.

00:14:10It's right in front of them.

00:14:12But, he needs the SAM radar to get a lock.

00:14:15The men scan the sky just as instructed.

00:14:19Yet, the screens remain dead.

00:14:24But then, Zauko opens his bomb bay.

00:14:28Increasing the Nighthawk's radar signature just at the wrong moment.

00:14:32I have it.

00:14:33I have it.

00:14:33Fi-2, aim.

00:14:35Fi-1, aim.

00:14:37Fi-2, 1, aim.

00:14:45Two missiles fire off the launcher in quick succession.

00:14:49Streaking across the sky, Zauko drops his bombs.

00:14:53They follow the path designated by the laser and explode.

00:14:57Fi-2.

00:14:59He soars past the target.

00:15:01It's another mission success.

00:15:03And he ascends to six kilometers.

00:15:06But, a few seconds later, his cockpit is filled with the wail of an urgent alarm.

00:15:11And his controls light up.

00:15:13It's a lock alert.

00:15:16Almost at the same time, he sees the two missiles illuminate the clouds below him.

00:15:21And then, break through.

00:15:23They're coming right at him.

00:15:25He immediately breaks into evasive maneuvers.

00:15:28He pulls his aircraft up to try and escape.

00:15:31He's pushed into his seat as he ascends, as the aircraft screams more warnings at him.

00:15:36The F-117 has no chaff, so with the missile locked on, it's entirely on the pilot's actions to try

00:15:43and evade the threat.

00:15:47Time slows.

00:15:53He knows.

00:15:54It's over.

00:15:56They got me.

00:15:58These are proximity missiles and should detonate near the aircraft.

00:16:02Somehow, the first missile malfunctions and races by his canopy.

00:16:07The second missile, though, doesn't malfunction.

00:16:10It explodes, sending out a cloud of sharp shrapnel that perforates the left wing of his Nighthawk.

00:16:17The entire left side is blasted to pieces, illuminating the night sky a fiery orange.

00:16:23The aircraft immediately loses control and is thrown into a wild spin.

00:16:28As the plane spins, Zalko is pinned to his seat and experiences severe G-forces.

00:16:35The spin increases in violence.

00:16:37Flashing warnings illuminate his controls and a bright flame shines through the cockpit windows as the landscape spins around him.

00:16:45He knows he's in a critical situation.

00:16:48Even ejection might prove fatal, but it's his only choice.

00:16:51He fights seven Gs of force, a hundred pounds pulling up on each of his arms.

00:16:56Fueled by adrenaline, he gets hold of the ejection handles and pulls.

00:17:01In the blink of an eye, the canopy is blasted away and his seat rockets out of the cockpit.

00:17:08For one and a half, almost eternal seconds, Zalko free-falls through the air, stuck to his chair.

00:17:15He's barely conscious and he thinks that the seat's still inside the plane and that the ejection seat has malfunctioned.

00:17:20But then, he feels the tug of the opening parachute and sees his burning Nighthawk tumbling away into the night.

00:17:31The violence of the spinning wreck is replaced by a total calm.

00:17:36Zalko breathes heavily as he takes it all in.

00:17:38He's alive.

00:17:39But then, another thought hits him.

00:17:42Man, Mom is not going to be happy about this.

00:17:46He knows the enemy are going to be searching for him.

00:17:49If he can't fall to the ground unseen, he can still get rescued and get back home with no further

00:17:54complications.

00:17:54But then, he looks up.

00:17:58He notices his parachute is bright orange.

00:18:03He might as well be waving a flare.

00:18:05With his hopes of going unseen dashed, he takes out a survival radio to report he's alive and well.

00:18:12Mayday, mayday, mayday. Vega 3-1. Vega 3-1 going down.

00:18:17To his massive relief, the mayday is heard.

00:18:21Vega 3-1, magic copies your mayday. Last position.

00:18:25Vega 3-1, last position in aircraft. Point after target.

00:18:29Zalko sees a ditch from above.

00:18:32He doesn't get to say much more before hitting the ground.

00:18:37He's now alone, deep behind enemy lines.

00:18:44Zalko runs for the ditch he saw on the way down.

00:18:49He quickly paints himself with mud and tries to hide as he awaits rescue.

00:18:55News of the downed plain quickly spreads.

00:18:59Serbians waste no time and rapidly initiate a search.

00:19:03All around him the activity gains momentum as more and more men appear.

00:19:08Men of the Serbian army comb the area, gradually joined by local policemen and civilians as the news spreads.

00:19:16Everybody wants to find him.

00:19:18Flashlights illuminate the fields and trucks roll past on the nearby highway.

00:19:22Zalko can do nothing but sit and pray.

00:19:26Then he hears a rustle in the undergrowth getting louder.

00:19:30Just outside his ditch, someone is searching.

00:19:32He stays still and quiet like a rock, quieting his breath.

00:19:37He hears panting and snuffling.

00:19:42It's a dog!

00:19:47Slowly and carefully, Zalko pulls out his knife.

00:19:52The dog gets closer.

00:19:57He weighs his options.

00:19:59Should he kill the dog?

00:20:00If he did, could he do it silently?

00:20:03He finally makes up his mind to spare the dog.

00:20:06Reasoning that if he did kill it, the owner would be quick to follow.

00:20:14Then, to Zalko's massive relief.

00:20:17The dog turns, jumps up, and leaves.

00:20:23The radio crackles to life.

00:20:29Zalko's eyes go wide.

00:20:31They're here!

00:20:35Go ahead, Sandy-01. Over.

00:20:37Vega-31, is it okay to come down there?

00:20:39Zalko doesn't respond.

00:20:41He peeks out of his hiding spot, searching the area for threats.

00:20:45Flashlights shine in the distance.

00:20:48Vega-31, if you don't answer, we're gonna try this later.

00:20:53He makes his decision.

00:20:55Yeah, okay. Let's go for it.

00:21:00Zalko turns on his infrared strobe.

00:21:03As a chopper races into the area.

00:21:07But the strobe fails, and the helicopter can't see him.

00:21:14He curses his luck, and desperately checks for threats.

00:21:18He has a backup, but it's nowhere near as subtle.

00:21:21But, it's now or never.

00:21:23Zalko makes a quick decision.

00:21:27And pops a flare.

00:21:32Bright light spills all around him.

00:21:34And illuminates the area.

00:21:36Pointing out his position for the rescue helicopter.

00:21:39And the enemy alike.

00:21:41There he is!

00:21:44The helicopter sweeps in rapidly.

00:21:47As the enemy also closes in.

00:21:49At the same time in the distance.

00:21:52Flashlights from enemy patrols are all pointed towards the flare.

00:21:55But then, another transmission comes through the radio.

00:21:58Snuff your flare!

00:22:00It blinds our night vision!

00:22:01Thinking quickly, Zalko rushes to take the flare and dunk it in the mud.

00:22:05Just as the rescue helicopter comes in to land right in front of him.

00:22:11And is greeted by an American rescue team.

00:22:15How you feeling, sir?

00:22:17Great.

00:22:17Now let's get out of here.

00:22:21The field is blasted with wind as the helicopter rises up into the air.

00:22:25And exits a scene with just seconds to spare.

00:22:28Before the enemy spills over the landing site.

00:22:34Zoltan Dani and his crew, to this day, remain the only team to have downed a stealth aircraft in combat.

00:22:42When talking about the incident, Dani would later say,

00:22:45When it hit, it felt very good.

00:22:48It felt very good.

00:22:50It felt very good.

00:22:51It felt very good.

00:22:52The U.S. didn't destroy the wreck.

00:22:55And the Serbian forces salvaged the mortally wounded Nighthawk unimpeded.

00:23:00And today, you can still see pieces of Zalko's aircraft in the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade.

00:23:07Zalko always expressed a desire to find the man who shot him down and congratulate him.

00:23:13He finally got his wish in 2011, just 12 years after the incident.

00:23:19It's morning on January 19th, 1991.

00:23:23And a pair of F-15C Eagles are on an escort mission over Iraq as part of Operation Desert Storm.

00:23:30Captain Cesar Rico Rodriguez and his wingman Captain Craig Moll Underhill

00:23:36are clearing the skies ahead of a formation of 36 aircraft tasked with striking targets near Baghdad.

00:23:44Behind them, there are waves of F-16s making their runs, diving with 2,000-pound general-purpose bombs.

00:23:51They release them and the ordnance drops straight onto the Iraqi ammunition depots.

00:23:57Giant explosions rise from the desert.

00:23:59They're expecting anti-aircraft missiles and the F-16s pull hard up,

00:24:04releasing chaff and flares at the same time.

00:24:06But instead of missiles, the Iraqi Air Force has dispatched two pairs of the most advanced fighters at their disposal,

00:24:15MiG-29 Fulcrums.

00:24:17Outnumbered, the Iraqis have been keeping their distance, searching for an opportunity to strike,

00:24:22when they're told of two F-15s, perfect targets.

00:24:27It's their chance, and the pair of Fulcrums races to intercept.

00:24:32In the F-15, Rico gets a message from his AWACS controller, Mark White.

00:24:37Rico, you have two hostile contacts.

00:24:39One bearing 0-4-0 for 3-5, second is 3-4-0 for 6-5.

00:24:43Roger, we'll pick the 0-4-0.

00:24:45Rico chooses the most threatening target, and they turn to engage.

00:24:49The F-15's front-facing radars detect the contact, and it appears on their screen.

00:24:54Contact.

00:24:55But it's not the only warning.

00:24:57On another screen, a 29 appears.

