The Enormous USS Ronald Reagan Carrier | Aircraft Carrier: Guardian Of The Seas | Spark

they have assembled here from the four corners of the earth 55 warships among them the newest and most sophisticated ever produced the united states is here great britain india japan canada france australia germany 26 nations all together each will introduce the latest naval technology in their arsenals 22 000 men and women will be tested over the coming month across a vast expanse of ocean covering thousands of square miles the command center and flagship of the operation is the nuclear-powered super carrier a marvel of modern engineering the operation is called rim of the pacific the world's largest and most complex naval exercise it will be as close to actual warfare as is peacefully possible they began to appear nearly 5 000 years ago in the mediterranean sea they were the largest and most glorious moving objects known to mankind powered by oars their tactics were simple they rammed and sank enemy ships soldiers on board carried only bows arrows and spears yet great battles ensued raging for weeks there was often the loss of hundreds of ships and thousands of men for centuries to come navies with the best trained crews the bravest commanders and the mightiest warships would rule the world [Music] [Music] the modern super carrier remains at sea for months at a time and is home for over 5 000 personnel a virtual city at sea all right let's go uh let's go 360. let's go 15 knots gotta get us up in the box on time the captain is from an elite group that has over 25 years of naval aviation experience hey so just just let the helos though territorial waters are only uh eight miles to the east yep thanks [Music] 175. 92 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters are readied for a month of intense flight hops as demanding as combat itself those wearing green shirts maintain airframes and engines red shirts are responsible for ammo and weapons you think of popeye and you think of a really strong you know u.s sailor that you want to represent yourself as and i think we all use them as a role model today purple shirts or grapes fuel the aircraft aircrew are now manning up for the event 7 case 3 launch case for recovery the temperature is 68 degrees the altimeter 2996 at the density altitude 940 feet on the fog walk crews are looking for anything that might get sucked into an engine as the aircraft take off pilots have been killed by almost invisible nuts and bolts nuclear-powered carriers have almost unlimited range like sailing ships of the past two centuries ago sail-powered galleons with a hundred guns emerged on the high seas to fight at battles like trafalgar the french and spanish were the superior force led by napoleon they were thought to be invincible but the british commander horatio nelson had innovative tactics and was more aggressive cannonballs fired at close range inflicted a terrible carnage nearly 8 000 sailors were killed on both sides the french and spanish lost 22 ships the british lost none nelson though he was killed became a legend along with his flagship victory from the triumphant trafalgar grew a worldwide british empire that would last another century control of the high seas requires a mastery of the most advanced possible technology deep in the heart of the ship sit two uranium-powered nuclear reactors essentially miniature suns these radioactive furnaces boil water to create high-pressure steam that spins giant turbines the carrier's eight electric generators could easily power a city of a hundred thousand people using massive reduction gearboxes the turbines also turn four mammoth propeller shafts that drive the ship at around 35 knots its top speed remains highly classified with regular maintenance they can run continuously without refueling for 20 years one two three teamwork collaboration camaraderie staying mentally and physically fit are all critical among the crew of a smooth-running ship every one of the 5 212 personnel is integral in the success of the operation no tiny detail is left to chance [Music] [Music] blue shirts position and secure the aircraft on the deck making sure they are presented for launch in the right order training has been continuous since the very first carriers were launched more than a century ago the battle group commander is responsible for the coordination of all 26 nations during the exercise yeah that's true i mean we had ships from patience communication and diplomacy were not the hallmarks of legendary admirals but in an increasingly complex and lethal world they are critical and they want to help and give their navies a chance to shine [Music] came around on track sir previously reported contacts now on our port battle drawing left recommend maintains it i know i think what i want to do is come a little bit more to starboard and uh i started emergency fog let's get through this come up at speed 29 the japanese on the starboard and then the canadians are coming up they're just behind us right yes sir the carrier as the flagship is responsible for getting 55 vessels from all over the world organized and sailing together in reasonable order [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] this kind of international cooperation was inconceivable even a hundred years ago by the beginning of the 20th century the giant guns of dreadnoughts or battleships would dwarf the cannons of trafalgar as the first world war began britain had a significant edge over germany in both ships and guns and did not expect to be challenged but in june of 1916 250 british and german ships engaged off the coast of jutland in the north sea it would come to be known as the greatest battleship duel of all time 14 british and 11 german ships were sunk eight thousand five hundred young men were killed [Music] the age of the battleship had come to an end in less than two hours of fighting modern defense