Original subtitles

Narrator: IT CARRIES ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC NAMES IN AVIATION...

BLACK HAWK.

Man: IT DID EVERYTHING WE WANTED IT TO DO.

Narrator: INFAMOUS FOR A TRAGEDY...

Soldier: MEDIC!

Narrator: ...AND REVERED AS A LIFESAVER.

Man: HAD THIS BEEN ANOTHER TYPE OF HELICOPTER,

PROBABLY NONE OF THE CREWS WOULD HAVE SURVIVED.

Narrator: THE UH-60 BLACK HAWK IS ARMY TOUGH.

Woman: IT JUST CAN GIVE YOU EVERYTHING IN THAT SPLIT SECOND

WHEN YOU NEED IT.

Narrator: THIS IS THE INSIDE STORY

OF HOW A MILITARY WORKHORSE GOT OFF THE GROUND

AND SET A NEW STANDARD

FOR GETTING IN...

AND GETTING OUT

THROUGH THE HEAT OF BATTLE.

[GUNFIRE]

2011.

AMERICA'S WAR IN AFGHANISTAN BARRELS INTO ITS 10th YEAR.

ONE OF ITS DEADLIEST PLACES... KUNAR PROVINCE.

U.S. ATTENTION FOCUSES ON ITS REMOTE WATAPUR VALLEY.

Julia Stalker: IT WAS A VERY ACTIVE INSURGENT AREA,

ESPECIALLY WITH IT BEING NEAR THE BORDER OF PAKISTAN.

Narrator: U.S. ARMY STAFF SERGEANT JULIA STALKER

WAS IN KUNAR AS A FLIGHT MEDIC.

Stalker: IT WAS A VERY EASY PLACE FOR THEM TO HIDE OUT

AND OPERATE BECAUSE OF THE TERRAIN.

Narrator: U.S. COMMANDERS HATCH A DANGEROUS PLAN

TO ATTACK THE TALIBAN ON THEIR HOME TURF.

THEY MUST PREPARE FOR U.S. CASUALTIES.

MEDICAL TEAMS READY TWO BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS

FOR AIRLIFTING WOUNDED FROM THE HEAT OF BATTLE.

Stalker: WE WERE GOING TO BE VERY, VERY BUSY.

Narrator: JUNE 25th.

HIGH ON A RIDGELINE

OPERATION HAMMER DOWN OPENS

AND MEETS INTENSE ENEMY FIRE.

[GUNFIRE]

Soldier: GO! COME ON, COME ON, COME ON!

Narrator: TROOPS PUSH TOWARD THE VALLEY BELOW,

BUT TALIBAN BULLETS PIN THEM DOWN.

Soldier: WE GOT DISRUPTED.

WE SET UP A DEFENSIVE POSITION,

AND WE'VE JUST BEEN IN THE DEFENSE.

Narrator: ALREADY, SOLDIERS ARE DOWN

AND IN DESPERATE NEED OF HELP.

THE BLACK HAWKS SWOOP INTO ACTION.

THE BLACK HAWK IS THE GO-TO HELICOPTER

FOR MEDICS ON A MISSION,

AND FOR GOOD REASON.

Stalker: THIS HELICOPTER THAT WE HAVE RIGHT HERE

IS OUR MEDEVAC HELICOPTER.

IT'S AN HH-60, IT'S SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR MEDEVAC MISSIONS.

Narrator: IT FITS UP TO SIX STRETCHERS FOR THE WOUNDED,

TWO CREWMEMBERS, AND LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT,

ALL IN A CABIN OF 88 SQUARE FEET.

Stalker: SO, EVEN WITH OUR SPACE CONSTRAINTS,

I AM ABLE TO PROVIDE CARE,

JUST LIKE ALMOST ANY EMERGENCY ROOM WOULD.

Narrator: MEDEVAC BLACK HAWKS CAN SAVE LIVES...

IF THEY CAN GET TO THE PATIENTS.

IN THE WATAPUR VALLEY,

TWO BLACK HAWKS RACE TOWARDS THE INJURED.

ONE SHOT SOLDIER'S CONDITION IS CRITICAL.

THE LONGER TROOPS STAY PUT WITH THE WOUNDED,

THE BIGGER TARGET THEY ALL BECOME.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

THE TWO HELICOPTERS ARRIVE OVER A HOT BATTLEFIELD.

Stalker: THERE WAS SMALL ARMS FIRE, RPGs.

IT WAS A VERY, VERY ACTIVE BATTLEFIELD.

IT'S A VISION IN MY MIND THAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY.

Narrator: INSURGENTS HIT THE FIRST BLACK HAWK.

THEY SERIOUSLY DAMAGE HYDRAULICS CRITICAL TO FLIGHT PERFORMANCE.

PILOT MUSCLE ALONE ISN'T ENOUGH POWER

TO CONTROL A BLACK HAWK'S MAIN ROTOR OR TAIL ROTOR.

TWO HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS, PLUS A THIRD BACKUP SYSTEM,

RUN FROM NOSE TO TAIL FOR THE HEAVY LIFTING.

HYDRAULIC FLUID FLOWS THROUGH PUMPS, VALVES AND LINES

TO SUPPLY 3,050 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH OF PRESSURE.

IF ONE SYSTEM GOES DOWN, THE BACKUPS KICK IN,

BUT IT'S ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX

FOR A POTENTIALLY LETHAL PROBLEM.

WITH CRUCIAL SYSTEMS GONE,

THE FIRST BLACK HAWK MUST RETURN TO BASE.

STALKER'S MEDEVAC HELICOPTER NOW OPERATES SOLO.

Stalker: WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH MY MIND WAS,

OH, MAN, WE'RE THE ONLY ONES LEFT.

Narrator: STALKER'S CREW MUST GET THE INJURED SOLDIERS

ON BOARD.

BUT GUNFIRE BELOW MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE.

THEY HOVER OUT OF RANGE, AROUND 11,000 FEET,

AND SIT TIGHT.