00:25:01It's his radar warning receiver, or RWR, a device that tells him when enemy radars can spot him.

00:25:08I'm being painted.

00:25:09MiG-29.

00:25:10I see it.

00:25:11Rico and Mole brace for action.

00:25:13The two pairs of enemies, both 4th generation fighters, have each other in their sight,

00:25:19and are heading towards each other in a supersonic joust.

00:25:23Rico selects an AIM-7 Sparrow missile.

00:25:26But the Iraqis have a plan.

00:25:29They dive far below the F-15s, attempting to use the ground clutter to conceal themselves from the radar.

00:25:36But it doesn't work.

00:25:37Aboard his F-15, Rico sees the single fuzzy contact split into two well-defined targets.

00:25:45I gotcha. It's two versus two.

00:25:47Rico selects one of the contacts, and locks it in.

00:25:50Aboard the fulcrum, the pilot sees his radar warning receiver light up with the wail of a lock alert.

00:25:56But the Iraqis have yet another ace up their sleeve.

00:26:00They bank to the side, and suddenly the warnings go silent.

00:26:05Rico's finger hovers over the weapon's release button, when the radar contacts suddenly vanish from its screen.

00:26:10I lost it.

00:26:11It's a blind spot in the F-15's radar.

00:26:14Objects moving perpendicular to them are invisible, and the MiG-29s are exploiting it perfectly.

00:26:21Rico's frustrated, but it's a known tactic.

00:26:24The enemy reappears on radar, 12 nautical miles away.

00:26:27Contact.

00:26:28He locks it in one more time, but doesn't fire.

00:26:31The AIM-7 Sparrow needs him to maintain lock throughout the missile's entire flight,

00:26:36and he knows the enemy are going to re-enter the blind spot before the missile has a chance to

00:26:41catch them.

00:26:42Once again, the enemy disappears.

00:26:45The MiG-29s keep maneuvering across the sky, toying with the F-15's radar.

00:26:51Constantly blinking in and out from Rico's screen, keeping 12 nautical miles of separation.

00:26:57Rico can see what they're doing.

00:26:59The Fulcrums are dragging them along.

00:27:02Over at the AWACS, Mark White keeps an eye on the situation.

00:27:06As the F-15's make their move, they leave the airspace that Mark's responsible for,

00:27:11and following protocol, he hands over Rico and Mole to another AWACS controller.

00:27:17Rico and Mole keep up the chase across the sky when suddenly their RWR beeps with alarm,

00:27:23and starts filling with detections up ahead.

00:27:26It's an entire field of S-125 NAVA surface-to-air missiles set up to defend Baghdad.

00:27:34The enemy's trying to pull them into a killing field.

00:27:37They're dragging us into the city's anti-air. What are we going to do?

00:27:41Rico checks in with the strike force and listens to the F-16's making their runs.

00:27:46If he and his wingman fly away, then the F-16's will be definitely intercepted by the MiGs.

00:27:52He makes a daring choice.

00:27:54Hold position. Keep pushing the bandits away until the strikes are done. Then we can get out of here.

00:27:58They hold their altitude and deliberately continue heading towards the enemy trap, buying the strike force the time it needs.

00:28:06The RWR clicks every time the enemy radars scan the F-15's, and they hear them getting more frequent by

00:28:13the second.

00:28:15But the Iraqis still have a cunning plan. They know the Americans can see the missiles. They're not the trap.

00:28:22They're the distraction.

00:28:23A third, MiG-29, charges towards the F-15's from their left side, out of view from the F-15's

00:28:31front-facing radar, and with its own radar turned off so as not to appear in the F-15's RWR.

00:28:38Despite the fight no longer in his area of responsibility, in his AWACS Mark White continues to take glances at

00:28:45the developing situation.

00:28:46He sees the new enemy approaching the scene and immediately realizes the danger. But for some reason the F-15's

00:28:53are not evading the incoming contact.

00:28:56They keep flying straight, even as the bandit gets within 18 nautical miles.

00:29:01White gets nervous. It's well within the range of the R-27 missiles. 16 miles and there's still no reaction

00:29:08from the F-15's.

00:29:09He thinks about saying something on the radio, but he worries that if he disturbs them in the middle of

00:29:13battle, it could make the situation worse.

00:29:1615 miles and still no reaction. 14 miles. White decides to act.

00:29:22Papa, contacts, 330 degrees for 13 miles.

00:29:25It's right in the nick of time. Rico hears the call and instantly drops his fuel tanks and pulls hard

00:29:30towards the new contact, with vapor covering his wings.

00:29:34The moment his nose points towards the incoming fulcrum, it appears on his radar, just 8 miles away, well inside

00:29:41the range of each other's missiles.

00:29:44At the same time, the Iraqi pilot, flying blind without his radar, is informed the Americans are right in front

00:29:50of him.

00:29:52He turns on his radar and Rico appears on his screen. With this act, the ominous 29 appears on Rico's

00:30:00RWR.

00:30:01The two cutting-edge fighters are now aware of one another and are approaching at supersonic speeds.

00:30:08Rico selects the target on his display and locks it in, but he doesn't fire.

00:30:12The rules of engagement are that all contacts detected within 10 miles must be identified visually in cases of friendly

00:30:19F-117 Nighthawk.

00:30:20Even with the 29 on the RWR and the imminent danger, Rico holds fire and orders Mole to run friend

00:30:27or foe ID on the contact.

00:30:30But there's no time. The Iraqi selects Rico's aircraft and locks him.

00:30:35Rico's RWR screams with a lock alert.

00:30:38I'm getting spiked!

00:30:39He immediately turns upside down and dives, releasing radar-reflective chaff.

00:30:44I'm getting low. The terrain will confuse his targeting system.

00:30:48But it doesn't work. The RWR continues screaming in his ear, warning him of impending doom as he races down

00:30:55from 30,000 feet at the speed of sound.

00:30:58Rico whips his head left and right, desperate to spot the enemy.

00:31:01Mole locks the target, his finger hovering over the weapon's release button as he runs an ID procedure with the

00:31:08help of intelligence aircraft.

00:31:10The seconds feel eternal as they finally clear him to engage.

00:31:14He's given the all clear and presses the button.

00:31:17The AIM-7 Sparrow shoots off from under the F-15 in a plume of smoke.

00:31:22Rico sees it streak across the sky, the smoke trail passing between his tails.

00:31:26He follows a smoke trail with his eyes and finally sees the MiG-29 aiming his nose down towards him.

00:31:34But it never gets to fire.

00:31:36The Sparrow rushes in and strikes it square on the nose.

00:31:40There's a giant flash and the MiG-29 disintegrates, tearing apart into a black smudge of oil and parts.

00:31:49A wave of relief washes over Rico as he pulls out from the dive at just 500 feet high.

00:31:55But over at the AWACS, White can see, it's not over.

00:31:59Second group, north, 10 miles.

00:32:01Rico scans the skies.

00:32:03He considers turning away.

00:32:04By now, the strike package of F-16s is already heading home, so they've no reason to hang about.

00:32:10But the enemy is too close for comfort.

00:32:13They could be shot from behind.

00:32:15They need to fight.

00:32:16Rico turns north and the enemy appears on his screen.

00:32:19It's just beyond 10 miles, so he's clear to shoot it down.

00:32:22He runs an identification procedure.

00:32:25It's hostile.

00:32:26He selects the contact on his radar screen and locks the target.

00:32:30In the enemy plane, the Iraqi hears the lock alert and he breaks into a sharp evasive maneuver.

00:32:36But it makes no difference.

00:32:38Rico's lock holds strong as his finger hovers over the button.

00:32:42He lights up as a diamond on my scope.

00:32:44Say again?

00:32:44It goes from a solid radar contact to a diamond, which tells me he's friendly.

00:32:49Mole's systems have identified the contact as a friendly aircraft.

00:32:52In that moment, Mole is overtaken by a cold sense of dread.

00:32:56But Rico's confident.

00:32:57It has to be another MiG.

00:32:59But he needs to prove it with his eyes.

00:33:02The two prepare for the fight.

00:33:04Rico elects to identify the target and Mole gets ready to take the shot.

00:33:09Rico races towards the enemy, which is coming straight towards and above him.

00:33:12He keeps low, letting the bogey get closer.

00:33:15Then he pulls up.

00:33:18Engines burning at full throttle.

00:33:21He can see the belly of the bogey right in front of him.

00:33:24But it's still hard to tell what it is with the bright sky as background.

00:33:28He holds his F-15 in his path until…

00:33:31Rico's F-15 roars within 50 feet of the bandit.

00:33:34And as he does, he finally gets a good view of the enemy's top side.

00:33:39With its green camouflage, which is proudly displaying the Iraqi flag.

00:33:45It's a MiG-29!

00:33:48Rico makes a wide turn left as he soars over the MiG.

00:33:52Looking down through his canopy, he sees the MiG performing a flat turn left, holding his altitude.

00:33:57In that instant, he spots an opening, and the fancy shooter eye formation goes out the window.

00:34:04It's a dogfight.

00:34:05He turns upside down and pulls hard on the stick, cutting into the MiG's circle.

00:34:09He's crushed by 10 Gs of force, pushing the F-15 to its limits.

00:34:14He sees the MiG roar past in front of him, and he pulls hard left to follow.

00:34:19Rico sees the MiG flying away, but he knows he has the advantage.

00:34:23The MiG pushes down, trading altitude for speed.

00:34:27Rico follows him, spiraling down towards the desert floor as the paths of both jets converge.

00:34:33Rico sees a MiG scream through the merge.

00:34:36He's getting closer!