systems are evolving at an accelerating pace questioning the wisdom of expensive new procurement challenging the status quo the goal of rimpac is in part to test and integrate advances in weapons technology it gives crews a chance to perfect their skills under battle-like conditions the operation of an aircraft carrier is in itself nearly as dangerous as actual combat and everyone on board is well aware of that modern fighter aircraft like the f-18 super horn can lock on and intercept enemy aircraft long before visual contact yet they still carry machine guns that look like they might belong on a world war one biplane even in an age of advanced missiles pilots must still prepare for the unlikely prospect of an old-fashioned dogfight launching a 37 000 pound f-18 super hornet of a carrier may look simple but bad weather enemy fire and accidents all contribute to very real danger after a century of trial and error one launch system has proved robust and reliable below deck are tanks of high pressure steam from the nuclear-powered boilers they provide explosive expansion power to pistons sitting in 300-foot long tubes like shells waiting in the barrel of a gun once released the power of the piston can launch an aircraft with the force of four g's catapulting the plane from zero to 160 miles an hour in just three seconds [Music] okay every role on board is critical to the exquisite ballet of launch and recovery three 8. [Music] thank you [Music] as exciting as the steam-powered catapult launch is for the fighter pilot a safe landing is even better an aircraft's tail hook must snag one of four arresting cables this braided wire weaves 900 feet through the carrier down to an arrestor engine as the momentum of the plane pulls on the cable a huge piston forces hydraulic fluid in one tank against air in another compressing the air up to 400 pounds per square inch stopping the aircraft and pilot in just two seconds the comforting embrace of the arresting cable is regarded as among the most euphoric experiences in all of aviation japanese on the starboard normandy in front that looks pretty good all right and the submarines who can find the submarines always the submarines the great strength of the submarine is its stealth annoying to its friends lethal to its enemies don't need one more submarine to find yes also at rimpac is the new virginia class submarine it is 377 feet long and 34 feet wide speed can exceed 25 knots and potentially over 30. on board crew number 120 enlisted men and women and 14 officers the nuclear propulsion system produces 40 000 horsepower a modern nuclear sub could stay underwater almost indefinitely like an aircraft carrier limited only by its onboard supply of food it makes its own fresh water for drinking and showers i understand what you're saying but we cannot risk attacking a neutral country they're capable of launching mark 48 torpedoes tactical tomahawks harpoon missiles and the new advanced mobile mine track back around more than a thousand feet of water provides a stealthy layer of protection for the submarine as it defends the carrier and other surface ships above [Music] like great weapons of the past navies simply cannot afford to lose battles fought in earnest [Music] despite the horrendous losses suffered by the germans and british at jupiter battleships reappeared in the second world war much bigger and far more lethal enchanted with the powerful symbolism of big guns adolf hitler invested heavily in battleships including the tirpitz and bismarck the german ships were superbly built and manned they were thought to be invincible like the nazis themselves the german the bismarck's rudder was damaged by light aircraft the crippled ship was then pounded by 2 800 shells from british warships before being scuttled by the german crew 2 100 german sailors died as the age of the battleship was coming to a close that of the aircraft carrier was just beginning each rim pack features emerging advanced technology like the f-35 a fifth generation strike fighter since world war ii increasingly powerful radar has been used to detect inbound enemy aircraft with growing sophistication modern radar has been used to lock onto enemy planes and shoot them down with guided missiles fired over the horizon beyond visual range much of the new fighters advancements focus on hiding from radar with a technology called stealth the f-35 has multiple layers of skin coating that absorb radar waves preventing them from bouncing back to enemy radar screens engine intake and exhausts are specially designed to deflect and mask the jet's thermal signature avoiding detection from heat-seeking missiles it can carry more than 15 000 pounds of weapons externally or more than 5 000 pounds internally dramatically improving the f-35s stealth profile the us marine variant the f-35b has more than 40 000 pounds of thrust giving pilots more raw power than any other fighter engine in history er 7700 704 airborne [Music] departure [Music] the us navy's version is the f-35c designed for carrier operations it has larger wings with tips that fold and tougher landing gear for catapult launches and carrier arrests oh the pilot's helmet displays all pertinent information no matter where the pilot is looking the aircraft's distributed aperture system uses six electro optical sensors giving the pilot an unprecedented 360 degrees of situational awareness the pilot can actually look through the aircraft all itself key information the pilot needs is projected onto the helmet's visor allowing for instant coordinated response the missile warning system sees subtle heat differences across the landscape [Music] [Music] the new strike fighter shares data seamlessly with other f-35s but also with allied aircraft and commanders on water or land computer technology so sophisticated it can identify types of planes and nationality and recommend to the pilot suggested weapons to