Original subtitles

THEY ARE THE TOOLS

OF HUMAN CONFLICT AND SURVIVAL.

INGENIOUS,

POWERFUL,

DESTRUCTIVE.

FROM THE ANCIENT

TO THE MODERN,

WAR WEAPONS COMPRISE AN EVER-EVOLVING ARSENAL

THAT'S TRANSFORMED COMBAT,

HELPED BUILD EMPIRES,

DESTROY THEM,

AND DETER AGGRESSION.

THIS SERIES HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE WORLD'S

MOST IMPORTANT AND INNOVATIVE WEAPONS,

THROUGH UNIQUE EXPERIMENTS.

Machnau: I'M READY TO FIRE.

WE EXPLORE HOW AND WHY THEY WORK.

IT'S LIKE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

WHAT PROBLEMS THEY SOLVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

IF THAT GOES OFF, THIS COULD BE SERIOUS.

AND GIVE FRESH INSIGHT.

LET'S GO!

INTO THEIR ROLE IN HISTORY.

YOU'RE IN A MINEFIELD, STOP!

THREE WEAPONS INFLUENCED

THE COURSE OF GLOBAL HISTORY.

THESE DEADLY INVENTIONS HEIGHTENED BLOODSHED IN BATTLE.

THE FIRST IS AN ANCIENT MISSILE LAUNCHER KNOWN AS A SCORPIO.

WHAT MAKES IT SO INNOVATIVE?

230 A.D., LOWER SAXONY, GERMANY.

THOUSANDS OF ARMED ROMAN LEGIONARIES ARE MARCHING SOUTH.

ALONG THE WESTERN END OF THE HARZ HIGHLAND AREA,

THEY CONFRONT GERMANIC WARRIORS.

THE ATTACKING ROMANS STORM A HILL AND CLAIM VICTORY.

HOW DID THEY DO IT?

ARCHEOLOGISTS HAVE BEEN UNEARTHING

REMAINS OF THE BATTLE SINCE 2008.

THE HARZHORN IS ONE

OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE DIG SITES IN GERMANY.

EXPERTS ARE SURPRISED ABOUT ONE THING IN PARTICULAR,

THE LARGE NUMBER OF BENT BOLT HEADS.

THEY MUST HAVE HIT THEIR TARGET AT FULL SPEED.

THE ARCHEOLOGICAL FINDS FROM THE HARZHORN

SUGGEST THAT THE ROMANS USED CATAPULTS WITH BOLTS

IN A VERY TARGETED MANNER THERE.

HUNDREDS OF BOLTS WERE FOUND,

STILL BURIED DEEPLY WITHIN THE GROUND.

EXPERTS WERE ABLE TO RECONSTRUCT THE TRAJECTORY,

AND BASED ON THE DIRECTION THE SHOTS WERE FIRED IN,

THEY THINK THE ROMANS ACTIVELY TRIED TO STOP

A TEUTONIC ATTACK WITH THOSE CATAPULTS.

THE ROMANS CALL THEIR BOLT CATAPULT, SCORPIO,

LIKELY BECAUSE ITS FORM

RESEMBLES THE DANGEROUS ARACHNID.

A LEGION OF 5,000 MEN CARRIES UP TO 60 OF THESE WEAPONS.

ITS EFFICIENCY MAKES UP FOR ITS CUMBERSOME SIZE AND WEIGHT.

IN ADDITION TO THE BOLT HEADS FOUND IN THE EXCAVATIONS,

DETAILED RECORDS BY ROMANENGINEER MARCUS VITRUVIUS POLLIO

REVEAL HOW THE WEAPON WAS CONSTRUCTED.

HIS WORK ON ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY

AND ENGINEERING SKILLS IS ASTONISHING TO THIS DAY.

THIS COPY OF HIS 10 BOOKS ON ARCHITECTURE

DATES BACK TO THE 15TH CENTURY.

IN THIS WORK WRITTEN IN THE FIRST CENTURY B.C.,

HE DESCRIBES THE SCORPIO AS A WEAPON THAT HAS, QUOTE,

"BEEN INVENTED FOR SAFETY'S SAKE

"AND AS A PROTECTION AGAINST DANGER."

THERE ARE DEPICTIONS OF THE SCORPIO

ON ROME'S TRAJAN'S COLUMN FROM 113 A.D. AS WELL.

IT FEATURES TWO LARGE CYLINDERS

TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE ARM'S TRAJECTORY.

HOW DOES THIS WEAPON WORK?

AND WHY DO THE GERMANIC WARRIORS DREAD THE SCORPIO?

MILITARY HISTORIAN STEPHEN BULL

STUDIES THE ROMAN ART OF ENGINEERING.

TODAY, HE WANTS TO CONDUCT AN EXPERIMENT

WITH A SCORPIO BUILT TO BE HISTORICALLY ACCURATE.

THERE ARE VARIOUS MODELS, BUT SCORPIOS

ALL HAVE THREE THINGS IN COMMON.

THEY HAVE A SLOT FOR THE BOLT,

SKEINS OF TWISTED SINEW, AND THROWING ARMS,

A MECHANISM THE ROMANS ADOPTED.

Lambert: WHEN THE ROMANS GOT HOLD OF GOOD IDEAS,

THEY INVARIABLY IMPROVED THEM.

AND WITH THE SCORPIO, THEY TAKE

A GREEK, HELLENISTIC THROWING ENGINE

AND THEY TURN IT INTO A USEFUL BATTLEFIELD WEAPON.

THIS ISN'T JUST A SIEGE MACHINE.

THIS IS NOW A PART OF THE WAY THE ROMAN ARMY

FIGHTS BATTLE AS WELL AS SIEGE.

SO THEY MAKE IT LIGHTER, THEY MAKE IT MORE PORTABLE,

THEY MAKE IT EASIER TO MOVE, AND THEY MAKE IT

MORE EFFECTIVE BY INCREASING THE POWER

AND INCREASING THE QUALITY OF THE PROJECTILES.

IT WAS JUST AN ALL -AROUND UPGRADE.

HOW MUCH IMPACT DOES THE SCORPIO REALLY HAVE?

AND HOW PRECISELY CAN IT HIT A TARGET?