00:34:38He pulls hard, feeling the blood rushing down from his head, as he does everything to bring the Fulcrum into

00:34:45his sights.

00:34:48Far above, Mol can see his leader, tangling with the enemy, and spots an opportunity.

00:34:53I can come in. Standby.

00:34:55But Rico can feel it. This one is his.

00:34:57He sees the MiG coming back, and they roar past one another.

00:35:01He almost has him, but they can't keep up this trajectory, as they're rapidly running out of altitude.

00:35:07Rico pulls with all he has, powering through 10 Gs of force.

00:35:10Through the crushing Gs, he sees the beautiful sight of the Fulcrum moving into his sights.

00:35:18Rico selects an A9 Sidewinder, and starts to pull, aiming ahead of the MiG for the best chance of impact.

00:35:24But the Iraqi pilot sees it, and a desperate last-ditch attempt, he turns upside down and pulls hard towards

00:35:31the ground.

00:35:31Rico's ready for the Iraqi to try something, but he's shocked to see the MiG dive straight for the sand.

00:35:37He doesn't even think of following, and pulls up to the left, letting the MiG go.

00:35:42The Iraqi pilot starts to pull up, and is crushed by extreme G-forces, as his plane continues towards the

00:35:48ground.

00:35:48The sand fills his windshield as he pushes the afterburners to maximum, his MiG screaming as it pulls beyond its

00:35:54G limits.

00:35:55He's doing everything to bring the nose up.

00:35:57But it's not enough.

00:36:02And the MiG 29 Fulcrum, and its Iraqi pilot, crash into the desert sand.

00:36:11Rico's heart races as he comes down from the adrenaline high.

00:36:15He's won.

00:36:17Moll appears two miles off his right.

00:36:19Tactical, right side.

00:36:21And Rico can finally afford to relax.

00:36:23Let's go home.

00:36:25Chesar Rico Rodriguez would tally up three victories total in his career, making him tied for the top spot of

00:36:32MiG victories for pilots after Vietnam.

00:36:34We hope both pilots like our film.

00:36:39It's the 6th of April, 2003, and two A-10 Thunderbolt strike aircraft soar in the skies of Iraq, near

00:36:47Baghdad.

00:36:48Flight leader Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Donk T. Strasburger and his wingman Captain Greg Billy Bob Thornton are on a reconnaissance

00:36:56mission in support of coalition forces on the ground.

00:36:58But the warthogs can't see any of the action.

00:37:02A sandstorm has rolled in underneath them and engulfed the entire region.

00:37:06The two aviators circle above in search of breaks in the weather.

00:37:09But then there's an urgent transmission from the ground.

00:37:12It's not good news.

00:37:14Their friend, First Lieutenant John Coke Blocher, tells the pilots that Task Force 269 are pinned down under heavy fire

00:37:21at Muthana Bridge, nearest position.

00:37:23The 1st Hammurabi Republican Guard Armored Division have T-72s firing across the Tigris River and shelling the Americans relentlessly.

00:37:33Americans are low on supplies and exhausted after many hours of battle.

00:37:37They can't hit back.

00:37:38If the Iraqis cross the bridge, it's over for us.

00:37:41We need help.

00:37:42Are you ready?

00:37:44The two warthogs flip over and dive straight into the heavy sandstorm.

00:37:51Visibility is way below any measure of safety.

00:37:54On the ground, Iraqi infantry comes out of hiding and opens fire on the American troops.

00:38:00Coke ducks as bullets fill the air.

00:38:02Donk, we need you now.

00:38:04I mean right now.

00:38:08Donk and Billy Bob can hear the gunshots and explosions in the background of Coke's transmission.

00:38:14Suddenly, the buildings of Baghdad emerge up ahead as the two fliers level out low over the city.

00:38:19What a lovely day.

00:38:21The Tigris River comes into view and they follow it north, racing for the objective, buildings zipping by either side.

00:38:28On the ground, Coke pulls out his rifle and starts returning fire at the muzzle flashes ripping like lightning through

00:38:34the haze.

00:38:34He relays increasingly urgent radio transmissions without wasting a second.

00:38:40Action firm. No friendly to the east of the bridge.

00:38:43He's fighting two battles at once.

00:38:47Donk and Billy Bob approach at breakneck speed.

00:38:51As they listen to the transmissions from the ground, the outline of the bridge starts to emerge.

00:38:56Brake left.

00:38:57Billy Bob pulls off Donk's side, giving his leader space as the target area appears up ahead.

00:39:02The bridge is now in clear view.

00:39:05Donk pulls on his stick and flies over, a wave of jet engine roar breaking over the battlefield.

00:39:13Donk peers over his shoulder, searching for the target, but the ground vanishes into the storm before he can see

00:39:19a thing.

00:39:19He needs to mark the target so Coke on the ground can confirm he's in the right position.

00:39:24I'm dropping a mark.

00:39:25He selects his rocket pods armed with smoke ammunition as he lines up once again with the river and the

00:39:31bridge.

00:39:31This time, the Iraqi anti-aircraft guns are waiting for him.

00:39:3623mm anti-aircraft cannons roar to life, sending columns of tracers in huge arcs through the air.

00:39:46A burst of fire narrowly misses his jet.

00:39:49But Donk pushes on.

00:39:51He aims for the bridge's eastern base and pulls the trigger.

00:39:55But nothing happens.

00:39:56The rockets malfunction.

00:39:58Damn it.

00:39:59The bridge is coming up fast.

00:40:01He sees the muzzle flashes of tanks and silhouettes of vehicles as he flies fast and low over the target.

00:40:07Without smoke rockets or time to think, he presses flare release button and dumps a line of pyrotechnics across the

00:40:15riverbank.

00:40:15He pulls hard to the right skimming just over the buildings as he escapes the flurry of anti-aircraft fire.

00:40:22We are getting AAA and I do see the tank. I request clearance in when able.

00:40:27Even through the storm, Coke sees the flares far in the distance. He knows Donk is right on it.

00:40:33Donk, you're clear to engage.

00:40:36Copy, clear to engage.

00:40:38Donk turned back around, this time armed with real firepower.

00:40:41Iraqi AAA gunners frantically search the hazy skies for the source of the jet engine roar as the menacing figure

00:40:48of Donk's thunderbolt appears in the distance.

00:40:51The poor visibility makes aiming the hand-cranked guns extraordinarily difficult.

00:40:56Streams of tracers rise towards Donk and chase him across the sky, zipping by by mere feet from his aircraft.

00:41:02But Donk is unfazed. He spots the enemy through the hail of lead, tanks and APCs firing across the river.

00:41:09He sees a BMP charging for the bridge. Donk fixes his reticle directly on the target and pulls the trigger.

00:41:16The terrifying signature groan of the GAU-8 menaces the battlefield, reducing the personnel carrier to scrap.

00:41:25Donk soars just over the enemy as he pulls the nose up and turns west towards allied lines, followed by

00:41:32columns of anti-aircraft fire.

00:41:34I have tanks on the circle, Bob.

00:41:36Donk's dash suddenly erupts with warning lights. He thinks he's been hit.

00:41:40Donk flies away from the action as he diagnoses his aircraft, testing the controls and checking his systems.

00:41:46The plane is flying normally, fuel isn't leaking and the engines look healthy.

00:41:51The only thing he finds wrong is that the drop compensated reticle has disappeared from his head-up display.

00:41:57He clears the master alarm and attempts to reboot the ballistics computer, but it's completely dead.

00:42:04Out of time, he clears his wingman to take his place.

00:42:08Billy Bob doesn't need to be told twice.

00:42:12He turns his A-10 down through the storm and lines himself up with the river.

00:42:17The battlefield becomes clearer amid the haze and he lands the crosshairs on his first target he sees.

00:42:23A T-72 main battle tank.

00:42:26The enemy tank is slammed by a deluge of armor-piercing 30mm shells.

00:42:31Sparks fly and in moments, fire begins, bellowing out of the hatches.

00:42:36He soars above, escaping the enemy fire, unscathed.

00:42:40I got that sucker. He's right on the west edge of the circle, boss.

00:42:45Donk can't get the computer turned on, but he still has an old-school crosshair.

00:42:49His aim might be off, but there are problems below and he can deliver 3,900 solutions per minute.

00:42:55He's got to try.

00:42:57Going in.

00:42:58Donk charges into the scene, tracers rip past his canopy and several targets come into view.

00:43:04He lands his old-school crosshairs above them and pulls the trigger.

00:43:08The cannon shudders into action with its terrifying clatter.

00:43:1230mm rounds rip through the earth and he rages past above, unsure if he's hit anything.

00:43:18Glare hot.

00:43:20Billy Bob races south down the river, now on his second pass.

00:43:24With no new targets, he sprays a short burst into the already destroyed tank, before turning his aircraft upside down.

00:43:30Up close, the orange glare provides no concealment and he sees an anti-aircraft gun, supply trucks and another T

00:43:39-72 firing across the river.

00:43:42Billy Bob is itching to tear the anti-aircraft guns to shreds, but any one of those tank shells could

00:43:48claim the lives of the American troops.

00:43:50He can't think of himself. The tanks have to be destroyed first.

00:43:53Hey, I got a second T-72 eastern position of the roundabout. Confirm I'm clear back in.

00:43:59You're clear back in.

00:44:01Billy Bob prepares another pass, but in the meantime, Donk has his eye on fuel levels.

00:44:05They're approaching Bingo Fuel, the minimum amount they need to get back to the airfield.

00:44:10But they calculated it on the ground before the specifics of this mission were known.