deploy but that sensors can even spot a whale or more importantly a submarine on the surface when submarines first appeared in the theater of war british admirals considered them unethical the weapons of cowards who refused to fight on the surface like real men [Applause] the stealthy high-tech german submarine was regarded by some as the battleship of the future in the early years of world war ii they had a lethal advantage in the north atlantic attacking and sinking thousands of defenseless cargo ships strangling the lifeline of the allied war effort in desperation hundreds of small corvettes were hurriedly built to defend the convoys based on a fishing boat they were cheap and simple their crews were amateurs and most often teenagers they had the smallest guns in the navy yet day and night they fought the terrible cruelty of submarine warfare struggling to save the lives of merchant [Music] seamen the british american and canadian forces of the sea and here hold their strength upon the uber [Music] gradually these and other tiny escort ships of the canadian british and american navies clawed back the german advantage sinking 700 submarines and winning the largest naval battle in human history early submarines were plagued by lack of situational awareness like blind mice in a cave they knew little of what lay around them submerged shipped to five eight feet high sir pilot submerge the ship to five eight feet the virginia class's sophisticated electronic periscope and sensors allow crew members access to vital information they know exactly where they are and even more importantly they know the whereabouts of both friend and foe [Music] maritime interdiction gunnery missile testing anti-submarine mine clearance air defense amphibious landing all demand coordinated planning and much trial and error advances in weapons systems seek to integrate international navies armies and air forces into unified fighting units advanced electronic warfare systems can identify in detail friend from flow jam enemy assets and provide an electronic shield to cloak threaten friendly forces one is outside of territorial waters uh 97 [Music] three [Music] [Music] [Music] one away [Music] what was a gun battle one moment can in the blink of an eye become a battle for survival of another kind for thousands of years sailors have feared violent seas as much as the enemy highlights is the very complicated missions navies are asked to perform in the modern world terrorism piracy earthquakes fires hurricanes humanitarian disasters services that once jealously competed increasingly work together navies national guards air forces coast guards marines all of them are invited to practice their highly skilled crafts during rim of the pacific [Music] not long ago the game of war was played with much higher stakes sailors and airmen died in earnest and in large numbers december 7 1941 the united states of america was suddenly and deliberately attacked following the bombing of pearl harbor the japanese gambled they could draw the american carriers into a trap near the island of midway but the americans secretly broke the japanese code and were prepared get the saws on these guys and see what's going on american pilots knowing they didn't have the fuel to make it back still gambled they could find the japanese fleet and find them they did they sank three japanese carriers in eight minutes [Music] by the end of the day four japanese carriers were sunk along with one heavy cruiser three thousand japanese crew members lost their lives the americans lost only the yorktown few of the u.s aircraft made it back to their ships it was a turning point in the pacific war sealing the japanese fate the battle of midway remains the greatest victory in american naval history war or not landing a fighter aircraft on board a carrier remains the most challenging and admired skill in all of aviation the landing safety officer's voice always a fellow pilot provides a vital measure of precision and confidence at exactly the right moment auto the new f-35b avoids the complexity of a catapult and arrester cables it can operate almost anywhere a strategic advantage in almost any kind of conflict like all new weapon systems it seeks to provide a distinct advantage over possible enemies indeed the goal of modern navies is to provide the most effective weapons tactics and training as an overwhelming deterrence avoiding at all costs the risk of real war most captains will tell you that their passion is to bring every crew member back home safely for they are young people who work long hard dangerous hours months at a time with little or no recognition they make these sacrifices for their families communities and nations hi mom hi dad uh hi everyone back in arm maryland a little town that most people have never heard of but shout out to the people back home in texas booyah shout out to people in san jose stay warm michigan salt lake city utah hi mom love you texas from great naval battles civilizations rose and fell yet there is more firepower on board the ships of rimpac than all the bombs used in all of the wars in human history the goal of modern navies is to avoid war at all cost for if there is another great war there will be nothing to come home to [Music] there will be no romantic paintings nor writers to celebrate the victory after 4 000 years of naval warfare we have little choice but to sail together work towards peace and all return home safely to our families you

Channel: Spark

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Keywords: Spark, Science, Technology, Engineering, Learning, How To, education, documentary, factual, mind blown, construction, building, full documentary, space documentary, bbc documentary, Science documentary, ronald reagan, uss ronald reagan, aircraft carriers

Id: 6OxM46oO1x8

Length: 41min 8sec (2468 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 30 2020