DISTANCE TO THE TARGET IN THE FIRST EXPERIMENT IS 65 FEET.

STEPHEN BULL AND HIS TEAM PREPARE THE SCORPIO FOR FIRING.

THEY PUSH THE ADJUSTABLE SLIDER FORWARDS,

PULL THE STRING INTO PLACE, AND PUSH THE SLIDER BACK AGAIN.

THE LAST STEP IS AIMING THE ARTILLERY AT THE TARGET.

SO I'M READY WITH THE BOLT, AND I'M READY TO SHOOT.

NOT BAD, IT'S ON TARGET.

SO THIS HAS BEEN A PRETTY EFFECTIVE SHOT.

IT'S ACTUALLY GONE ALL THE WAY INTO A BOARD

A COUPLE OF CENTIMETERS THICK AND, DOUBTLESS,

YOU CAN SEE THE END OF THE ARROW,

THE BOLT PROJECTING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOARD.

AS A MOBILE ARTILLERY WEAPON,

THE SCORPIO COMBINES FIRING POWER AND PRECISION.

THIN METAL PIECES ENABLE ITS RELATIVELY LIGHT CONSTRUCTION.

IN ORDER TO TRANSPORT IT, THE ROMANS DISASSEMBLE

THE SCORPIO INTO SEPARATE PARTS

AND PUT IT BACK TOGETHER WHERE THEY WANT TO USE IT.

THE SCORPIO DEPENDED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF TORSION.

ITS LEVERS WERE EMBEDDED IN SKEINS OF TIGHTLY TWISTED ROPE.

WHEN THE TRIGGER WAS RELEASED,THAT FORCE WAS RELEASED,

AND THE ARROW SHOT FORWARD WITH TREMENDOUS POWER.

IN ANCIENT TIMES, THE TORSION BUNDLES

ARE MADE OF ANIMAL SINEW OR SOMETIMES

HORSE HAIR BRAIDED INTO BUNDLES.

THEY STORE ENERGY WHEN TWISTED AND UNLEASH IT UPON FIRING.

OUR SCORPIO RECONSTRUCTION HAS

TWO OF THESE TIGHTLY TWISTED ROPES

HOUSED IN THE TYPICAL BRONZE CYLINDERS.

ONE ASSISTANT HAS TO RETIGHTEN THEM REGULARLY.

IN OUR MODEL, THEY ARE MADE OF SYNTHETIC FIBERS

THAT ARE MORE WEATHER-RESISTANT

THAN THE ANIMAL SINEW USED BY THE ROMANS.

IN A FINAL STEP, STEPHEN BULL INSERTS

A POINTED BOLT WHICH IS TWO FEET LONG.

Lambert: THE ROMAN EMPIRE HAD VERY FEW ESSENTIAL WEAPONS.

THE GLADIUS IS ONE OF THEM, THE PILUM, THINGS LIKE THIS.

THE SCORPIO IS ONE OF THE WEAPONS THAT HELPS THEM

TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE, AND WE KNOW THAT THEY USE IT

IN SOME VERY INTERESTING PLACES.

IN BRITAIN, IT'S USED TO CAPTURE

SOME VERY LARGE IRON AGE FORTRESSES ON THE TALL HILLS.

SO IT'S A VERY USEFUL ARTILLERY PIECE TO BRING UP

FOR ASSAULT OPERATIONS AND TO USE IN BATTLE.

GAUL, 52 B.C.

FOR FIVE YEARS, ROMAN TROOPS UNDER GAIUS JULIUS CAESAR

HAVE BEEN SEEKING TO CONTROL THE REGION.

THEY MUST REPEATEDLY SUPPRESS GALLIC REVOLTS.

AND NOW, CAESAR IS FACING A NEW THREAT.

THE GAULS ARE INTENDING TO UNITE

UNDER THEIR LEADER VERCINGETORIX.

Lambert: VERCINGETORIX IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE HE'S

THE FIRST PERSON TO PERSUADE ALL OF THE GAULS,

OR ALMOST ALL OF THEM, THAT UNLESS THEY WANT TO BECOME

PART OF THE UNIVERSAL ROMAN EMPIRE

AND LOSE THEIR IDENTITY, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGHT.

AND IT'S NO GOOD ONE OF THEM, ONE OF THE TRIBES FIGHTING.

ALL THE TRIBES HAVE TO FIGHT,

THEY ALL HAVE TO FIGHT TOGETHER,AND THEY HAVE TO BELIEVE

IN SOMETHING MORE THAN THEIR SMALL TRIBAL GROUPS.

AND HE MAKES ENORMOUS PROGRESS IN BUILDING THIS SENSE

OF IDENTITY, WHICH SOME FRENCH PEOPLE

WILL LOOK BACK ON AS THE BEGINNINGS OF A MODERN FRANCE.

BUT THE LEGIONNAIRES ARE MERCILESS,

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO DEPLOYING THE SCORPIO.

CAESAR WROTE, "A CERTAIN GAUL BEFORE THE GATE OF THE TOWN

"WAS PIERCED WITH A DART ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND FELL DEAD.

"ANOTHER GAUL STEPPED OVER HIM TO FIGHT IN HIS PLACE.

"HE GOT SHOT BY AN ARROW FROM A SCORPIO AS WELL."

THE GAULS' RESISTANCE IS BROKEN AND THEY ARE DEFEATED.

LEGEND HAS IT THAT AT THE SURRENDER,

THEIR LEADER VERCINGETORIX WAS FORCED TO LAY DOWN

ALL HIS WEAPONS AT CAESAR'S FEET.

THE ROMANS, AND THE SCORPIO, HAD WON THE DAY.

IN BATTLE,

EVERY ROMAN LEGION DEPLOYS ABOUT 60 SCORPIOS.

ACCORDING TO CAESAR'S ACCOUNTS, THEY BASICALLY MOWED DOWN

THEIR ENEMIES WITH THE BOLT-FIRING CATAPULTS.

IT'S SAID THAT ONCE AIMED, THE WEAPON CAN HIT

THE SAME TARGET WITH EVERY SHOT.

STEPHEN BULL WANTS TO FIND OUT IF THAT'S TRUE.

THAT WAY, THAT'S IT!

THAT'S OKAY, YEAH.