00:44:14Donk knows they can stay in flight for longer.

00:44:17I'm recalculating Bingo.

00:44:19Donk checks the distance to the nearest airbase, doing the math in his head while guiding the aircraft through the

00:44:24storm.

00:44:25Meanwhile, Billy Bob is tracking the river for a third time.

00:44:29He now knows his targets.

00:44:31The area comes into view and he's greeted by the now irritatingly familiar columns of anti-aircraft fire.

00:44:41Billy Bob presses on, fixing his reticule on the intact T-72.

00:44:47The Warthog's armor-piercing ammunition punches clean through the tank's weak roof.

00:44:52The T-72 explodes into a massive fireball as Billy Bob screams overhead.

00:45:00Up above, Donk finishes his calculations.

00:45:03They can lower Bingo by 500 pounds of fuel and still make it to the nearest airbase on minimum.

00:45:09Revised Bingo down by 500.

00:45:12Copy.

00:45:13Billy Bob adjusts his gauges and turns in for another run.

00:45:16Once again, he races up the river, ready to destroy the supply trucks next.

00:45:20He has no hope of seeing the single soldier on the roof, carrying a MANPAD portable anti-air system.

00:45:26The missile launches off his tube and surges into the air.

00:45:30Billy Bob doesn't see it coming.

00:45:32The incoming missile tracks and then momentarily loses its target and flies right past his left wing.

00:45:40Billy Bob breaks right and abandons the run, escaping west into the Allied lines.

00:45:47His heart's racing. He was a foot away from death.

00:45:50Are you alright?

00:45:52Yeah.

00:45:53He pushes that to the back of his mind and turns around for another run.

00:45:58Once more, bullets zip past his cockpit.

00:46:00They're getting close, but not close enough.

00:46:03The supply trucks come into view.

00:46:05And he pulls the trigger.

00:46:0730mm fire tears them to shreds, their cargo bursting into flames as Billy Bob escapes the scene.

00:46:14Got the trucks.

00:46:15Copy, I'm going in.

00:46:16Donk sweeps in for another run.

00:46:18Still without a ballistics computer, he instead selects a Maverick air-to-ground missile and opens his camera on his

00:46:25multifunction display.

00:46:26He needs to select his target.

00:46:28But with the terrible conditions, he can see nothing through the camera.

00:46:31He has to be fast.

00:46:34The target area comes into view.

00:46:36And with it comes the anti-aircraft fire.

00:46:38He holds his course.

00:46:40The targets appear on screen and are approaching rapidly.

00:46:43He quickly moves the selector over to another BMP and launches the missile.

00:46:48It rockets off the rail and makes a sharp turn downwards.

00:46:53Slamming into the BMP from above with a burst of flames.

00:46:58The Iraqis are taking heavy losses.

00:47:01Pinned below the oppressive watch of the warthogs, they pull back from the riverbank to hide amidst the buildings.

00:47:06The American armored forces see the shelling come to an end.

00:47:10Lacking fire support, the Iraqi infantry attack in the rear also starts to retreat.

00:47:15The enemy's pulling back. You're doing a great job.

00:47:18Relief lifts the pilots, but it's interrupted by the flashes of AAA flying through the air.

00:47:24Bob, one more run and we have to RTB. Let's take these guns out.

00:47:28Hell, it's about time.

00:47:30Billy Bob turns back towards the target area.

00:47:32His attention set on that one AAA battery he saw at the beginning of the fight.

00:47:37Billy Bob aligns his reticle and fires.

00:47:40The anti-aircraft gun is torn apart.

00:47:43He turns back west over allied lines and through his canopy he sees a column of tracers barely missing his

00:47:49wingtips as he beats the retreat.

00:47:51Up above, Dunk spots that second AAA gun firing right at his wingman.

00:47:56D-Mob 7-1 coming in from the south.

00:47:58D-Mob, this is advance. You're making battalion and company commander really happy right now.

00:48:10You could continue to do that as much as possible. I understand you're taking AAA, so be safe up there,

00:48:15but as much as you can roll in on those targets, you're good. Good hit.

00:48:25With a devastating burst, the second gun is turned to scrap.

00:48:30Coke, where did Bingo? How copy?

00:48:32Copy that. Second flight of Alpha-10's incoming. Guys down there send their regards. Good work. When I see you

00:48:38back home, drinks are on me.

00:48:41Copy that. Good luck down there.

00:48:42Donk and Billy Bob leave the scene after 40 minutes of grueling battle. Thanks to their efforts, Task Force 269

00:48:49suffer minimal casualties and no loss of armored vehicles.

00:48:53Raymond Donk Strasburger and Greg Billy Bob Thornton were both awarded the Silver Star for their heroic actions and incredible

00:49:00airmanship in the most challenging conditions.

00:49:03John Coke Blocker, an A-10 pilot himself, would be awarded the Bronze Star in the Air Force Commendation Medal

00:49:09of Valour.

00:49:09They all survived the war, and we hope they enjoy this film.

00:49:14Eagle 15, put on Psi War Op and make it loud.

00:49:19It's the 23rd of February, 1991.

00:49:22Shall we dance?

00:49:23The 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment charges through the Iraqi border in Operation Desert Storm.

00:49:29Amidst the stampede of armor, Captain Herbert Raymond McMaster stands proudly atop his M1A1 Abrams, leading Eagle Troop into battle.

00:49:40After so much waiting, it's finally showtime.

00:49:45The column of American tanks drives into enemy territory with no resistance whatsoever.

00:49:51Defensive positions are being dealt with by other units, and the poor Iraqi conscripts surrender en masse.

00:49:59The 2nd ACR even comes across a group of lone and unarmed Iraqis walking aimlessly across the desert.

00:50:07The men are surprised as the enemy cheers them on.

00:50:12They advance the maneuver nearly unimpeded for two full days, but that won't last forever.

00:50:18Somewhere out there to the east, the Tower Counter Republican Guard lies in wait.

00:50:25A much more loyal unit that will not surrender so easily.

00:50:30The 2nd ACR are tasked with hunting them down.

00:50:35The men awake the following day to miserable weather.

00:50:38A sandstorm has rolled in overnight, greatly reducing visibility.

00:50:43Holy shit!

00:50:45What beautiful weather!

00:50:47Skog, wanna go outside?

00:50:49I'm good, thanks.

00:50:52Alright, how are the Eagles doing? Anyone?

00:50:56Waiting for order, sir.

00:50:57What's the plan?

00:50:59Okay, here it is, gentlemen.

00:51:01In a moment, we will receive permission to carry the attack forward.

00:51:04We push to the 70 Easting.

00:51:06Only six miles?

00:51:08Yep, and don't engage.

00:51:10We find the enemy, we step aside, and allow the 1st Infantry Division and 3rd Armored Division behind us to

00:51:17take them on.

00:51:18Should be easy, but you know anything can happen.

00:51:21Stand by for orders. Out.

00:51:22As men don't have to be told twice, the entire troop is itching for action.

00:51:28And sure enough, the go-ahead promptly arrives.

00:51:31Battle stations, battle stations.

00:51:33This is Black 6.

00:51:35The word has been given.

00:51:36Red 1, execute.

00:51:37Roger 6, executing now.

00:51:41I feel the need, the need for speed.

00:51:45You know that's $5 in the drink box for any film clothes.

00:51:48Oh, come on.

00:51:49I love the smell of napalm in the morning.

00:51:52That's 10.

00:51:52The engines roar and whirl to life.

00:51:55And six M2 Bradleys from the 1st Platoon drive past the line of Abrams, taking their positions at the front.

00:52:01As the entirety of the 2nd ACR moves through the sandstorm in a miles long formation, pushing into the unknown.

00:52:10McMaster hunkers down, observing the battlefield with his thermal sight.

00:52:13But nothing appears.

00:52:17Suddenly, there are loud explosions up ahead.

00:52:20McMaster and the rest of his men sweep the area with their binoculars and thermals.

00:52:23There are no contacts.

00:52:25But they quickly find the source.

00:52:27Its airburst artillery exploding in the air and raining shrapnel all across the ground.

00:52:33McMaster doesn't need to say anything.

00:52:35All on their own, the Bradleys and Abrams break the line to drive around the area of impact.

00:52:42A sense of pride fills McMaster.

00:52:44His boys are acting exactly as they've been trained.

00:52:47The artillery is evaded and the line reforms as they push on.

00:52:54It's not long before something else catches his eye.

00:52:57Figures emerge through the haze.

00:53:00Buildings.

00:53:02McMaster narrows his eyes, thinking, this village looks off.

00:53:05There's no farm, pen or any type of infrastructure to sustain a home.

00:53:10This, he thinks, must be an Iraqi outpost.

00:53:14Village, direct front.

00:53:16One round, heat at my command.

00:53:18The loader slams a high-explosive anti-tank shell into the breach.

00:53:22The anti-tank component won't be of much use.

00:53:25But the explosives are exactly what they need.

00:53:28Ready, report.

00:53:29The tank's massive 120mm gun, aimed square at the structures.

00:53:35But McMaster doesn't fire just yet.

00:53:37He waits as his line gets closer, looking for civilians.

00:53:42Up and down the line, the rest of the tanks prepare to level the position.

00:53:46But still, they wait.

00:53:47For they see no evidence that the buildings belong to anyone at all.

00:53:55Suddenly, muzzle flashes shine from the windows

00:53:58and low-caliber bullets start raining down on the armored vehicles.

00:54:03Fire! Fire!

00:54:07McMaster's Abrams opens fire with a thunderous explosion.