Stalker: SO WE HAD TO WAIT.

WE BURNED FUEL, AND WE WAITED AND WAITED FOR THAT CALL

THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET IN

AND PULL OUR PATIENTS OUT.

Narrator: THE HIGH ALTITUDE WOULD MAKE THIS WAITING GAME

IMPOSSIBLE FOR MANY HELICOPTERS...

BUT NOT THE BLACK HAWK.

TWO G.E. TURBOSHAFT ENGINES PUT OUT

MORE THAN 1,800 HORSEPOWER EACH.

THEY SPIN FOUR BLADES.

EACH PAIR MEASURES A WHOPPING 54 FEET FROM TIP TO TIP.

THIS POWER KEEPS THE BLACK HAWK FLYING,

EVEN AT DIZZYING HEIGHTS.

THAT'S COMFORT IN THE SKY,

BUT STALKER'S BLACK HAWK NEEDS TO GET ON THE GROUND.

CASUALTIES MOUNT.

Stalker: ALL WE NEEDED WAS ABOUT TWO MINUTES.

WE NEEDED TWO MINUTES OF IT BEING QUIET.

Narrator: IT'S BAD WEATHER,

AND AS DUSK TURNS TO DARKNESS, THE DANGER GROWS.

FINALLY, U.S. ATTACK AIRCRAFT STRIKE.

ENEMY FIRE CONTINUES,

BUT IT'S COVER ENOUGH FOR STALKER'S BLACK HAWK

TO ATTEMPT A SECOND RESCUE.

Stalker: IT WAS A VERY PRECISION LANDING

IN A VERY UNPRECISE PLACE.

Narrator: THEY FIND A NARROW OPENING BETWEEN TREES

ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN

AND HOVER WITH ONE WHEEL ON THE ROOF OF A HOUSE,

JUST LONG ENOUGH TO LOAD A CRITICALLY WOUNDED SOLDIER.

STALKER'S TEAM STABILIZES HIM

AND GETS HIM TO SURGERY IN TIME TO SAVE HIS LIFE.

Stalker: IT IS THE COOLEST AIRCRAFT OUT THERE

FOR THIS PARTICULAR MISSION.

Narrator: STALKER CREDITS THE BLACK HAWK FOR THEIR SUCCESS.

THE ARMY CREDITS HER AND HER CREW.

THEY EACH RECEIVE THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS.

SINCE THE BLACK HAWK WAS INTRODUCED,

BATTLEFIELD SURVIVAL HAS RISEN 75%.

THE ARMY'S SURGEON GENERAL IDENTIFIED THE NEED

FOR SUCH AN AERIAL LIFESAVER IN WORLD WAR II.

IN THE KOREAN WAR,

HELICOPTER EVACUATIONS SAVED SOME 40,000 LIVES.

THEY NOT ONLY SERVED AS AIR AMBULANCES,

THEY DOUBLED AS AERIAL TROOP CARRIERS.

Roger Connor: AIR MOBILITY IS A CONCEPT

THAT COMES OUT OF THE 1950s.

Narrator: ROGER CONNOR IS ROTARY WING CURATOR

AT THE NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM.

Connor: EARLY ON IT WAS CALLED SKY CAVALRY,

AND THE IDEA WAS JUST LIKE THE HORSE TROOPS OF THE OLD WEST,

THE ARMY WAS GOING TO GET OUT THERE AND INTERCEPT THE ENEMY

BEFORE THEY COULD GET INTO THE CITIES AND CAUSE TROUBLE.

AND TO DO THAT, THEY NEEDED THE HELICOPTER INSTEAD OF HORSES.

Narrator: THE NEED FOR HELICOPTER SUPPORT HITS HOME

MORE THAN EVER IN THE VIETNAM WAR.

1971.

AMERICA HAS BEEN CAUGHT UP IN THE BLOODY WAR IN VIETNAM

FOR SEVEN YEARS.

[GUNFIRE]

THE ARMY HAS 165,000 TROOPS ON THE GROUND

AND THE LATEST IN AIR TRANSPORT TO GET THEM AROUND.

THE ARMY'S GO-TO HELICOPTER IS THE BELL UH-1 IROQUOIS,

COMMONLY CALLED THE HUEY.

Connor: THE HUEY HAD A NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES GOING FOR IT.

IT WAS A SIMPLE AIRCRAFT,

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS CHEAP AND EASY TO BUILD.

Narrator: THE HUEY IS FRONT AND CENTER

DURING ALMOST EVERY BATTLE OF THE WAR,

MAKING IT A PRIME TARGET.

Connor: ABOUT 2,500 HUEYS,

OR ABOUT HALF THE TOTAL THAT SERVED IN VIETNAM,

WERE ACTUALLY SHOT DOWN AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.

AND SO IF THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN, ON IMPACT,

IT WAS NOT AS SURVIVABLE AS IT MIGHT BE.

Narrator: THE HUEY'S PERFORMANCE FALLS SHORT IN OTHER WAYS, TOO.

ITS ENGINE CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT.

Connor: VIETNAM WAS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT

FOR HELICOPTERS.

TEMPERATURES WERE VERY HIGH, THE HUMIDITY WAS OFTEN OVER 95%.

TO OPERATE IN THOSE CONDITIONS REALLY REQUIRED AN ENGINE

THAT WAS GOING TO GENERATE A LOT OF EXCESS THRUST

TO CARRY IT THROUGH THAT DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT.

Narrator: AS THE TEMPERATURE GOES UP,

THE HUEY'S ABILITY TO TRANSPORT TROOPS GOES DOWN.

Connor: IF IT WAS HOT AND HUMID,

YOU COULDN'T CARRY AS MANY TROOPS ON AN INDIVIDUAL SORTIE.

SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO FLY MORE RUNS TO BRING MORE TROOPS IN,

AND THAT GREATLY COMPLICATED THE MISSIONS.