LOOKS GOOD TO ME!

STEPHEN BULL HAS HIS MEN AIM THE SCORPIO.

FIRE AT WILL.

AH!

WILL THE NEXT SHOTS HIT THE SAME SPOT?

SO WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF SHOTS

WHICH ARE PRETTY CLOSE TOGETHER HERE.

THAT'S REASONABLE, MAYBE 45 CENTIMETERS, 50 CENTIMETERS

AWAY FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GROUP.

AND WE ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF MISSES.

FOR THE ANCIENT WORLD,

THIS IS REMARKABLY ACCURATE,

BUT WHAT ABOUT PENETRATING POWER?

CAN THE SCORPIO BOLTS

ALSO PIERCE THROUGH ARMOR AND SHIELDS?

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A ONE-MILLIMETER STEEL PLATE.

WE'RE NOT REALLY GOING FOR ACCURACY.

WE'RE GOING FOR PENETRATION.

LET'S SEE HOW IT DOES.

THAT'S GONE STRAIGHT THROUGH A MILLIMETER OF STEEL.

THE HEAVY BOLT-HEAD HAS FOCUSED THE FORCE ON THE POINT.

IT'S NOT COME ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE WOOD,

BUT IT'S NAILED THE METAL TO THE WOOD.

IF YOU HAD BEEN WEARING THIS METAL AS ARMOR,

THE RESULT WOULDN'T BE VERY PLEASANT.

SO WE'RE GONNA TRY AND GET THE ARROW OUT OF THE STEEL PLATE.

I THINK IT'LL COME, GIVEN SOME EFFORT.

YES.

IT APPEARS TO HAVE GONE MAYBE A CENTIMETER AND A HALF,

SO IT'S GONE THROUGH THE ARMOR

AND THEN MORE THAN A CENTIMETER BEHIND.

QUITE A NASTY INJURY.

THE SCORPIO HAS PASSED THIS TEST,

BUT CAN IT PERFORM EVEN MORE EFFECTIVELY?

SO WE'VE SUCCEEDED IN PENETRATING

ONE MILLIMETER OF STEEL.

JUST TO MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR OURSELVES, WE'VE ADDED

A SECOND PLATE TO MAKE IT TWO MILLIMETERS OF STEEL.

THIS IS GONNA BE A SERIOUS TEST OF PENETRATION.

HIT THE TARGET, BOTTOM RIGHT.

HOW DEEP DID THE BOLT HEAD GO INTO THE STEEL?

NOT VERY DEEP.

BUT CERTAINLY THROUGH BOTH STEEL PLATES.

SO THE FIRST PLATE'S COMES OFF

AND WE CAN SEE THE SECOND PLATE UNDERNEATH.

THE PENETRATION THROUGH THE SECOND PLATE IS OBVIOUSLY

NOT AS SERIOUS AS THE PENETRATION

THROUGH THE FIRST PLATE,

BUT IT'S STILL GONE ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST HOLE, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PLATE

AND THIS IS THE SECOND HOLE, NOT SO DEEP

BUT STILL ALL THE WAY THROUGH

AND I CAN FEEL THE WOOD BEHIND.

BASED ON THE ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS

AT THE HARZHORN, EXPERTS ESTIMATE

THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO FIRE DEADLY SHOTS

WITH THE SCORPIO OVER ADISTANCE OF WELL OVER 500 YARDS.

THE ROMANS BUILT THE SCORPIO FOR SEVERAL CENTURIES.

IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT WEAPONS

OF THE ANCIENT WORLD.

OUR NEXT WEAPON IS THE SWORD.

IT IS INTRINSICALLY TIED TO THE MEDIEVAL WORLD OF KNIGHTS.

BUT THE SWORD IS MORE THAN JUST A WEAPON OF WAR.

IT IS A STATUS SYMBOL, THE EPITOME OF POWER,

THE STUFF LEGENDS ARE MADE OF.

955, THE BATTLE OF LECHFIELD, NEAR AUGSBURG, SOUTH GERMANY.

KING OTTO I DEFENDS THE CHRISTIAN EAST FRANCIA

AGAINST THE ATTACKING HUNS.

THE EXTREMELY MOBILE AND LIGHT HUN RIDERS

HAVE TERRORIZED THE EMPIRE FOR DECADES.

BUT THIS TIME THEY STAND NO CHANCE.

OTTO'S KNIGHTS PREVAIL.

STEFAN ROTH HAS BEEN FORGING HISTORICAL MODELS

FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, AND KNOWS THAT SWORDS

ARE FAR MORE THAN JUST BRUTAL CUTTING WEAPONS.

Roth: FOR ME, PERSONALLY, MEDIEVAL SWORDS ARE

INCREDIBLY FASCINATING, AND LONG SWORDS IN PARTICULAR

BECAUSE I KNOW PRECISELY HOW THESE WEAPONS ARE MANUFACTURED

AND HOW ELABORATE THE WHOLE FORGING PROCESS IS.

THE EARLIEST FINDS FROM ARSLANTEPE, IN TURKEY,

DATE BACK MORE THAN 5,000 YEARS.

THIS MEANS THE HISTORY OF SWORDS IS OLDER THAN WRITING.

THE ROMANS USED THE SHORT SWORD, THE GLADIUS,

AND A LONGER VERSION, THE SPATHA.

TEUTONS AND VIKINGS ALSO PREFERRED THE SPATHA

AND ENSHRINED THEIR REVERED WEAPON IN LEGENDS.

TO THIS DAY, THE MYTH OF EXCALIBUR,

THE LEGENDARY SWORD OF KING ARTHUR, LIVES ON.

IT RESTS WITHIN A STONE AND IS SAID TO HAVE MAGICAL POWERS.

BUT REAL SWORDS ARE ALSO THE SUBJECT

OF MANY MYTHS, LIKE THE ULFBERHT,

A GERMANIC SWORD FROM THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES.

ARCHEOLOGISTS HAVE FOUND ABOUT 170 COPIES

OF IT ALL OVER EUROPE.

THEY ALL SHARE ONE DISTINCTIVE FEATURE,

THE INSCRIPTION ULFBERHT.

Lambert: WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS A TRADEMARK,

IT'S A BRAND.