00:54:10The round flies through the air, its aim impeccable.

00:54:14It hits a wall and detonates, reducing the building to rubble.

00:54:18The impact marks the target for the eight other battle tanks

00:54:21and their guns aim at the same construction.

00:54:25Ready? Fire!

00:54:27The nine Abrams fire almost in unison with a deafening blast.

00:54:31In an instant, the buildings explode into a cloud of rubble and dust,

00:54:36violently silencing the small arms fire.

00:54:41Meanwhile, on the very edge of their formation,

00:54:43Bradleys, Eagle 13 and 16 spot two Iraqi T-72s sitting in ambush with their thermal viewfinders.

00:54:51Do we engage?

00:54:53Chills traveled down the spine of the vehicle commanders.

00:54:56Why are they still?

00:54:57I don't think they see us.

00:54:59Had the sandstorm not been covering their advance,

00:55:01they were unlikely to have won this showdown.

00:55:04But as it is, the enemy's lack of thermals keeps them blind in the storm,

00:55:08while the Bradleys can see them, crystal clear.

00:55:13The Bradleys turret spins to face the enemy.

00:55:15A pair of tow anti-tank missiles at the ready.

00:55:25A missile fires off its launcher, pulling a spool of wire along with it.

00:55:29From inside, the gunner keeps his crosshairs on the enemy tank,

00:55:32the computer guiding the missile through the wire

00:55:35and keeping it flying straight on the crosshair.

00:55:37From the sight, it looks like licks of flame hanging in the air for a few fleeting moments.

00:55:44The T-72 detonates with force as its turret flies sky-high.

00:55:51The second Bradley fires off a second missile, aimed for the remaining enemy.

00:55:56The Iraqi crew barely reacted to the destruction of their companion

00:56:01when they meet the same fate.

00:56:05The turret of this T-72 came off and was flipping like a bottle cap in the air.

00:56:09And when it landed, the whole thing burst into flames.

00:56:12I remember thinking, holy, how can a piece of metal burn like that?

00:56:19The troop resumes the advance, leaving behind T-72 wrecks and the obliterated buildings.

00:56:24Two enemy tanks on the left flank, targets eliminated.

00:56:28McMaster knows these two tanks couldn't be alone

00:56:30and senses that they're about to find exactly who they're looking for.

00:56:36Red one, this is black six. Swapping to tank lead, I repeat.

00:56:40Changing to tank lead.

00:56:43The Bradleys slow to a stop and allow the better armoured Abrams tanks to go first.

00:56:47They form into an arrow formation, with McMaster proudly leading in the middle.

00:56:54They reach their target of the 70th Easting,

00:56:57but McMaster has a small crest up ahead, blocking their view.

00:57:02Stay behind!

00:57:03In flat terrain like this, even small crests are crucial for visibility,

00:57:07so without orders, he pushes on just a little more.

00:57:11As Abrams climbs the hill and rolls over the top of the crest.

00:57:16Looking through his thermal sight, he watches as dozens of heat signatures come into view all at once.

00:57:23They instantly meet a wall of dug-in armour, trenches and anti-tank weapons, all facing their advance.

00:57:31Tanks! Direct front!

00:57:33It's a horrifying sight. The plan of not engaging the enemy has gone straight out the window.

00:57:38Fire! Fire! Sabo!

00:57:40Heat already loaded!

00:57:40The crosshairs immediately land on a T-72, 1.4km away, and the Abrams fires the first shot of Battle

00:57:4873 Easting.

00:57:51But to McMaster's surprise, the giant line of Iraqi defence does not immediately retaliate.

00:57:59In the storm, the Iraqi tanks are completely blind and have no idea about the multiple Abrams actively rolling over

00:58:05their defensive embankment, just a few hundred metres away.

00:58:08They scramble to respond, crews running for their tanks, diving into trenches and fleeing to the rear.

00:58:16It's chaos.

00:58:18Load Sabo!

00:58:21Fire!

00:58:21The armour-piercing-fin-stabilised-discarding Sabo round fires off the Abrams barrel, the surrounding Sabo peeling off.

00:58:30Please support the channel, comment, like and subscribe on this video.

00:58:34Releasing a massive depleted uranium dart travelling at 1,575 metres every second.

00:58:42It slams square on the enemy and it bursts into flames, cutting through the armour like butter and setting it

00:58:48aflame.

00:58:49McMaster continues to roll forward as the rest of his troop appears behind him.

00:58:54Abrams' tanks open fire indiscriminately as the T-72s start to fight back.

00:59:02Rounds crash into the earth and zip over the Americans' heads.

00:59:06McMaster's driver, Christopher Skog, Hedenskog, watches nervously out of the periscopes as he drives towards the enemy.

00:59:14He sees a muzzle flash from the front right and a split second later, round slams into the earth right

00:59:19next to their fender.

00:59:21McMaster's men see the strike and fear he's been hit.

00:59:24Black 6, Black 6, are you hit? Black 6, Black 6…

00:59:28But then Skog spots a second T-72 emerging into the sights of their Abrams.

00:59:34Hold on.

00:59:35He turns hard to the left, throwing off everyone in the turret.

00:59:39Ah!

00:59:42They gather themselves and resume their positions.

00:59:45Sir, are you okay?

00:59:46McMaster takes a second longer.

00:59:48He's hit his head on the edge of the coupler, completely missing the radio transmission calling for him.

00:59:53Black 6, do you copy?

00:59:54With their leader in silence and seemingly having taken a second enemy round,

00:59:58a desperate Red 1 takes the initiative.

01:00:00This is Red 1. Black 6 is down.

01:00:03I'm taking over. Follow my lead.

01:00:05Listening to this on the radio, Skog calls for his commander.

01:00:08Sir, get up on the net. Red 1 just took over.

01:00:11McMaster realizes what's happening and is quick to clear up the confusion.

01:00:15This is Black 6. We're alive. I'm retaking command.

01:00:20Meanwhile, outside is a flurry of sand, smoke and fire.

01:00:24Enemy rounds keep missing the Abrams as they charge through the desert.

01:00:30On the Iraqi side, everything is in pure chaos.

01:00:33The Abrams roar past the shell-shocked Iraqis, firing round after round into the enemy armor.

01:00:39The Bradleys behind fire their cannons at trenches and infantry, struggling to distinguish between legitimate threats and defeated enemies.

01:00:49Driver Matt Lee follows his unit under fire when a person appears in front of him.

01:00:54Lee slams on the accelerator and steers towards him.

01:00:57The Bradley barrels towards the soldier at speed.

01:01:01The Iraqis completely disoriented from the darkness of the storm and smoke of the battlefield, unaware as his body rapidly

01:01:08fills Lee's thermal imager.

01:01:16The speeding Bradley roars by, inches from the enemy.

01:01:19Lee made a split second decision and decided that this enemy was no threat.

01:01:25Lee made a split second decision.

01:01:26Elsewhere in the battle, the advancing line of Bradleys are suddenly met with a column of tracers.

01:01:31The bright bullets ricochet everywhere and two Bradleys focus on the source.

01:01:36A ZSU-23-4 Schilke anti-aircraft gun inside a bunker.

01:01:42They slow to a halt and the first anti-tank missile rockets off its launcher, zipping across the battlefield.

01:01:48The anti-armor warhead detonates into the bunker, collapsing it.

01:01:52A second anti-tank missile flies in moments after, slamming into the ZSU and setting it alight.

01:01:59Across the line, the Bradley crews operate with incredible bravery.

01:02:04The missiles cannot be fired on the move, so Bradleys have to stop under fire to engage enemy armor.

01:02:10Eagle-31 comes to a halt while staring down the barrel of a reloading T-72.

01:02:18The American gunner fires off his missile and strikes the Iraqi tank, exploding it into a ball of flame.

01:02:24Fractions of a second before it can do the same to the Bradley's crew.

01:02:31Meanwhile, another Bradley, Eagle-36, have used up their pair of anti-tank missiles

01:02:37and are still stuck in the middle of heavy fighting.

01:02:40They need more if they are to have a chance against the dozens of T-72s still somewhere out there

01:02:45in the dark.

01:02:47Trouble, give me some toes!

01:02:49Scout Michael Trouble takes the missile tubes stowed in the rear and opens up the roof hatch to reload them.

01:02:56But the launcher is out of reach.

01:02:59Can you give me the turret on 5950?

01:03:01The turret needed to be rotated to 5950 mils to be able to reload from the hatch.

01:03:06Hit Trouble, here's the response.

01:03:08Negative. We're stuck like this.

01:03:10The commander can't place the Bradley in a reloading position.

01:03:13They need the gun and armor facing the enemy.

01:03:16If Tribble's going to reload, he's going to have to go outside and do it.

01:03:21Tribble rushes out from safety.

01:03:23He can hear the hiss of rifle bullets zipping across the air,

01:03:27a few striking the Bradley's armor with loud clangs.

01:03:31But Tribble ignores it all.

01:03:33He discards the old tubes and casings and begins mounting the new ones.

01:03:38He hears the crack of bullets narrowly missing him,

01:03:41but he keeps his nerve at a time where a slip-up is the difference between life and death.

01:03:46The missiles are reloaded and Tribble returns to the machine shouting

01:03:49With that, the roof hatch closes up,

01:03:54once more protecting Tribble from the chaos outside.

01:03:59The Bradley again lurches to life, charging for combat.

01:04:07Back at the front, the battlefield gradually calms down.

01:04:11Bradley still fire their cannons amidst a flurry of small arms fire,

01:04:14clearing out trenches and destroying equipment

01:04:17as the platoon drives through the wrecks of the enemy.