Narrator: WITHOUT A WAY TO RAPIDLY MOVE TROOPS,

THE ARMY QUICKLY LOSES GROUND.

Connor: TOWARDS THE END OF THE VIETNAM WAR,

THE ARMY REALIZED THE HUEY WAS NOT GOING TO BE ADEQUATE

FOR ITS NEXT GENERATION OF OPERATIONS.

Narrator: JANUARY 5, 1972.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

THE ARMY ANNOUNCES A COMPETITION...

TO BUILD A NEW GENERATION UTILITY AND MEDEVAC HELICOPTER.

IT NEEDS TO HAVE LONG RANGE ABILITY, LIFT HEAVY CARGO,

CARRY 11 OR MORE FULLY EQUIPPED TROOPS IN THE BACK,

AND SERVE AS AN AERIAL AMBULANCE.

IT MUST BE ABLE TO DO ALL OF THAT IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE,

AND SURVIVE.

THE NEW HELICOPTER WILL EVENTUALLY REPLACE

MORE THAN A THOUSAND HUEYS IN THE ARMY INVENTORY.

Connor: THE LIMITATIONS OF THE HUEY

FORCED THE ARMY TO ISSUE NEW REQUIREMENTS...

ONES THAT WOULD DEAL WITH THE SHORTCOMINGS IN SURVIVABILITY,

WITH THE SHORTCOMINGS IN CABIN SPACE AND PAYLOAD,

AND IN SPEED, AND IN RANGE.

Narrator: THREE WELL-KNOWN NAMES IN AVIATION VIE FOR THE PRIZE...

BELL, BOEING-VERTOL, AND SIKORSKY.

SIKORSKY IS THE LONG SHOT.

Connor: THE U.S. ARMY HAD BEEN BUYING THOUSANDS OF HELICOPTERS

FROM BELL AND FROM BOEING DURING THE VIETNAM WAR,

BUT IT ONLY BOUGHT VERY SMALL NUMBERS FROM SIKORSKY

DURING THAT TIME.

SO MOST OF THE ARMY PROGRAM MANAGERS AT THE PENTAGON

AT THE TIME DID NOT SEE SIKORSKY AS A REALISTIC CONTENDER

FOR THEIR NEW MAJOR COMPETITION.

Narrator: EIGHT MONTHS LATER,

THE ARMY NARROWS THE FIELD TO TWO DESIGNS...

BOEING-VERTOL AND SIKORSKY.

TO DETERMINE THE WINNER, A FLY-OFF.

Connor: THE TWO MAJOR CONTENDERS HAD TO PRODUCE

A PROTOTYPE AIRCRAFT, AND THEY WOULD FLY OFF.

THE AIRCRAFT THAT FLEW BEST

WOULD BE THE ONE THAT USUALLY WON.

Narrator: THIS STRATEGY LEADS TO

A MOST EXTRAORDINARY GAME CHANGER...

A CRASH LANDING LIKE NONE BEFORE IT.

THE ARMY GIVES BOEING-VERTOL AND SIKORSKY

FOUR YEARS FOR EACH OF THEM TO MANUFACTURE A HELICOPTER.

THE BEST ONE WILL WIN A CONTRACT WORTH TENS OF MILLIONS.

Ray Leoni: THE ARMY'S PHILOSOPHY WAS THEY WOULD FUND THE DESIGN

AND DEVELOPMENT OF TWO DIFFERENT HELICOPTERS,

FLY THOSE AGAINST EACH OTHER AND PICK THE WINNER FOR PRODUCTION.

Narrator: RAY LEONI WAS CHIEF OF ADVANCED CONCEPTS

AT SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT.

THEIR NEW HELICOPTER WAS HIS BABY.

Leoni: SIKORSKY SAW IT AS TRULY A MATTER OF SURVIVAL.

WE HAD TO WIN OR WE WERE FACED WITH GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.

Narrator: SIKORSKY IS A COMPANY IN TROUBLE.

THEIR PRODUCTION LINES ONLY OPERATE AT 22% CAPACITY.

THEIR VERY EXISTENCE DEPENDS ON THEM WINNING THE FINAL CONTRACT.

SIKORSKY'S STRATEGY IS TO RIGOROUSLY TEST

EACH INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT FOR SURVIVABILITY

BEFORE THEY ASSEMBLE.

THEY TEST AND IMPROVE, STRAINING PARTS TO THE BREAKING POINT,

AND SHOOTING BULLETS INTO ALMOST EVERY SECTION OF THE AIRFRAME.

BUT HOW WILL IT COMPARE TO ITS COMPETITOR?

MARCH 1976.

BOEING-VERTOL DELIVERS ITS PROTOTYPE, THE YUH-61A.

ITS MODULAR DESIGN MEETS ALL THE ARMY'S REQUIREMENTS,

AND IT HAS A SMALLER ROTOR.

THIS MAY MAKE IT CHEAPER AND MORE VERSATILE IN TIGHT SPACES.

Leoni: WE KNEW THE BOEING-VERTOL MACHINE

WAS SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN OURS,

SO WE WORRIED THAT THEY MAY HAVE A LEG UP ON US.

BUT THERE WAS NO QUESTION IN OUR MINDS

THAT WE DID THE BEST POSSIBLE JOB IN DELIVERING TO THE ARMY

WHAT THEY TRULY WANTED AND NEEDED.

Narrator: FIVE MONTHS LATER, AT FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY,

THE OPERATIONAL STAGE OF THE FLY-OFF BEGINS...

THAT MEANS LIVE CARGO.

Leoni: THE OPERATIONAL TESTING CONSISTED OF

FLYING SIMULATED TROOP ASSAULT MISSIONS GOING DURING THE DAY,

FLYING AT NIGHT.

AND IT WAS TO PUT THE HELICOPTER IN

AS CLOSE TO AN OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AS POSSIBLE,

USING REAL TROOPS, REAL PILOTS,

AND JUST SEEING HOW THE AIRCRAFT BEHAVED.

