Modern Warfare

Overview

See the sparks of today's conflicts in yesterday's explosive wars. ITN British News cameras capture military tactics and warfare that is frighteningly relevant today. Disc 1: Korea & The Vietnam War - In June 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea, and the Korean War was ignited. Featuring remarkable battlefield and combat footage of offensives at Pork Chop Hill, the Choisin Reservoir, Heartbreak Ridge and more. The Vietnam War was fought for the defense of democracy. Ten long years of vicious combat -- including the Tet Offensive and bloodshed at Hue and Saigon --permanently embedded the Vietnam War in the American consciousness. Disc 2: The Six Day War & Yom Kippur War - Arab nations united in antagonism with the goal of wiping Israel off of the map during the Six Day War. In one of the largest battles in the history of armored warfare, Israel devastatingly demonstrated its military might. In 1973, border conflicts arose again in the Middle East. Egypt and Syria coordinated a surprise attack on Israel, who mobilized troops, technology and tactics with speed and precision. Disc 3: Iran/Iraq & Russia in Afghanistan - Iraqi troops stormed Iran in 1980, expecting an easy victory. The Iranians rallied, however, using their much-larger population, and were able to push the invaders out. In 1979, the Soviets had ill-suited uniforms and inferior fighting tactics, and found it impossible to defeat the popular Afghan guerrilla army. They had underestimated their enemy and lacked the forces to win. Disc 4: Falklands & Lebanon - The battle between the UK and Argentina over claims to the Falkland Islands systematically merged weapons technology of air, sea and ground. An Argentinean invasion yielded a bombardment of speed, weaponry and destruction. In 1982, the Lebanon-based Palestinian Liberation Organization began infiltrating Israeli borders with attacks that brought swift and powerful reprisals. Massive artillery and mortar attacks were traded across the border. Disc 5: The Persian Gulf War - Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait resulted in more than one million troops facing off against each other in the desert of the Persian Gulf. The Allied Coalition’s air war, known as Operation Desert Storm, involved the most sophisticated technological weaponry available. The ground war was known as Operation Desert Saber utilized ground systems including the impressive M1A1 Abrams and the M1M-104 Patriot and demonstrated the precision of American military maneuverability. Disc 6: Terrorism & Special Forces - When the Middle East adapted the IRA car bomb into the suicide bomb, the very nature of terrorism changed. Hi-jacking, violent raids and the taking of hostages became the standards of unfair play. From WWII to the present, witness the daring heroics of Britain’s SAS (Special Air Service) and SBS (Special Boat Service), and meet America’s Delta Force.