01:04:20McMaster's executive officer comes on the radio reminding him

01:04:23that 70 Easting was the limit of advance and they are way past it.

01:04:28I can't stop. We're still in contact.

01:04:31Tell headquarters I'm sorry.

01:04:32He cuts the transmission and returns to the task at hand.

01:04:37They've broken through their lines,

01:04:38but there has to be reserves somewhere in this storm.

01:04:42It doesn't take long for them to find them.

01:04:45I see them!

01:04:46He spots a group of enemy tanks with his thermal sights.

01:04:4917 of them, all in a circle.

01:04:52They've attacked so fast,

01:04:54the reserves haven't even had time to get out of their parking spots.

01:04:58McMaster orders all of the troops Abrams to bear.

01:05:00Ready! Report!

01:05:05They creep up on the enemy.

01:05:07He can clearly see an Iraqi tank commander standing on his hatch.

01:05:11The commander hears the Abrams and looks over his shoulder

01:05:14with an expression of utter horror on his face.

01:05:18Fire!

01:05:21In a flash, the strength of Eagle troop is unleashed at the stationary targets.

01:05:26In just a minute, all 17 of the T-72 tanks are reduced to scrap.

01:05:32Target destroyed!

01:05:34The Bradleys in the rear continue to destroy enemy equipment and ammunition stashes,

01:05:38but the battle was effectively over.

01:05:41Anxiously, McMaster got on the radio to ask one question he feared the answer to.

01:05:47How many casualties?

01:05:51No casualties to report.

01:05:53No casualties to report.

01:05:55No casualties to report!

01:05:57They hadn't just won, they had crushed them.

01:06:00In just 23 minutes,

01:06:01this scouting force that wasn't even meant to engage the enemy

01:06:04had destroyed 50 T-72s,

01:06:0725 armored personnel carriers,

01:06:1040 trucks,

01:06:11and a multitude of other vehicles of the Tawakalna Republican Guard

01:06:15without losing a single man or vehicle.

01:06:18McMaster would be awarded the Silver Star for his actions.

01:06:21He's still alive today,

01:06:23and we hope he watches and likes our video.

01:06:27It's 25th of May, 1982,

01:06:29and two pairs of Argentinian jets roar low over the Falkland Islands

01:06:34on their way to what could be a one-way mission.

01:06:37They're led by Captain Pablo Carballo,

01:06:39and he and his men are flying old and poorly equipped A-4 Skyhawk jets loaded with bombs.

01:06:45Their mission is to destroy the British ships HMS Coventry and HMS Broadsword.

01:06:51The Argentinians have captured the Falkland Islands,

01:06:54or the Malvinas as they call them,

01:06:56and they need to destroy the ships if they're to hold on to them.

01:06:59The Argentinians know that two ships have moved closer to the islands

01:07:03to cover ground troops,

01:07:05islands that give them the chance to approach undetected by British radar.

01:07:14The Skyhawks fly as low as they dare,

01:07:16hugging the contours of the island as they reach the enemy's radar range.

01:07:19The two ships are equipped with advanced anti-air missiles and powerful radars

01:07:24which have been devastating to the Argentinian planes.

01:07:26The only way to evade detection is to stay low.

01:07:30On board HMS Coventry,

01:07:32Captain David Hart Dyke has his men on high alert.

01:07:36British special forces have warned him

01:07:37that the Argentinians have recently launched on a mission,

01:07:41but he's unaware that this time,

01:07:43his ship is the target.

01:07:46Four detections on the radar screen

01:07:48confirms his worst fears.

01:07:51Four contacts bearing 225 range 30.

01:07:53Captain Hart Dyke immediately orders a crew to action stations

01:07:57and alarms Blair on both ships,

01:07:59and swiftly the mighty sea darts surface-to-air missiles turn to bear.

01:08:04The Skyhawks, at the same time,

01:08:07approach Pebble Island and hug its contours.

01:08:12With expert flying,

01:08:14the Argentinians become invisible to the British radar

01:08:17and on the Coventry,

01:08:18the contacts disappear.

01:08:20Contact's lost over Pebble Island.

01:08:23It's precisely what Captain Hart Dyke feared.

01:08:25Pebble Island is too close.

01:08:28The sea darts have a minimum range,

01:08:30so now they'll only be able to fire once,

01:08:33if they're lucky.

01:08:34Hart Dyke gets on the radio to Broadsword.

01:08:37Broadsword, what is your status?

01:08:40HMS Broadsword is equipped

01:08:41with shorter-range Sea Wolf missiles

01:08:43better suited for a close-range fight.

01:08:46On the Skyhawks,

01:08:47Carbeo brings his men as close to the ships as he can

01:08:50under cover of the land.

01:08:51His planes have no radar and no warning systems,

01:08:55but at 10 nautical miles distance,

01:08:57they can see the British ships.

01:09:03He and his wingman,

01:09:05Lieutenant Carlos Rinque,

01:09:06make the charge

01:09:07and accelerate to maximum speed

01:09:10while skimming the waves.

01:09:11Aboard Coventry,

01:09:13the two Skyhawks

01:09:13immediately light up their radar.

01:09:16To add to the confusion,

01:09:20a British Harrier jumpjet reports in.

01:09:23It's in the firing zone.

01:09:25Captain, friendly aircraft 20 miles out.

01:09:27A British plane and enemies

01:09:29in the same airspace.

01:09:30Should he fire?

01:09:31In a split-second decision,

01:09:33he chooses the missiles.

01:09:35Turn the Harrier away.

01:09:37Shoot missiles!

01:09:39But the operators still can't get a lock.

01:09:42The Argentinians are flying extremely low,

01:09:45mere feet from the sea.

01:09:46Carbello's canopy is covered in sea salt

01:09:48as he soars through the spray,

01:09:50so low that the radars struggle to track them.

01:09:54Aboard the Coventry,

01:09:55the men's hearts race

01:09:56as they see the enemy getting ever closer.

01:09:59The SeaDart missiles are failing to lock.

01:10:03Captain Hart Dyke feels the dread

01:10:05of a wrong decision,

01:10:07praying for Broadsword's SeaWolf missiles

01:10:10to do the job.

01:10:11Aboard Broadsword,

01:10:13the men can see the targets.

01:10:15The Skyhawks are flying so close

01:10:17the SeaWolf's radar detects them

01:10:19as a single aircraft.

01:10:20They lock the target

01:10:22as the Argentinians

01:10:23barrel down towards them.

01:10:25But then,

01:10:26the single contact splits into two

01:10:28and the two sets of coordinates

01:10:30crash the missile guidance system.

01:10:33The missiles are not responding!

01:10:35Restart them!

01:10:36There's no time.

01:10:38Lookouts aboard Coventry

01:10:39see the Skyhawks

01:10:40with the naked eye

01:10:41and shout with alarm.

01:10:42In a last-ditch effort,

01:10:44HMS Coventry's deck guns

01:10:45turn to bear an open fire,

01:10:47soon joined by the roar

01:10:49of personal machine guns

01:10:50and rifles,

01:10:51sailors firing from all across the deck.

01:10:54Carbello sees the splashes

01:10:56of the shell striking the sea

01:10:57and the tracers of the British bullets

01:10:59drawn closer,

01:11:00refining their aim.

01:11:02The enemy ship is right there.

01:11:05He can taste victory

01:11:07but the shells are getting closer.

01:11:09He can feel it.

01:11:11They're not going to make it.

01:11:14He orders to swap targets

01:11:16setting his sights on Broadsword.

01:11:18The two planes pull to the side

01:11:21and away from Coventry's guns

01:11:22roaring by her deck

01:11:23as they line up their pass.

01:11:25The two Skyhawks pull the triggers

01:11:27and their 1,000-pound bombs

01:11:29are released.

01:11:30They fall down into the sea

01:11:32and splash onto the ocean's surface.

01:11:34It redirects them upwards

01:11:36as they bounce

01:11:37skipping like stones.

01:11:38Broadsword sailors

01:11:39see the two massive bombs

01:11:41bounce twice

01:11:42as they head down towards them.

01:11:43One bomb hits the sea

01:11:45and sinks short of the Broadsword

01:11:47but the other doesn't.

01:11:50It punches straight

01:11:51into the side of Broadsword.

01:11:52It's deflected upwards

01:11:54and it bursts out of the deck.

01:11:56It flies on tumbling

01:11:57as it falls into the sea

01:11:59without exploding.

01:12:02Carbello is dismayed

01:12:03but they're not done yet.

01:12:05Coming in behind them

01:12:06is the second flight

01:12:07of First Lieutenant

01:12:08Mariano Engel Velasco

01:12:10and Ensign Jorge Nelson Baranuevo.

01:12:12They are equipped

01:12:13with less powerful

01:12:14but more reliable

01:12:15250-kilogram bombs.

01:12:18Aboard the British ship

01:12:19they now see

01:12:20all four contacts

01:12:21on the radar

01:12:22and Captain Hart Dyke

01:12:24orders an immediate

01:12:25turn to starboard

01:12:26to allow the missiles

01:12:26to fire at all contacts.

01:12:29Coventry's missile operators

01:12:31get a lock on Velasco

01:12:32and the sea darts

01:12:33turn directly towards them.

01:12:35Shoot!

01:12:36There's a bright flash

01:12:38on Coventry's deck.

01:12:39And the missile rockets out

01:12:41in a plume of smoke.

01:12:43Just as it does

01:12:45Velasco and his wingman

01:12:46fly lower and lower

01:12:48over the water.