Narrator: AUGUST 19, 1976.

IN ITS CRITICAL TEST, THE HELICOPTER TAKES OFF,

LOADED WITH 14 ARMY PERSONNEL.

SUDDENLY, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLIGHT,

IT BEGINS TO VIBRATE UNCONTROLLABLY.

Leoni: IT WAS WHAT WAS CALLED A ONCE-PER-REVOLUTION,

ONE-PER-REV VIBRATION, LOW FREQUENCY, BUT VERY STRONG.

THEY FELT THAT SINCE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS CAUSING IT

AND IT SEEMED TO BE GETTING WORSE,

THEY BETTER LAND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Narrator: PILOTS SPOT A CORNFIELD.

IT LOOKS IDEAL FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

BUT IN THE DARK, THEY GET IT WRONG.

Leoni: BETWEEN THE MIST AND THE DARKNESS,

THEY MISTOOK THE PINE TREES FOR CORNSTALKS.

Narrator: THE HELICOPTER CRASHES HARD INTO THE TREES.

ABOARD... TWO PILOTS AND TWELVE SOLDIERS.

Leoni: I ANSWERED THE PHONE,

ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AT HOME,

AND THEY SAID, "ONE OF YOUR HELICOPTERS JUST CRASHED

IN THE WOODS,

AND IT WAS FULL OF ARMY TROOPS."

AND I SAID, "WELL, WHAT WERE THE, WHAT WERE THE INJURIES?

WERE THERE ANY FATALITIES?"

AND THEY SAID, "SORRY, WE CAN'T TELL YOU THAT.

YOU BETTER GET DOWN TO FORT CAMPBELL

JUST AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN."

Narrator: LEONI, RESCUE TEAMS AND ARMY INVESTIGATORS

RACE TO THE SCENE.

IT'S NOT WHAT ANYONE EXPECTED.

Leoni: THERE WERE NO FATALITIES.

IN FACT, THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

Narrator: MORE THAN THAT, THE HELICOPTER SHOWS LITTLE DAMAGE.

Leoni: THERE WERE SOME DENTS AND NICKS AND TEARS ON THE AIRFRAME,

BUT NOTHING SUBSTANTIALLY WRONG.

Narrator: THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION IS AN EASY FIX,

AND THREE DAYS LATER,

THE CRASHED HELICOPTER FLIES OUT OF THE FOREST AND BACK TO BASE.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN ITS DEMISE BECOMES A MOMENT OF TRIUMPH.

Connor: THE AUGUST 1976 CRASH WAS ONE OF THE FEW MOMENTS

IN AVIATION HISTORY WHERE A CRASH HAS BEEN VERY FORTUNATE.

IN THIS CASE, THE CRASH DEMONSTRATED

THE REAL SURVIVABILITY

TO AN EXTENT THAT NO OTHER DEMONSTRATION COULD HAVE DONE.

Narrator: TWO LATER CRASH LANDINGS

PROVE THE POINT EVEN FURTHER.

THIS IS A HUEY, THE HELICOPTER TO BE REPLACED.

AND THIS IS SIKORSKY'S NEW HELICOPTER,

ALSO HITTING TAIL-FIRST.

THE STRENGTH OF THE NEW AIRFRAME IS HARD TO BEAT.

Man: I'M RATHER PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TO YOU

THAT THE ARMY HAS SELECTED SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT

AS THE WINNER OF THE UTTAS COMPETITION.

Narrator: SIKORSKY WINS THE DEAL.

THEY INK A THREE-YEAR

$83.4 MILLION PRODUCTION CONTRACT

TO BUILD 368 HELICOPTERS.

ON HALLOWEEN 1978, THE ARMY GETS A TREAT.

THE FIRST SIKORSKY PRODUCTION MODEL ARRIVES ON ITS DOORSTEP.

THEY UPHOLD A TRADITION OF CHRISTENING THE HELICOPTERS

WITH NATIVE AMERICAN NAMES.

THEY CALL IT THE BLACK HAWK.

THE ARMY IMMEDIATELY STARTS TRANSITIONING HUEY PILOTS

TO FLY THE LATEST IN COMBAT UTILITY HELICOPTERS.

BUT EACH PILOT WONDERS,

WILL THE BLACK HAWK LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS

WHEN IT MATTERS MOST...

IN COMBAT?

OCTOBER 1983.

GRENADA.

A MARXIST POWER STRUGGLE EXPLODES

IN THE TINY CARIBBEAN NATION.

THE UNITED STATES FEARS GRENADA

COULD BECOME A COMMUNIST STRONGHOLD.

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN REACTS WITH FORCE.

Ronald Reagan: EARLY THIS MORNING,

FORCES FROM SIX CARIBBEAN DEMOCRACIES

AND THE UNITED STATES BEGAN A LANDING, OR LANDINGS,

ON THE ISLAND OF GRENADA IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN.

Narrator: IT'S THE FIRST CONFLICT SINCE VIETNAM,

AND THE PRESSURE IS ON FOR A QUICK VICTORY.

TO GET TROOPS THERE FAST,

THE ARMY SELECTS ITS NEWEST AIR ASSET... THE BLACK HAWK.

OCTOBER 25th.

NINE FULLY LOADED BLACK HAWKS TAKE OFF

FROM NEIGHBORING BARBADOS.

COMMANDERS TASK TWO OF THEM WITH A HIGH-LEVEL RESCUE MISSION.

Bob Johnson: THE MISSION WAS TO INSERT 15 NAVY SEALS

TO THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S MANSION AND TO SECURE HIM THERE.

Narrator: MAJOR BOB JOHNSON WAS A COMPANY COMMANDER

AND BLACK HAWK PILOT IN GRENADA.

Johnson: THERE HAD BEEN MURDERS AND KILLINGS,

AND THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND HIS WIFE

WERE PRETTY MUCH TRAPPED IN HIS MANSION.