IT'S A WAY OF SELLING A PRODUCT

BY SAYING THIS IS A QUALITY PRODUCT.

EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS MARK EQUALS GOOD.

PRIZED SWORDS WERE A STATUS SYMBOL

FOR NOBLEMEN IN THE MIDDLE AGES.

ARCHEOLOGISTS OFTEN FIND BLADES MARKED ULFBERHT

OF SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER QUALITY.

PERHAPS THESE WERE JUST CHEAP COPIES

OF THE POPULAR BRAND MADE AFFORDABLE TO THE MASSES,

WHILE THE MORE ELITE DEADLY MODELS EVOLVED.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE MIDDLE AGES,

SIMPLE ARMOR EVOLVES INTO TOUGHER PLATE ARMOR.

KNIGHTS NO LONGER NEED SHIELDS BUT CAN USE

BOTH HANDS TO SWING A LONGER, HEAVIER SWORD.

AND THEY HAVE TO BECAUSE THEIR OPPONENTS

ARE ALSO CLAD IN MASSIVE IRON SUITS OF ARMOR.

AROUND THE SAME TIME BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD,

IN JAPAN, SAMURAI WARRIORS FIGHT

WITH THE KATANA, ANOTHER TWO-HANDED SWORD.

Lambert: IT'S A VERY, VERY AGGRESSIVE WEAPON.

YOU ATTACK UNTIL YOU KILL THE ENEMY,

AND THE STROKES YOU USE TO KILL THE ENEMY,

WHICH THE JAPANESE STILL TEACH IN KENDO,

MOSTLY INVOLVE CHOPPING OFF THE HEAD AND RIGHT ARM.

STEFAN ROTH HAS STUDIED MANY KINDS OF SWORDS.

THE KATANA IS KNOWN AS THE MASTERPIECE

OF FAR EASTERN WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY.

THE BLADE IS CURVED,

SINGLE-EDGED, AND 25 TO 30 INCHES LONG.

THE LONG SWORD, ON THE OTHER HAND,

HAS A BROAD, DOUBLE-EDGED BLADE

WITH A VERY SHARP POINT AND MEASURES 32 TO 47 INCHES.

THE HISTORICAL FORGING TECHNIQUE

IS BASICALLY THE SAME FOR BOTH.

STEFAN ROTH FOLDS THE SCORCHING -HOT IRON BARS SEVERAL TIMES

IN ORDER TO OBTAIN STEEL WHICH IS AS RESILIENT AS POSSIBLE.

Roth: THIS FOLDING PROCESS IS A CLEANING PROCESS.

WE HAVE TO GET RID OF THE SLAG, ASHES,

AND CHARCOAL THAT REMAIN WITHIN THE MATERIAL.

IF I WANT TO FORGE A SWORD, I NEED

THE BEST MATERIAL I CAN GET, AND OF COURSE,

I AM TRYING TO MAKE IT AS REFINED AS POSSIBLE,

IN ORDER TO OBTAIN STEEL THAT IS RELATIVELY HOMOGENOUS.

AT THE OUTSET, THE CARBON MOLECULES

WITHIN THE STEEL ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED EQUALLY.

BY FOLDING THE STEEL REPEATEDLY,

HE CAN REARRANGE THEM IN A MORE UNIFORM WAY.

SOME SAMURAI FANS BELIEVE MEDIEVAL JAPANESE BLACKSMITHS

HAD BETTER STEEL AND SUPERIOR FORGING TECHNIQUES.

ROTH IS NOT CONVINCED.

HE FEELS EUROPE'S SWORD MANUFACTURERS COULD COMPETE

WITH THEM AND, IN SOME CASES, PRODUCE EVEN BETTER WEAPONS.

Roth: WHEN IT COMES TO STABILITY,

EUROPEAN LONG SWORDS TOTALLY OUTPERFORM

THEIR JAPANESE COUNTERPARTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE THE BLADE IS

COMPLETELY HARDENED THROUGHOUT,

THIS IS NOT THE CASE FOR JAPANESE SWORDS.

THIS CAN BE DONE BY HEATING THE STEEL,

THEN QUICKLY SUBMERGING IT IN WATER TO COOL IT.

THE METAL BECOMES MUCH HARDER.

Roth: THIS MEANS THE JAPANESE SWORD CANNOT

WITHSTAND IMPACTS FROM THE SIDE.

IT BENDS, IT DOESN'T BOUNCE BACK.

THIS SWORD HAS A RHOMBIC SECTION.

DEPENDING ON HOW THICK THE BLADE IS,

IT IS TECHNICALLY ALMOST LIKE A CROWBAR

THAT YOU PLACE ON THE ARMOR WHERE YOU INTEND TO PENETRATE,

AND THEN, WELL, FOR THE MAN WEARING THE ARMOR,

THIS IS ANYTHING BUT COMFORTABLE.

THE DIRECT COMPARISON SHOWS BOTH SWORDS

ARE ABOUT A QUARTER-INCH THICK,

BUT THE LONG SWORD HAS A RHOMBIC CROSS-SECTION.

THIS MAKES IT MORE RIGID.

HOW WELL DO THE SWORDS PERFORM?

STEFAN ROTH WANTS TO FIND OUT.

HE'S WITH KATANA WARRIOR ALEXANDER MANTHEY,

WHO IS AN EXPERT IN ASIAN MARTIAL ARTS.

CAN THE LONG SWORD CUT THROUGH A 1/16-INCH METAL PLATE?

AND HOW WILL THE JAPANESE KATANA PERFORM?

THE RESULT OF THE LONG SWORD/KATANA COMPETITION,

THE KATANA CUTS THROUGH ONLY HALF OF THE STEEL.

WITH HIS LONG SWORD, STEFAN MANAGES

TO SEVER THE ENTIRE STEEL PLATE.

OUR NEXT TEST, HOW WELL DO BOTH WEAPONS PENETRATE?

THE KATANA PIERCES THE STEEL PLATE WITH ITS POINT.

Roth: THE EUROPEAN SWORD IS

OF COURSE PREDESTINED FOR PENETRATING

BECAUSE IT IS LONG, POINTED AND, MOST OF ALL, STRAIGHT.