01:12:49They disappear

01:12:50from the British radar

01:12:51and the missile

01:12:53goes straight.

01:12:55The sailors are aghast

01:12:56as the missile loses track

01:12:58and flies away.

01:12:59Velasco sees the missile

01:13:01fly off 500 meters

01:13:02to his right

01:13:04but his eyes

01:13:05are locked on HMS Coventry.

01:13:07as he fast approaches.

01:13:09Broadsword meanwhile

01:13:10is restarting

01:13:11the missile systems

01:13:12as the Skyhawks

01:13:13fly in towards them.

01:13:15Sailors nervously

01:13:16stare at blank screens

01:13:17as they're on a race

01:13:19between the Skyhawk

01:13:20and the rebooting computers.

01:13:22Come on!

01:13:23The screens come to life

01:13:24and the sailors

01:13:25get to work.

01:13:26The Skyhawks

01:13:27are detected

01:13:28and appear

01:13:28on the Seawolf radar.

01:13:29The launchers

01:13:30turn

01:13:31and the target

01:13:32is locked.

01:13:33But then

01:13:34on their screens

01:13:36they see HMS Coventry

01:13:38sail directly

01:13:39in front of the launcher.

01:13:41The Coventry is in the way!

01:13:42In their rush

01:13:43to cover all targets

01:13:44they've blocked

01:13:45the only missiles

01:13:46that could actually fire.

01:13:48The broadsword's

01:13:48captain tries to maneuver

01:13:49to get a clear shot

01:13:51but it's just

01:13:52too late.

01:13:54In the Skyhawks

01:13:55Velasco and Baranuevo

01:13:56are approaching their target.

01:13:58On the Coventry

01:13:59Captain Hartdike

01:14:00orders all turrets

01:14:02fire at will.

01:14:03Cannons and machine guns

01:14:04join in

01:14:04firing with everything

01:14:06they've got

01:14:06at the incoming planes.

01:14:08The main

01:14:08four and a half inch gun

01:14:09is sending its shells

01:14:10towards the sea.

01:14:12The men realize

01:14:12the sights are misaligned.

01:14:14But that's not the only

01:14:15malfunction.

01:14:16At the same time

01:14:17the 20mm

01:14:18anti-air gun

01:14:19jams.

01:14:20The men desperately

01:14:21try to fix it

01:14:22as the Argentinian

01:14:23planes close.

01:14:24In a desperate

01:14:25attempt

01:14:26sailors

01:14:26all across the ship

01:14:28open fire

01:14:29with their rifles.

01:14:30The sea churns

01:14:32and splashes

01:14:32as everything

01:14:33the British have

01:14:34is directed

01:14:35towards the advancing

01:14:35Skyhawks.

01:14:37But it's all too late.

01:14:42Echo

01:14:42over the intercom

01:14:44and commanding officers

01:14:45order everyone

01:14:45to hit the deck.

01:14:47Men jump for cover

01:14:48and hold on

01:14:49waiting for the inevitable.

01:14:51Velasco sees

01:14:52the enemy ship

01:14:53fill his view

01:14:54and pulls the trigger.

01:14:55his A4's

01:14:5720mm cannons

01:14:58are unleashed

01:14:59spraying a volley

01:14:59of lead across

01:15:00the ship's deck

01:15:01and superstructure.

01:15:03He holds the trigger

01:15:04down as long as he can.

01:15:05Then he releases

01:15:06his payload.

01:15:07The bombs

01:15:08fall away

01:15:09arcing lazily

01:15:10across the air

01:15:11before slamming

01:15:12into HMS Coventry

01:15:13with force.

01:15:14They punch

01:15:15through the hull

01:15:15the impact echoing

01:15:17through the ship

01:15:17as two

01:15:18almost hollow

01:15:19thunks.

01:15:20but there's no explosion.

01:15:23The second A4

01:15:24roars overhead

01:15:25without dropping

01:15:25its bombs.

01:15:26The payload failing

01:15:27to release.

01:15:28Seconds drag on.

01:15:30The men start

01:15:31to get back up.

01:15:32Looking around

01:15:33with fear

01:15:33and confusion.

01:15:34A voice comes

01:15:35through the intercom

01:15:36reporting damage.

01:15:38But they never

01:15:39get to finish

01:15:39their sentence.

01:15:41The bombs detonate.

01:15:42Two huge explosions

01:15:44rock HMS Coventry.

01:15:46In the air

01:15:47the Argentinian

01:15:49pilots are elated

01:15:50to see smoke

01:15:51pouring from

01:15:52the Coventry.

01:15:52They've done it.

01:15:59One explosion

01:16:01right under the bridge

01:16:02breaks a massive hole

01:16:03in the side of the ship

01:16:04and destroys the

01:16:05computer room.

01:16:07The fire moves

01:16:08up through corridors

01:16:08and blasts

01:16:09through the operations room

01:16:10where all the operators

01:16:12and Captain Hart Dyke

01:16:13were working.

01:16:15The second one

01:16:16explodes in the

01:16:16Ford engine room

01:16:17starting a massive fire

01:16:19and taking out

01:16:20electrical and

01:16:21propulsion power

01:16:21from the ship.

01:16:23Captain Hart Dyke

01:16:25comes back

01:16:26to his senses.

01:16:28He's surrounded

01:16:29by smoke

01:16:29and destruction.

01:16:32Screams fill the air.

01:16:34He tries to see

01:16:34who's making them

01:16:35but they appear to come

01:16:36from everywhere

01:16:37and nowhere at the same time.

01:16:39He staggers to his feet

01:16:41and realizes

01:16:42the ship is listing.

01:16:44He attempts to use

01:16:45his intercom

01:16:46but is completely dead.

01:16:47It's no use.

01:16:49He needs to get out.

01:16:50Captain Hart Dyke

01:16:51slowly works his way

01:16:52through the smoke

01:16:52and corridors

01:16:53as he listens

01:16:54to the ship groaning

01:16:55and cracking

01:16:55underneath him.

01:16:57He manages,

01:16:58somehow,

01:16:59to find an exit

01:17:00and emerges

01:17:01into the cool air

01:17:02of the South Atlantic.

01:17:04Now on deck,

01:17:05he's filled with concern

01:17:06for his men

01:17:07but instead of chaos,

01:17:09he's met

01:17:10by an extremely

01:17:11professional evacuation.

01:17:13His team of sailors

01:17:14practiced this

01:17:15and are now

01:17:16springing into action.

01:17:18Men rescue

01:17:19their fellow sailors

01:17:20from the smoke-filled

01:17:21cabins

01:17:22and provide medical attention

01:17:23on deck

01:17:23as others prepare

01:17:25the survival rafts

01:17:26and help more sailors

01:17:27put on their survival gear.

01:17:31Hart Dyke feels the deck

01:17:32shift beneath his feet

01:17:34as the hull lists.

01:17:35He's dazed and wounded

01:17:37and amidst the chaos

01:17:38he has to sit down

01:17:39on the rapidly listing hull

01:17:41while others

01:17:42abandon the ship.

01:17:44All but Captain Hart Dyke.

01:17:46After all the men have gone,

01:17:48Hart Dyke is alone

01:17:49on the upturned hull

01:17:50of the Coventry.

01:17:53He casts one last look

01:17:54around the smoking ship.

01:17:56He's done his duty.

01:17:59And finally,

01:18:01as the last man board,

01:18:02he enters the last survival raft

01:18:05and drifts away

01:18:06from his command.

01:18:08Due to the professionalism

01:18:09of the British,

01:18:10170 survivors

01:18:12would be picked up

01:18:12from the water

01:18:13by HMS Broadsword

01:18:14and the British

01:18:15rescue helicopters.

01:18:17But tragically,

01:18:1819 lost their lives

01:18:19in the battle.

01:18:21All of the Argentinian pilots

01:18:23make it back to base

01:18:24and land successfully.

01:18:25They'd done it.

01:18:26But their victory

01:18:28did not turn the tide

01:18:29of the war.

01:18:32It's August 18, 1981.

01:18:35Off the coast of Libya,

01:18:37two MiG-25s

01:18:39from the Libyan Air Force

01:18:40race out to sea.

01:18:42An American carrier group

01:18:44has just entered

01:18:45their national waters

01:18:46and launched dozens

01:18:47of fighter jets

01:18:48into the sky.

01:18:56War, it seems,

01:18:57has dawned upon these waters.

01:19:03The Libyan pilot

01:19:04steals himself,

01:19:06laser focused

01:19:06on the battle ahead

01:19:07when he sees something

01:19:08out of the corner of his eye.

01:19:10He turns his head in shock.

01:19:12To his left

01:19:13is an American F-14 Tomcat

01:19:15flying alongside him.

01:19:17He stares at the enemy pilot

01:19:19in complete disbelief

01:19:21as he gives him back

01:19:22a mocking wave.

01:19:23And to add further insult,

01:19:25the man on the back seat

01:19:26takes a picture.

01:19:29The Libyan pilot

01:19:31finds himself completely outclassed.

01:19:33He knows the Americans

01:19:34operate in pairs.

01:19:36The second jet

01:19:37must be already behind him

01:19:38with his missiles at the ready.

01:19:42Pilot Lawrence Muczynski

01:19:44and radio intercept officer

01:19:46James Anderson

01:19:47watch amused

01:19:48as the Libyan MiG-25s

01:19:50turn back to base.

01:19:52They joke and laugh

01:19:53joined by their commander

01:19:55Henry Kleeman

01:19:56and his RIO David Venlet

01:19:58as they return back

01:19:59to the Nimitz.