Narrator: THE AMERICAN ARMY DOESN'T EXPECT MUCH RESISTANCE.

Johnson: WE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WOULD LAY DOWN THEIR ARMS

AND GIVE UP WHEN THEY SAW US COMING.

Narrator: NOT LONG AFTER THE BLACK HAWKS REACH GRENADA,

THEY DISCOVER THEIR INTELLIGENCE IS WRONG.

Johnson: WELL, AS WE FLEW ONTO LANDFALL,

WE STARTED PICKING UP

A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF GROUND FIRE.

[GUNFIRE]

Man on radio: ARE YOU MEETING STIFF RESISTANCE? OVER.

Johnson: WE WERE PRETTY MUCH TAKING IT FROM EVERY DIRECTION

WITH PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THEY HAD.

SO, IT WAS, IT MADE THINGS A LITTLE TENSE.

Narrator: THE BLACK HAWKS MANEUVER THROUGH THE GUNFIRE.

FINALLY THEY ARRIVE OVER THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION.

Johnson: WE KICKED OUT THE FAST ROPES,

AND THE SEALS WENT DOWN THE FAST ROPES.

Narrator: BUT AS THE SEALS UNLOAD, SO DOES THE ENEMY.

Johnson: SOMEBODY OPENED UP ON OUR AIRCRAFT

FROM, FROM DIRECTLY BELOW WITH AN AK-47.

Narrator: A BLAST OF BULLETS HITS THE BLACK HAWK.

BUT WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN FATAL TO ANOTHER HELICOPTER IS NOT HERE.

SEATS MADE FROM BORON CARBIDE ARMOR SAVE THE PILOT.

BUT IT'S NOT OVER.

Johnson: THE AIRCRAFT IS DESIGNED TO SURVIVE

SMALL ARMS FIRE.

IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT CAN'T BE PENETRATED.

Narrator: AS JOHNSON MANEUVERS AWAY,

AN ENEMY FIGHTER HITS HIS TARGET.

Johnson: ONE ROUND CAME UP JUST BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE SEAT,

MY LEG FLEW UP OFF THE FLOOR,

AND IT LOOKED LIKE YOU TOOK A HUNK OF HAMBURGER

ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SOFTBALL, PUT A FIRECRACKER IN IT,

AND SET IT OFF INSIDE THE COCKPIT.

AT THAT POINT I KNEW THAT THINGS WEREN'T GOING REAL WELL.

Narrator: THE BULLETS KEEP FLYING,

BUT SO DOES THE BLACK HAWK.

WHEN ONE OF THE BLACK HAWK'S TWO FUEL TANKS TAKES A HIT,

INSTEAD OF EXPLODING OR LEAKING,

IT EMPLOYS A TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED FOR AIRCRAFT

BEFORE WORLD WAR II.

LAYERS OF RUBBER AND SEALANT COVER THE INSIDE WALL

OF THE BLACK HAWK'S TWO CONNECTING FUEL CELLS.

WHEN BULLETS PIERCE THEM, THE RUBBER INSTANTANEOUSLY RETURNS

TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AND FILLS THE HOLES.

THE BLACK HAWK TAKES THIS TECHNOLOGY

A STEP BEYOND THE TANKS.

IT ALSO HAS SELF-SEALING FITTINGS

THAT CONNECT SELF-SEALING FUEL LINES.

THESE FITTINGS ARE A WORLD FIRST.

JOHNSON DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE FUEL LEAKS.

BUT NOTHING ABOARD WILL PLUG THE HOLE IN HIS LEG.

Johnson: WE HAD BEEN BRIEFED THAT IF ANYBODY

NEEDED MEDICAL EVACUATION THAT THE NAVY WAS IN THE AREA,

THE U.S.S. GUAM WAS AVAILABLE.

SO THE OTHER PILOT DECIDED WE WERE GOING TO FLY TO THE GUAM,

SO THAT'S WHERE WE WENT.

Narrator: THE BEAT UP BLACK HAWK FLIES FAST

TOWARD THE U.S.S. GUAM.

15 MINUTES LATER, IT LANDS ON DECK,

WHERE EMERGENCY CREWS, SEEN HERE, ACT FAST.

BEFORE THE BLACK HAWK,

POST-CRASH FIRES WERE A NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF CREW DEATH...

BUT NO MORE.

Johnson: THEY TOOK ME DOWN TO THE SICK BAY,

PUMPED ME FULL OF MORPHINE, PREPPED ME FOR SURGERY.

Narrator: MAINTAINERS TALLY THE BATTLE DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER.

Johnson: DEPENDING ON HOW YOU COUNT THE BULLET HOLES,

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 42 AND 48 BULLET HOLES IN MY BLACK HAWK.

Narrator: IT'S AN INCREDIBLE TALLY.

THE BLACK HAWK PROVES IT'S A TOUGH BIRD TO KILL IN COMBAT.

IN JUST FOUR DAYS BLACK HAWKS FLY DOZENS OF COMBAT MISSIONS.

THEY WHISK AWAY THE GOVERNOR,

HELP RESCUE MORE THAN 700 AMERICAN CITIZENS,

AND TRANSPORT TROOPS TO SECURE THE ISLAND.

Johnson: AFTER GRENADA, I THINK EVERYONE VIEWED THE BLACK HAWK

AS AN AIRCRAFT THAT GETS TO TAKE

A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PUNISHMENT,

THAT CAN BE COUNTED ON TO GET YOU WHERE YOU'RE GOING

TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR MISSION AND BRING YOU BACK HOME SAFELY.

Narrator: IT'S A BAPTISM OF FIRE AND A SWIFT VICTORY.

BUT A FOUR-DAY INVASION IN THE TROPICS SOUNDS LIKE A VACATION

COMPARED TO WHAT COMES SEVEN YEARS LATER.

FEBRUARY 1991.

IRAQ.

AFTER FIVE WEEKS OF AIR STRIKES,

COALITION FORCES GEAR UP FOR THE NEXT PHASE

OF OPERATION DESERT STORM...