THIS MEANS THE ENERGY CAN BE DIRECTED AT ONE POINT.

YOU CAN SEE VERY NICELY HOW DEEP

THE BLADE HAS PENETRATED THE METAL.

JUST IMAGINE YOU'D HAVE A KNIGHT WEARING

ARMOR OF MAYBE NOT THE BEST QUALITY.

IT COULD VERY WELL BE POSSIBLE

THAT THE SWORD GOES THROUGH IT.

THE LONG SWORD EASILY OUTPERFORMS THE KATANA.

TO THIS DAY, THE PREVAILING BELIEF IS

THAT THE SAMURAI BATTLE TECHNIQUES

ARE SUPERIOR TO THOSE OF MEDIEVAL KNIGHTS.

BUT IS IT REALLY TRUE?

STEFAN ROTH AND ALEXANDER MANTHEY WANT TO COMPARE

THE PERFORMANCE OF BOTH WEAPONS.

THE SINGLE-EDGED KATANA IS FIRST.

ALEXANDER CUTS THROUGH THE ROLLED MAT

FOUR TIMES WITHOUT ANY EFFORT.

THE DOUBLE-EDGED EUROPEAN LONG SWORD

PERMITS ANOTHER METHOD OF SWORDPLAY,

WHICH COULD POSSIBLY GIVE IT A SLIGHT ADVANTAGE.

Roth: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SINGLE-EDGED

AND THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORDS IS THAT HE HAS TO TURN HIS HAND.

WE HAVE A NATURAL HAND POSITION

AND MAYBE ONLY SAVE A MILLISECOND.

BUT IN BATTLE, A REAL-LIFE BATTLE,

THIS COULD MEAN LIFE OR DEATH.

IN REALITY, THE TWO SWORDS NEVER ACTUALLY MET

BLADE TO BLADE ON THE BATTLEFIELD,

BUT THEIR OBJECTIVES WERE DOCUMENTED.

BOOKS ON COMBAT TECHNIQUES HIGHLIGHT

THE SOPHISTICATION OF EUROPEAN SWORDPLAY.

ONE IS THE ITALIAN FIOR DI BATTAGLIA,

THE FLOWER OF BATTLE, FROM THE EARLY 15TH CENTURY.

THE BOOKS MAINLY FEATURE THE METHODS USED IN DUELS

OR EXHIBITION FIGHTS AND ARE QUITE BRUTAL.

Nixon: I THINK THE DEPICTIONS OF THE VIOLENCE

THAT WERE USED WITH THE LONG SWORDS

IN THE MIDDLE AGES WAS COMPLETELY VERY BARBARIC.

IF WE COMPARE TO MODERN TIMES, HOWEVER,

I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WERE NECESSARILY ANY MORE BARBARIC

THAN THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS.

WE'VE SEEN LEVELS OF TORTURE OVER THE PAST HUNDRED YEARS

THAT ARE JUST AS BARBARIC AS THE THINGS WE SEE

IN THE MIDDLE AGES, SO I THINK IT WAS

JUST A DIFFERENT TIME, WITH DIFFERENT WEAPONS

THAT COULD DO HORRIFIC AMOUNTS OF HARM.

THE CODEX WALLERSTEIN IS

ANOTHER MARTIAL ARTS MANUALDATING BACK TO THE 15TH CENTURY.

IT DEPICTS THE VERSATILITY OF LONG SWORDS, BUT IT ALSO SHOWS

HOW MERCILESS THE FIGHTING TECHNIQUES WERE.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE HALF-SWORD THRUST.

THE SWORD IS HELD LIKE A BILLIARD CUE

AND THRUST INTO THE GAPS OF THE OPPONENT'S ARMOR.

THE NAMES OF OTHER TECHNIQUES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES,

MOUTH BLOW, MURDER STRIKE, OR TESTICLE STRIKE.

IN THE LATE MIDDLE AGES, THE LONG SWORD IS LESS COMMON

ON THE BATTLEFIELD BUT PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE

IN JUDICIAL DUELS BETWEEN KNIGHTS.

IN THESE TRIALS BY COMBAT, THE OUTCOME IS SEEN AS A JUDGMENT

BY GOD AND THE WINNER PROCLAIMED TO BE TRUTHFUL.

THE KATANA ALSO HOLDS A PARTICULAR SYMBOLIC VALUE

FOR THE SAMURAI.

OVER TIME, THE LETHAL MILITARY WEAPON BECOMES

AN OBJECT OF CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.

Lambert: THE SWORD IS SOMETHINGOF ENORMOUS MYTHIC SIGNIFICANCE

ACROSS ALL CULTURES, BUT IN SOME PARTICULARLY.

FOR JAPAN, THE SWORD IS THEULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF IDENTITY,

BOTH AS A PERSONAL POSSESSION AND AS A WAY OF REPRESENTING

WHO THE JAPANESE THINK THEY ARE.

SWORDS REMAIN DREADED CLOSE-COMBAT WEAPONS

WELL INTO THE MODERN ERA.

THEY SERVED AS SIDEARMS FOR SOLDIERS

WHO CARRIED FIREARMS, PIKES, AND BAYONETS.

AND THE MEDIEVAL WONDER WEAPON LIVES ON TO THIS DAY.

IT'S STILL INCLUDED IN FULL DRESS CEREMONIAL UNIFORMS

AND USED MORE ACTIVELY IN THE POPULAR SPORT OF FENCING.

BUT AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF FIREARMS,

STEADY IMPROVEMENTS MAKE RIFLES

THE DOMINATING WEAPON OF AN ENTIRE ERA.

ONE GROUND-BREAKING DESIGN IS THE HENRY RIFLE.

1861, THE ONSET OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.

THE STANDARD WEAPON OF THE UNION NORTH

IS THE SPRINGFIELD RIFLE,

A MUZZLELOADER WITH HIGH ACCURACY.

BUT THE RELOADING PROCESS IS CUMBERSOME AND TIME-CONSUMING.

THE SOLUTION IS A SIMPLE INVENTION

CALLED THE HENRY RIFLE,

WHICH GREATLY INCREASES THE RATE OF FIRE.

A SHOOTING RANGE NEAR GOTHA, THURINGIA, GERMANY.