01:20:03In reality,

01:20:04the American forces

01:20:05have no intention

01:20:06of war

01:20:07or bloodshed

01:20:08even if they know

01:20:09their flirting

01:20:09with the possibility.

01:20:12The Libyan government

01:20:13had declared

01:20:14the Gulf of Sidra

01:20:15to be part of their territory

01:20:16while the United States

01:20:18and many others

01:20:19consider it to be

01:20:19international waters.

01:20:22Because of this disagreement

01:20:24the US has decided

01:20:25to sail through

01:20:26the disputed territory

01:20:27challenging the Libyan claim.

01:20:31The first day had gone

01:20:33swimmingly for the Americans

01:20:34with their fighters

01:20:35turning away

01:20:3670 Libyan aircraft

01:20:38without a single shot

01:20:39being fired.

01:20:41Kleeman particularly

01:20:42enjoyed interacting

01:20:43with the Libyan pilots

01:20:44later describing the day

01:20:45as all fun and games.

01:20:48Little did he know

01:20:49that things would become

01:20:50much more serious.

01:20:52more serious.

01:20:56Kleeman

01:20:57and Muczynski

01:20:57are back in the sky

01:20:59very early in the morning

01:21:00the following day.

01:21:02Call sign

01:21:03Fast Eagle

01:21:03102

01:21:04and 107

01:21:05respectively.

01:21:06They've been patrolling

01:21:07for over an hour

01:21:08when an unidentified contact

01:21:10headed straight towards them

01:21:11appears on their screens.

01:21:16The experience of the prior day

01:21:17has them quite comfortable

01:21:19so Kleeman

01:21:20and Fast Eagle

01:21:21102

01:21:21calmly reports the contact

01:21:23before heading

01:21:24to meet it.

01:21:30The two planes adopt

01:21:31an intercept formation

01:21:32with Muczynski

01:21:33and Fast Eagle

01:21:34107

01:21:35putting some distance

01:21:36from his flight leader.

01:21:40Kleeman is the first

01:21:41to get visual with the enemy

01:21:42spotting not one

01:21:44but two

01:21:44Libyan

01:21:45SU-22

01:21:47fitters

01:21:47flying wingtip

01:21:48to wingtip

01:21:49straight towards him.

01:21:51At that very moment

01:21:53Muczynski's radar

01:21:54malfunctions

01:21:55and he loses

01:21:56the ping

01:21:56of the enemy fighters

01:21:57but he's undeterred.

01:21:59He can intercept

01:22:00with visual only.

01:22:03But then

01:22:04the manoeuvre turns

01:22:05from routine to horror

01:22:06when he sees

01:22:07an orange flash

01:22:08from under one

01:22:09of the SU-22's wings

01:22:11and a smoke trail

01:22:12streaking out

01:22:13towards Kleeman.

01:22:14They've just

01:22:15fired a missile.

01:22:19In a state of disbelief

01:22:20he reports

01:22:21Two fitters

01:22:22have shot

01:22:23at my leader.

01:22:24Kleeman

01:22:25sees the missile coming

01:22:26and instantly

01:22:27pulls hard

01:22:28to the left.

01:22:29The missile flies

01:22:30right past him

01:22:31followed moments later

01:22:32by the pair

01:22:33of enemy fighters.

01:22:34This is 102

01:22:36we've been fired on.

01:22:38Thinking on his feet

01:22:39he orders 107

01:22:40to get after the one

01:22:41who shot.

01:22:42Machinsky instantly

01:22:43races into the fray

01:22:44turning around

01:22:45180 degrees

01:22:46and ending up

01:22:47right on the 6

01:22:48of the two Libyans.

01:22:53The enemy pilots

01:22:55scatter in separate

01:22:56directions

01:22:56but Machinsky

01:22:57has his eyes

01:22:58locked on the lead

01:22:59fitter.

01:23:00He chases him

01:23:01across the sky

01:23:01matching the Libyan

01:23:03through every twist

01:23:04and turn.

01:23:05He selects his

01:23:06AIM-9L

01:23:08sidewinder

01:23:08missiles

01:23:09and pulls the trigger.

01:23:11But nothing happens.

01:23:13An alert

01:23:13flashes on his screen.

01:23:15The missile is faulty

01:23:16and won't fire.

01:23:18Meanwhile,

01:23:19Kleeman

01:23:19has already turned around

01:23:21and is catching up

01:23:22to the second enemy.

01:23:23He's about to fire

01:23:24when the Libyan fighter

01:23:25makes a turn

01:23:26towards the sunrise.

01:23:28Kleeman realizes

01:23:29in a split second

01:23:30that the heat-seeking

01:23:31sidewinder

01:23:32could lock onto the heat

01:23:33of the sun

01:23:34so he patiently waits

01:23:35for the enemy fighter

01:23:36to change direction.

01:23:39It's ten long seconds

01:23:41until the Libyan pilot

01:23:43finally makes a turn

01:23:45and his fate

01:23:46is sealed.

01:23:47The missile lights up

01:23:49and rockets off

01:23:50from under 102's wing.

01:23:51He can see the smoke trail

01:23:53as it tracks to perfection

01:23:54and slams straight

01:23:55into the engine

01:23:56of the Su-22

01:23:57shredding its tail

01:23:59and starting a fire.

01:24:01The burning wreckage

01:24:02falls from the sky

01:24:03and the pilot ejects.

01:24:07On board

01:24:08Machinsky's Tomcat

01:24:09the radar intercept officer

01:24:11spots Kleeman's target

01:24:13falling in the distance

01:24:14and shouts

01:24:15Someone's been hit!

01:24:16Someone's been shot!

01:24:19Machinsky turns his head

01:24:20to see the column

01:24:21of black smoke

01:24:22falling into the sea below.

01:24:24Worry fills him

01:24:25for a second

01:24:26as he can't tell

01:24:27who it is.

01:24:29But to his immediate relief

01:24:30he hears the voice

01:24:31of Kleeman

01:24:32over the radio

01:24:33reporting his victory.

01:24:35Affirmative.

01:24:36Shot one of them down.

01:24:39With the Su-22 still ahead

01:24:41and with the gravity

01:24:42of their actions

01:24:42heavy in his mind

01:24:43Machinsky asks on the radio

01:24:45so

01:24:46Want me to shoot my guy down?

01:24:48That's affirm.

01:24:49Shoot him.

01:24:50Shoot him down.

01:24:52Machinsky

01:24:52doesn't need to be told twice.

01:24:54He's chasing the Libyan

01:24:56through a right-hand turn

01:24:57when he pulls the trigger.

01:24:59His second and last sidewinder

01:25:02rockets away

01:25:03but goes dead straight

01:25:05exiting stage left

01:25:06from Machinsky's field of view.

01:25:09Frustrated

01:25:10but without time to think

01:25:11he switches to guns

01:25:12and resolves

01:25:13to shoot the fitter

01:25:14out of the sky.

01:25:15But before he can even try

01:25:17the missile

01:25:18zips past his field of view.

01:25:20It chases down the Libyan jet

01:25:22and detonates

01:25:23into its fuselage.

01:25:27Fire and shrapnel fill the sky ahead

01:25:29and Machinsky

01:25:30yanks back on the stick.

01:25:32He's squished into his seat

01:25:34as he pulls an enormous

01:25:3510 G's

01:25:37barely avoiding

01:25:38the cloud of debris.

01:25:42Both pilots are recovering

01:25:44from the adrenaline

01:25:45when the news of their peril

01:25:47finally reaches command

01:25:48at the Nimitz.

01:25:49They hear through the radio

01:25:51102, 107

01:25:53you are clear

01:25:53to defend yourself.

01:25:55Kleeman proudly responds

01:25:57And this is 102, 107

01:25:59two enemy kills.

01:26:03Fortunately,

01:26:04both Libyan pilots

01:26:05Captain Balqasem Hemsig

01:26:08al-Zintani

01:26:08and First Lieutenant

01:26:10Mohtar al-Arabi al-Jafari

01:26:12ejected

01:26:13and survived the encounter.

01:26:15They were picked up

01:26:16by Libyan rescue helicopters

01:26:17an hour after the events.

01:26:22Further escalation was avoided

01:26:24and the takedown

01:26:25of the two Su-22s

01:26:27remained the only combat

01:26:28in the entirety of the operation

01:26:30which remained bloodless.

01:26:33Kleeman and Machinsky

01:26:35returned to much fanfare

01:26:36among their peers

01:26:37but received no awards.

01:26:39The incident would go on

01:26:40to have little political impact.

01:26:43It further strained

01:26:44the already terrible

01:26:46U.S.-Libyan relations

01:26:47but brought about

01:26:48little action

01:26:49from either government.

01:26:51The events of that day

01:26:52would be studied

01:26:53by the writers of Top Gun

01:26:54who used it

01:26:55and other engagements

01:26:57as inspiration

01:26:58for the movie's combat scenes.

01:27:02Fast Eagle 102

01:27:04went on to be restored

01:27:05by a group of veterans

01:27:06in 2016.

01:27:08It's now on display

01:27:09in the Midland Army Airfield Museum

01:27:11where you can visit it

01:27:13in Texas.

01:27:16Thanks for staying until the end.

01:27:18If you're looking for more

01:27:19incredible stories

01:27:20don't miss our previous compilation

01:27:21War in the Pacific.

01:27:26The End

01:27:29The End

01:27:32The End

01:27:33The End

01:27:34The End

01:27:35The End

01:27:36The End

01:27:37The End

01:27:38The End

01:27:39The End

01:27:40The End

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