A HARD-HITTING RESPONSE

TO DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN'S INVASION OF KUWAIT.

U.S. GENERAL NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF READIES HIS FORCES

FOR A BOLD MOVE.

James Hill: THE MISSION WAS TO GET AS DEEP INTO IRAQ

AS WE COULD AND AS FAST AS WE COULD

IN ORDER TO BLOCK POSSIBLE REINFORCEMENTS COMING DOWN

FROM THE BAGHDAD AREA INTO THE BATTLE SPACE DOWN NEAR KUWAIT.

Narrator: U.S. ARMY GENERAL JAMES HILL WAS A COMMANDER

DURING OPERATION DESERT STORM.

Hill: IN ORDER TO DO THAT,

YOU HAD TO GET ABOUT 250 MILES INSIDE IRAQ.

Narrator: COMMANDERS NEED U.S. ATTACK HELICOPTERS

TO BLOCK ENEMY MOVEMENT DEEP INSIDE IRAQ,

BUT THERE'S A HITCH.

Hill: IT WAS A REFUELING ISSUE.

YOU NEEDED A GAS STATION HALFWAY BETWEEN

TO REFUEL THE HELICOPTERS.

BECAUSE, SIMPLY PUT,

THE HELICOPTER COULDN'T DO THE OPERATION

WITHOUT THE REFUEL POINT.

SO IT WAS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.

Narrator: THERE ARE NO DESERT GAS STATIONS

TO SERVICE AN AMERICAN INVASION FORCE,

SO MISSION PLANNERS DECIDE TO BUILD ONE

93 MILES BEHIND ENEMY LINES.

THEY CALL IT FORWARD OPERATING BASE COBRA.

Hill: THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF F.O.B. COBRA

WAS TO SEIZE A PIECE OF GROUND,

BRING ABOUT 450,000 GALLONS OF FUEL INTO THE DESERT,

AND PUT IT OUT THERE

SO THAT WE COULD THEN LOGISTICALLY RESUPPLY

THE OTHER ASSETS OF THE DIVISION AS IT HAD TO GO FORWARD

AND OUT INTO, INTO THE BATTLE SPACE.

Narrator: IRAQ HAS THE FOURTH LARGEST ARMY IN THE WORLD.

SNEAKING INTO THE COUNTRY TO BUILD A GAS STATION

WON'T BE EASY.

COMMANDERS CALL ON THE BLACK HAWK.

BUT THE HELICOPTER IS UNPROVEN IN A DESERT ENVIRONMENT.

THE NEW ENEMY... SAND.

Hill: SAND IN GENERAL WAS ALWAYS AN ISSUE,

BECAUSE YOU GET SAND INGESTED INTO THE TURBINE PARTS,

INTO THE ROTOR PARTS.

SAND WAS ALWAYS A MAJOR CONCERN.

Narrator: THE ENTIRE OUTCOME OF DESERT STORM

COULD HINGE ON THIS REFUELING BASE

BEING READY FOR THE INVASION FORCE.

AND IT'S COUNTING ON THE BLACK HAWK TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

FEBRUARY 24, 1991, 7:30 A.M.

TACTICAL ASSEMBLY POINT CAMPBELL, SAUDI ARABIA.

60 TROOP-LADEN BLACK HAWKS FROM THE 101st AIRBORNE DIVISION

TAKE OFF FOR THEIR 93-MILE FLIGHT INTO IRAQ.

IT'S THE FIRST WAVE OF THE LARGEST AIR ASSAULT

IN MILITARY HISTORY.

Hill: WE HAD TO DO THE REFUELING POINT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY,

BECAUSE WE WANTED TO PUT ATTACK ASSETS

VERY QUICKLY OUT BEYOND WHERE WE WERE AT F.O.B. COBRA.

THE BIGGEST THREAT THAT WE FEARED

WAS ENEMY AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS ALONG THE ROUTE.

AND WE'D DONE A LOT OF LOOKING FROM SATELLITES

AND THAT KIND OF STUFF,

BUT YOU NEVER KNOW FOR SURE WHAT'S THERE.

IT IS A BIG PIECE OF DESERT,

AND WE HAD NEVER FLOWN IT THE WHOLE WAY, SO WE DIDN'T KNOW.

SO WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

Narrator: BLACK HAWK PILOTS SPEED ACROSS 90-PLUS MILES

OF DESERT IN 40 MINUTES AT JUST 10 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.

AS THEY PREPARE TO LAND, A SHOCK DISCOVERY.

AN ENTIRE ENEMY BATTALION IS LOCATED

RIGHT WHERE BLACK HAWK PILOTS PLAN TO ESTABLISH

THE CRUCIAL REFUELING BASE.

Hill: 400-PLUS IRAQI SOLDIERS WHO STARTED,

AND THEY WERE IN DUG-IN POSITIONS,

AND THEY STARTED FIRING AT US.

[GUNFIRE]

Narrator: 400 ARMED IRAQI SOLDIERS FIRING

IS TOO MUCH FOR THE AVERAGE BLACK HAWK.

THE HELICOPTERS HAVE DOOR GUNNERS, BUT NOT MUCH MORE.

THE ARMY SENDS IN REINFORCEMENTS.

Hill: WE ROLLED IN SOME AIR FORCE 500-POUND BOMBS

ON THEM, AND WITH THE FIRST OR SECOND BOMB THEY SAID, AH!

WAVED THE WHITE FLAG AND SAID WE'RE OUT, WE QUIT, WE'RE DONE.

Narrator: THE AREA CLEAR, THE BLACK HAWKS SWOOP IN

WITH MORE THAN 500 TROOPS

AND EQUIPMENT TO ESTABLISH THE REFUELING DEPOT.

Hill: ALMOST THE VERY FIRST THING WE PUT ON THE GROUND

WAS A BUNCH OF FUEL PUMPS,

BECAUSE WE KNEW WE HAD TO HAVE GAS PRETTY QUICKLY.