WOLFGANG STABE BUILDS AND COLLECTS HISTORICAL FIREARMS.

THERE IS NO 19TH-CENTURY WEAPON

THAT FASCINATES HIM QUITE LIKE THE HENRY.

I FEEL LIKE A PIONEER IN THE WILD WEST.

THIS WEAPON WAS A GAME-CHANGER

NOT ONLY FOR THE AMERICAN CONTINENT.

IT'S MADE WORLD HISTORY.

THE WEAPON IS NAMED

AFTER AMERICAN GUNSMITH BENJAMIN TYLER HENRY.

THE MAGAZINE HOLDS 15 CARTRIDGES.

ONE ADDITIONAL ROUND CAN BE LOADED IN THE BARREL.

THE RIFLE WEIGHS OVER EIGHT POUNDS.

THE BARREL IS 20 INCHES LONG.

THE MOST IMPORTANT DETAIL, IT CAN BE RELOADED

WITH A LEVER LOCATED BELOW THE BARREL.

Haäuser: WHEN YOU PULL THE LEVER,

THE EMPTY CARTRIDGE IS EJECTED

AND THE NEXT ROUND IS BROUGHT INTO POSITION.

SO YOU ONLY NEED ONE MOVEMENT TO OPERATE THE WEAPON

WITH GREATER EASE AND RELIABILITY.

I PUSH THE LEVER DOWN

AND A NEW CARTRIDGE IS LOADED FROM THE MAGAZINE

INTO THE CHAMBER, USING A SPRING.

AND NOW IT'S IN THE CHAMBER, AS EASY AS THAT.

NOW I CAN FIRE, RELOAD, AND FIRE AGAIN.

HERE'S HOW THE HENRY REPEATING RIFLE WORKS.

THE LEVER ACTION TRANSPORTS A NEW CARTRIDGE INTO THE BARREL.

AT THE SAME TIME, IT EJECTS THE EMPTY SHELL.

THE HAMMER THEN FIRES THE CARTRIDGE.

THIS WEAPON WAS A MASTERSTROKE.

THIS IS A TUBULAR MAGAZINE.

WE HAVE A SPRING THAT TRANSPORTS THE PROJECTILE PROPERLY,

AND YOU TURN THE BARREL AT THE FRONT.

SO THIS WHOLE THING IS THE TUBULAR MAGAZINE,

AND IT CAN TAKE A LOT OF BULLETS.

THE HENRY IS NOT THE FIRST

LEVER-ACTION REPEATING RIFLE, BUT THE AMMUNITION

USED BY ITS PREDECESSORS IS OFTEN UNPREDICTABLE.

SOMETIMES, WHEN FIRING THE WEAPON,

THEY HIT THE PERCUSSION CAP OF THE CARTRIDGE

IN FRONT, CAUSING IT TO IGNITE.

THAT MEANS THAT THE WHOLE MAGAZINE GOES OFF AT ONCE

AND BLASTS THE WEAPON COMPLETELY.

THIS LEADS TO BAD ACCIDENTS, SOMETIMES EVEN FATAL.

THE HENRY'S IMPROVED

PERCUSSION CAP ELIMINATES

THE MALFUNCTION, AND THE RIFLE RISES TO PROMINENCE

DUE TO ITS REPEATER MECHANISM, WHICH ALLOWS

CARTRIDGES TO BE RELOADED VERY QUICKLY.

THE MAGAZINE ON THE HENRY RIFLE HAS A GAP ON THE LOWER SIDE,

A GUIDANCE BAR FOR THE PUSH BOLT,

BUT IT'S A DESIGN FLAW, ALLOWING MUD TO ENTER

THE MAGAZINE, A DISASTER IN BATTLE.

AND THERE'S MORE.

THEY SOON REALIZED

THAT THE TUBULAR MAGAZINE IS A WEAK SPOT.

IF THE WEAPON FALLS, THE MAGAZINE CAN BE DENTED,

IT'S MADE OF RELATIVELY THIN METAL,

AND THEN I CAN'T RELOAD THE WEAPON ANYMORE

AND CAN NO LONGER SHOOT, OBVIOUSLY.

NEVERTHELESS,

COMPARED TO THE MUZZLELOADER MUSKETS OF ITS ERA,

THE HENRY RIFLE IS A MAJOR LEAP FORWARD.

BENJAMIN TYLER HENRY KNOWS IF HIS RIFLE IS SUCCESSFUL

WITH THE MILITARY, HE'LL MAKE A FORTUNE.

HE FILES A PATENT APPLICATION FOR THE RIFLE

ON OCTOBER 16TH, 1860, ABOUT FIVE MONTHS

BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR, A WISE DECISION.

IF A NEW WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY PROVES SUCCESSFUL,

EVERYONE WILL TRY TO COPY IT, INCLUDING THE ENEMY.

BUT NOW, NEW LEGISLATION IS IN PRACTICE

IN THE FORM OF PATENT LAW.

THE EARLIEST EVIDENCE OF PATENT LAW

TRACES BACK TO ANCIENT GREECE.

IN THE 15TH CENTURY, IT BECOMES A RECURRING TOPIC IN EUROPE.

THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF PATENT LAW

DEVELOPS IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY

AND HAS CLOSE TIES TO WEAPONS PRODUCTION.

Lambert: JUST BEFORE THE AGE OF INDUSTRIALIZED MASS-PRODUCTION

REACHES HAND WEAPONS, RIFLES, PISTOLS,

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW CHANGES

SO THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO PROTECT THE DESIGN,

THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A WEAPON,

NOT THE WEAPON ITSELF BUT THE DESIGN

AND THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH IT'S BASED.

WEAPONS DESIGNERS NOW BECOME MILLIONAIRES.

SAMUEL COLT APPLIES FOR A PATENT

WITH HIS REVOLVER MECHANISM IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY.

OTHER MANUFACTURES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO COPY HIS DESIGN.

ONE COMPETITOR DESIGNS A REVOLVER

WITH A HORIZONTALLY -PLACED MAGAZINE

THAT TURNS LIKE A RECORD.

THE AMMUNITION IS PLACED IN SIX HOLES ON THE SIDES.

THE TURRET PISTOL DOES NOT INFRINGE

SAMUEL COLT'S PATENT RIGHTS.

