Machinery of War

6.5

2019•50m

Through mechanization and industrialization, the methods used to settle conflicts have made the art of war more hi-tech, more expensive, and more devastating than ever before.

Production

Seasons

6 Episodes • Premiered 2019

Looks at some of the key instruments of war, their history, the milestones of modern weaponry and the technological leaps performed by innovative engineers and inventors that saved the day but ultimately changed the face of warfare forever. From the cruise missile and the tank to the machine gun the series unpacks the technological shifts that created these machines. From propulsion mechanisms to guidance systems the series reveals how the tank got its track how a submarine fires a missile and how to build a fully automatic gun.

1. Battlefield Behemoths

Explore the behemoths of war, the grumbling armoured monsters like the Panzer III and the gravity-defying bulk of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, that dominate their arenas of war with their size and power.

2. Stealth Systems

Delving into the world of covert operations and strategic strikes, this episode explores the range of stealth technology, from the simple concept of camouflage in the ghillie suit, to radar-reduction capabilities.

3. Defensive Designs

With the increasing destructive output of weapons, countermeasures had to be developed. As the nature of ware has changed over time, we see modern applications of destructive measures in smaller-scale developments.

4. Mass Movement

This episode tells the story of how machines have been used, and are being used, to transport armies and all of their equipment over land, across sea, and in the air.

5. Accelerating Warfare

Manoeuvrability, speed, and efficiency. The pace of tactical responses, button-click warfare, and lightning-fast strikes are all defined by developments in the agility of machinery.