Narrator: WITHIN AN HOUR, THE NEW BASE IS PUMPING GAS.

ATTACK HELICOPTERS CAN NOW REFUEL HERE

AND FLY DEEPER INTO IRAQ.

THE BLACK HAWKS CONTINUE TO HELP BUILD AND SUPPLY THE BASE.

Hill: THE GAS STATION WAS COMPLETED WITHIN 24 HOURS,

WELL WITHIN 24 HOURS.

AND THE BLACK HAWK WAS ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THAT MISSION.

SIMPLY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE WITHOUT THE BLACK HAWK.

Narrator: THE U.S. INVASION FORCE REFUELS AT THIS BASE

AND GOES ON TO POUND THE ENEMY ON THEIR OWN TURF.

100 HOURS LATER, DESERT STORM IS OVER.

George H.W. Bush: KUWAIT IS LIBERATED.

IRAQ'S ARMY IS DEFEATED.

OUR MILITARY OBJECTIVES ARE MET.

Narrator: THE EVER-PRESENT THREAT OF SAND,

THWARTED BY BLACK HAWK GROUND CREWS.

Hill: IT IS NOT AN UNCOMPLICATED PIECE OF MACHINERY,

THE BLACK HAWK.

IT, IT HAS TO BE CARED FOR AND, AND MAINTAINED WELL.

THE DEDICATION OF BOTH THE CREW CHIEFS AND THE SOLDIERS

AND THE MAINTAINERS OF THEM WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE.

Narrator: TO KEEP IT FLYING IN TOP SHAPE,

ARMY MAINTAINERS MUST KNOW THE BLACK HAWK DOWN TO THE BOLTS.

Martin Baltazar: THIS AIRCRAFT IS PROBABLY

ONE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED AIR TROOP TRANSPORT HELICOPTERS

THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS.

JUST OUR PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST ALONE

JUST HAS OVER 100 DIFFERENT THINGS.

POWER-ON CHECKS AS WELL AS MAINTENANCE CHECKS,

AND THAT'S BEFORE YOU START CRANKING THE ENGINES.

IT'S VERY THOROUGH.

Narrator: EVEN IN THE TOUGHEST COMBAT ENVIRONMENTS,

COMMANDERS EXPECT BLACK HAWKS TO BE READY TO GO

AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE.

Baltazar: USUALLY WHEN SAND GETS SUCKED UP INTO THE ENGINES,

IT'LL, IT'LL DEGRADE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ENGINES.

SO IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THOSE ENGINES,

SO YOU HAVE MAX CAPABILITY OF A MISSION.

Hill: THE BLACK HAWK PERFORMANCE IN DESERT STORM

FROM THE COVERING FORCE OPERATION

WHEN WE FIRST GOT THERE UNTIL THE DAY WE, THE WAR ENDED

IS A REMARKABLE STORY.

IT DID EVERYTHING WE WANTED IT TO DO

UNDER SOME INCREDIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

Narrator: THE BLACK HAWK BASKS IN GLOWING REVIEWS

FROM DESERT STORM FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS.

THEN, A TRAGIC MISADVENTURE IT'LL NEVER LIVE DOWN.

1993, SOMALIA.

A TWO-YEAR-LONG CIVIL WAR ESCALATES

IN A NATION SEIZED BY WARLORDS.

SEVERE FAMINE AND VIOLENCE CLAIM THE LIVES OF 500,000

AND DISPLACE 1.5 MILLION MORE.

Reporter: SOMALIS HAVE BEEN CONDEMNED TO WANDER

IN SEARCH OF FOOD FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS,

SOME BECAUSE SUPPLIES SIMPLY RAN OUT.

FRANTIC CROWDS OF PEOPLE

DESPERATE TO GET WHAT LITTLE FOOD IS AVAILABLE.

Narrator: U.N. AND U.S. RELIEF EFFORTS DO LITTLE

TO CURB RAMPANT CORRUPTION AND STARVATION.

Connor: THE RELIEF SUPPLIES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE

GOING TO THE POPULATION

WERE ACTUALLY WINDING UP IN THE HANDS OF THE WARLORDS,

WHO WERE USING THEM TO BUY NARCOTICS AND WEAPONS

AND FUELING THE CIVIL WAR

THAT HAD TOTALLY TORN APART THIS COUNTRY.

Narrator: THE CAPITAL CITY OF MOGADISHU

IS THE CONFLICT'S EPICENTER.

UNRULY GANGS TAKE OVER THE TOWN.

Connor: BY THE SUMMER OF 1993,

THE SITUATION IN MOGADISHU HAD BECOME CRITICAL.

ATTEMPTS TO REIGN IN THE WARLORDS

AND INSTILL A SENSE OF PEACE IN THE CAPITAL

HAD BEGUN TO FALL APART.

Narrator: SOMALIA'S TOP WARLORD BREAKS A CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT.

HIS CLAN STAGES VIOLENT ATTACKS ON U.N. PEACEKEEPERS.

THE U.S. SENDS IN AN ELITE MILITARY GROUP

TO BRING DOWN THOSE RESPONSIBLE.

400 SPECIAL FORCES TROOPS ARRIVE IN SOMALIA.

THEY'RE CALLED TASK FORCE RANGER.

OCTOBER 3rd.

FOUR SPECIAL OPS BLACK HAWKS DEPART FOR MOGADISHU.

ON BOARD... TASK FORCE RANGER COMMANDOS.

THEIR AIM... TO CAPTURE A SOMALI WARLORD'S TOP LIEUTENANTS.

Connor: THE EXPECTATION WAS THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE

A SNATCH-AND-GRAB OPERATION.

THEY WOULD BE IN AND OUT WITHIN A FAIRLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,

BEFORE ANY EFFECTIVE RESPONSE COULD BE GENERATED.

Narrator: THE BLACK HAWK PILOTS FLY TOWARDS

THE HEART OF MOGADISHU.