BUT IT IS A THREAT TO THE SHOOTER.

THE CARTRIDGES SOMETIMES FIRE INTO ALL DIRECTIONS.

THANKS TO PATENT LAW, TODAY'S ARMAMENT BUSINESS

IS FLOURISHING AROUND THE GLOBE.

EVERY YEAR, DEFENSE SPENDING WORLDWIDE

AMOUNTS TO ABOUT $1.7 TRILLION U.S.

AT THE SHOOTING RANGE NEAR GOTHA,

WOLFGANG STABE WANTS TO FIND OUT HOW FAST HE CAN FIRE

10 SHOTS WITH BENJAMIN TYLER HENRY'S PATENTED RIFLE.

SO I INSERT NINE CARTRIDGES,

REPEAT THEM ONCE, MAKING THE WHOLE THING SAFE,

RELEASING AGAIN, AND THEN I OPEN THE WEAPON

AND PLACE THE 10TH CARTRIDGE INTO IT.

AND NOW, 10 SHOTS OF RAPID FIRE.

THE TIMER WILL STOP

AFTER THE LAST SHOT HAS BEEN FIRED.

WE NEEDED 8.8 SECONDS,

LESS THAN ONE SECOND PER SHOT.

THAT'S FANTASTIC.

MORE THAN ONE SHOT PER SECOND,

IN THE 19TH CENTURY, THIS WAS A QUANTUM LEAP.

THE HENRY RIFLE SHOULD BE AN ENORMOUS ADVANTAGE

FOR THE UNION ARMY.

BUT THE HIGH RATE OF FIRE CONCERNS THE GENERALS.

THEY WORRY THAT CARTRIDGES WILL BE SHOT

TOO FAST, THE AMMUNITION CONSUMPTION

WILL BE TOO HIGH, AND THE RAILWAYS

WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESUPPLY QUICKLY ENOUGH.

THE WEAPON HAD ENORMOUS FIREPOWER.

THAT MEANS TROOPS NEEDED A LOT OF AMMUNITION,

WHICH WAS EXPENSIVE, AS WAS THE WEAPON ITSELF,

SO THE AMERICAN GENERALS WERE REALLY HESITANT.

THEY ONLY BOUGHT 1,700 OF THE HENRY

BECAUSE THEY WERE WORRIED THEY COULDN'T

GET HOLD OF ENOUGH AMMUNITION.

SOLDIERS WHO CAN AFFORD IT

BUY A HENRY ON THEIR OWN,

HOPING THAT IT WILL INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF SURVIVAL.

BY THE END OF THE WAR,

ABOUT 7,000 OF THESE RIFLES ARE IN USE.

DURING THE SAME PERIOD, MORE THAN ONE MILLION

SPRINGFIELD MUZZLELOADERS ARE MANUFACTURED.

WHICH RIFLE IS MORE RELIABLE?

WEAPONS EXPERT WOLFGANG STABE WANTS TO SEE

HOW THE REPEATING RIFLE COMPARES TO MUZZLELOADERS.

FOUR EXPERIENCED SHOOTERS ARE COMPETING IN TEAMS OF TWO.

IN TURQUOISE, THE NORTHERN STATES WITH THE HENRY RIFLE.

IN RED, THE SOUTHERN STATES WITH SPRINGFIELD MUSKETS,

THE PREDOMINANT WEAPON IN THE U.S. CIVIL WAR.

HOW MANY TARGETS WILL THE TEAMS

BE ABLE TO HIT IN TWO MINUTES?

SO, EVERYTHING SAFE, WE CAN BEGIN.

THIS IS THE TIMER.

WE'LL START IT IN A MOMENT.

GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT, I'LL DO THE SAME.

WE WANT TO WIN.

LIVE EXPERIMENT, NORTH VERSUS SOUTH.

BOTH GROUPS HAVE TO LOAD THEIR WEAPONS FIRST.

THE NORTHERNERS WITH THE HENRY RIFLES CAN LOAD 10 SHOTS.

THE SOUTHERNERS WITH THE MUZZLELOADERS

CAN LOAD JUST ONE AT A TIME.

TURQUOISE IS IN THE LEAD.

THE REPEATER RIFLE IS FASTER AND THEIR SHOTS

ACTUALLY HIT A COUPLE OF THE TARGETS.

THE SOUTHERNERS IN RED HAVE TO RELOAD AFTER EVERY SHOT,

BUT THEIR MUSKETS ARE MORE ACCURATE.

WHO WILL WIN?

STOP!

Romy: THERE'S SO MUCH SMOKE,

YOU CAN HARDLY SEE ANYTHING, BUT I'M GLAD WE HIT SOMETHING.

THIS IS A PRETTY COOL EXPERIENCE, IT'S GREAT.

Stefan: THE FIRST ONE WENT

RIGHT THROUGH AND HIT ONE OF THE TARGETS.

I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE SECOND BECAUSE, LIKE ROMY JUST SAID,

THERE IS JUST TOO MUCH SMOKE AND YOU CAN'T SEE WELL.

A SOLDIER FIRES A LOT,

BUT DOES HE ACTUALLY HIT SOMETHING?

THE RESULT OF THE RIFLE COMPETITION,

THREE OUT OF FIVE SHOTS FIRED

BY THE MUZZLELOADER GROUP WERE A HIT.

THE HENRY RIFLE SHOOTERS FIRED 25 SHOTS AND HAVE 10 HITS.

WE FIRED A LOT, BUT IF YOU EXTRAPOLATE THAT,

WE ACTUALLY PERFORMED WORSE BECAUSE WE LET OURSELVES

GET CARRIED AWAY AND FIRED QUICKLY INSTEAD OF AIMING WELL.

THE OTHERS TOOK THEIR TIME.

THEY KNEW THEY WERE SLOWER, BUT IN THE END,

IF YOU LOOK AT THE OUTCOME, THEY FIRED BETTER.

BASED ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HITS,

THE HENRY RIFLE PREVAILS OVER THE MUZZLELOADER.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE IS THAT SOLDIERS FEEL CONFIDENT

IN BATTLE WHEN THEY CAN FIRE FASTER AND MORE OFTEN.

Nixon: THE SIDE THAT HAS THE SUPERIOR WEAPONS

WILL HAVE A SENSE OF POWER, THAT WE ARE

THE STRONGER ENEMY AND WE CAN OVERTAKE YOU.

AND THEREFORE, YOU'RE INFERIOR TO US,

SO THEY WILL FEEL CONFIDENT AND POWERFUL,

WHICH WILL MAKE THEM STRONGER AND GIVE THEM

MORE ENTHUSIASM TO BE ABLE TO GO ON AND TAKE THEIR ENEMY.

FOR FOUR YEARS,

THE CIVIL WAR TEARS AMERICA APART.

ROUGHLY 620,000 PEOPLE LOSE THEIR LIVES.

ON JUNE 23RD, 1865, THE LAST

OF THE SOUTHERN TROOPS SURRENDER.

IT'S A DEFINING MOMENT IN U.S. HISTORY.

AFTER THE WAR, REPEATER RIFLES GAIN IN POPULARITY.

AN ADVANCED VERSION OF THEHENRY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

THE WINCHESTER IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE UP

FOR THE DOWNSIDES OF ITS PREDECESSOR.

SO THE SUCCESSOR, LIKE ALL NEW DESIGNS,

THE FIRST MODELS HAVE THEIR FLAWS,

THERE ARE STILL CONSTRUCTION ISSUES,

BUT THEY SOON FOUND OUT THAT SOMETHING

WASN'T RUNNING SMOOTHLY AND QUICKLY MODIFIED IT.

SO THIS IS THE TECHNICAL SUCCESSOR,

THE YANKEE RIFLE, MANUFACTURED BY WINCHESTER IN 1866.

AND THE DIFFERENCES WERE QUITE SIMPLE.

YOU SEE A FRONT STOCK HERE, WHICH PROTECTS ME

FROM THE HEAT OF THE BARREL,

AND OF COURSE YOU SEE THE TUBULAR MAGAZINE.

THEY SOON FOUND OUT THAT THE MAGAZINE WAS EASILY DAMAGED

AND THEN YOU COULDN'T FIRE IT ANYMORE.

IT WASN'T GOOD FOR ANYTHING ANYMORE, SO THEY CHANGED IT.

AND THERE'S ANOTHER NOVELTY, AND THAT IS

THAT YOU CAN LOAD IT FROM HERE, ON THE SIDE.

THAT MEANS IF I TAKE THE WEAPON NOW,

I AM ABLE TO RELOAD IT FROM COVER HERE.

I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THAT OFF,

LIKE THIS, IF I WANT TO RELOAD.

WAY TOO COMPLICATED, THAT MEANS

THIS DESIGN THAT THEY CAME UP WITH IN 1866

WAS TRULY AN INGENIOUS WEAPON.

EVENTUALLY, THE 1873 MODEL WILL BECOME

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL RIFLE OF ITS TIME

AND WILL LATER BE FEATURED IN MANY WESTERN MOVIES.

THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WEAPONS DESIGNER,

OLIVER WINCHESTER, ACTIVELY AIDED IN CREATING THE MYTH.

Lambert: WINCHESTER IS A CANNY OPERATOR,

RATHER LIKE SAMUEL COLT.

HE'S NOT THE ENGINEER, HE'S THE MARKET MAN.

HE INVENTS THE IDEA THAT THIS IS THE GUN THAT WON THE WEST.

HE CREATES A MYTHOLOGY ABOUT THE WINCHESTER

AS SOMETHING SPECIAL, SOMETHING DEFIANTLY AMERICAN,

SOMETHING UNIQUE IN PARTICULAR.

THE HEYDAY OF THE HENRY RIFLE IS SHORT-LIVED.

ONLY 14,000 ARE MADE AS THE MARKET

BECOMES FLOODED WITH SUCCESSOR MODELS.

TODAY, ORIGINAL HENRY RIFLES ARE SOUGHT-AFTER COLLECTIBLES.

WHICH DEADLY INVENTIONS WILL MARK THE WARS OF THE FUTURE?

WITH FIREPOWER NOW OPTIMIZED, IT SEEMS LIKE ROBOTS ARE

ABOUT TO TAKE THE LEAD, AUTONOMOUS BATTLE MACHINES

THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO FIGHT WARS WITHOUT LOSING SOLDIERS.

Lambert: OF COURSE, IN THE FUTURE,

THE GUN MAY BE IN THE HANDS

OF AN AUTONOMOUS ROBOTIC DEVICE,

WHICH WILL MAKE REASONED CHOICES ABOUT WHO TO KILL.

AND EVEN THEN, IT WILL STILL BE

THE HUMAN THAT'S DRIVING THE PROCESS

BECAUSE THE PROGRAM WILL HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY A HUMAN.

WE'RE NOT YET IN A WORLD WHERE MACHINES KILL PEOPLE.

NOT YET, BUT MANY ARMIES

ARE ALREADY EXPERIMENTING WITH AUTONOMOUS MACHINES

FOR TRANSPORTING HEAVY LOADS OR TO CARRY OUT OTHER TASKS.

Lambert: THIS MOVE TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS,

TOWARDS WEAPONS THAT WE CAN FIRE

WITHOUT HAVING TO ACTUALLY GET

PHYSICALLY INVOLVED IN BATTLE, IS INEVITABLE.

WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY SO WE WILL DO THIS.

SCIENCE FICTION ISN'T SCIENCE OR FICTION.

IT'S PROBABLY WHERE WE'RE GOING.

FIRST TESTS HAVE SHOWN THAT MACHINES

ARE ALREADY ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH HUMAN BEINGS

IN MANY SITUATIONS, AND SOMETIMES EVEN OUTDO THEM.

BUT IT'S STILL A HUMAN WHO DICTATES

EVERY ACTION A ROBOT TAKES.

THE ADVANCES IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, HOWEVER,

WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON WARFARE.

WILL LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS BE MADE BY A MICROCHIP?

FROM A TECHNICAL POINT OF VIEW, AUTONOMOUS DRONE SWARMS

WILL SOON BE ABLE TO FIND AND ATTACK

TARGETS WITHOUT HUMAN GUIDANCE.

THE FUTURE HAS ALREADY BEGUN.