ALL GOING TO PLAN,

THE MISSION WILL BE OVER AND DONE WITHIN AN HOUR.

Connor: TASK FORCE RANGER THOUGHT

IT HAD THE ELEMENT OF A SURPRISE.

THEY WERE EXPECTING SMALL NUMBERS OF FORCES,

LIGHTLY ARMED.

Narrator: MOMENTS AFTER THE BLACK HAWKS

REACH THEIR TARGET LOCATION, THE MISSION GOES TERRIBLY WRONG.

Connor: AS THE BLACK HAWKS ARRIVED

AND BEGAN FAST ROPING IN THE DELTA FORCE OPERATORS,

ONE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY AN RPG,

WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED SEVERAL BLOCKS NEARBY.

Narrator: THE ATTACK KILLS BOTH PILOTS.

THE TWO CREW CHIEFS AND THE TWO DELTA SNIPERS ON BOARD

LAY INJURED, BUT ALIVE.

Connor: ONCE THE FIRST BLACK HAWK GOES DOWN,

THE MISSION IS TOTALLY CHANGED.

IT BECOMES NOW A SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION.

THIS MEANS THAT INSTEAD OF JUST SNATCHING THE COUPLE LIEUTENANTS

AND GETTING BACK OUT,

THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SEND IN A RESPONSE TEAM ON THE GROUND

TO TRY AND RECOVER THE INJURED PERSONNEL.

Narrator: TWO MORE BLACK HAWKS HOVER NEARBY AND AWAIT ORDERS.

BUT BEFORE THEY KNOW IT, THE SITUATION GETS EVEN WORSE.

ONE BLACK HAWK ALREADY SMOLDERS IN THE STREETS OF MOGADISHU...

TWO DEAD, FOUR INJURED SURVIVORS.

THEN ONE OF THE REMAINING BLACK HAWKS ALSO TAKES A HIT.

Connor: ONE OF THE BLACK HAWKS IS ALSO STRUCK BY AN RPG,

LOSES ITS TAIL RUDDER AND CRASHES INTO THE STREET.

BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS SO SURVIVABLE,

REMARKABLY, SOME OF THE CREW SURVIVED THE IMPACT.

Narrator: NOW, TWO BLACK HAWKS ARE DOWN A MILE APART.

THREE CREW MEMBERS LAY DEAD,

SEVEN OTHERS ARE BADLY WOUNDED AND TRAPPED.

Connor: THEY WERE WOUNDED,

THEY WERE ALONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET,

AND HUNDREDS OF SOMALIS WERE NOW CONVERGING ON THEIR POSITION.

[GUNFIRE]

THE PILOT, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER DURANT,

HAS BROKEN HIS BACK,

AND HE IS ATTEMPTING TO FIGHT OFF,

ALMOST SINGLE HANDEDLY, THIS FORCE.

AND IN A REMARKABLE ACT OF HEROISM,

ONE OF THE MH6 LITTLE BIRDS THAT'S SUPPORTING THE OPERATION

DROPS A DELTA SNIPER TEAM IN THERE.

THESE GUYS KNOW THAT THERE IS ALMOST NO WAY

THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET OUT,

YET THAT THEY GO IN AND ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THE CREW.

Narrator: DELTA SNIPERS GARY GORDON AND RANDY SHUGHART

FIGHT TO PROTECT THE SECOND DOWNED CREW.

Connor: AFTER HOLDING OUT AS LONG AS THEY COULD,

SHUGHART AND GORDON WERE WOUNDED AND THEN KILLED

DEFENDING THE AIRCRAFT.

DURANT HAD ATTEMPTED TO RESIST

AS LONG AS HIS AMMUNITION HELD OUT,

BUT HE, TOO, WAS QUICKLY OVERWHELMED AND TAKEN PRISONER.

Narrator: U.S. FORCES ON THE GROUND FIGHT

TO REACH BOTH THE FALLEN CREWS

AND START A GUN BATTLE WITH SOMALI MOBS

THAT RAGES THROUGH THE NIGHT.

NETWORKS FLASH HORRIFIC IMAGES OF THE AFTERMATH

AROUND THE WORLD.

Larry King: A UNITED STATES HUMANITARIAN MISSION

HAS GONE HORRIBLY WRONG.

12 AMERICAN SERVICEMEN DEAD IN FIGHTING SUNDAY.

SOME OF THEIR BODIES DRAGGED THROUGH THE STREETS.

ONE U.S. HELICOPTER PILOT WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE AND VIDEOTAPED

AS HE LAY BADLY INJURED.

Narrator: FOR THE BLACK HAWK,

IT'S A PUBLIC RELATIONS DISASTER.

AND WORSE, IT'S THE DEADLIEST COMBAT OPERATION FOR THE U.S.

SINCE THE VIETNAM WAR.

AMERICAN FORCES RECOVER THE REMAINING DEAD THREE DAYS LATER.

EIGHT DAYS AFTER THAT, COMMANDERS SECURE THE RELEASE

OF CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER MICHAEL DURANT.

BUT ARMY MORALE HITS A LOW.

Connor: UNFORTUNATELY, THIS EPISODE BECAME KNOWN

AS THE BLACK HAWK DOWN EPISODE.

THIS WAS THE BIGGEST BLACK EYE TO THE AMERICAN MILITARY

SINCE THE FAILED OPERATION TO RESCUE TO THE HOSTAGES

IN IRAN IN 1980.

Narrator: IT'S AN UGLY SCAR ON THE BLACK HAWK NAME.

THE CHANCE TO REBUILD ITS REPUTATION

FINALLY COMES WITH A NEW CONFLICT,

WHERE IT MUST COUNTER A MORE PERVASIVE

AND FAR MORE LETHAL ENEMY.

JANUARY 2007, IRAQ.

168,000 ALLIED TROOPS PATROL THE COUNTRY.

[EXPLOSION]

IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES, OR IEDs,

WREAK LETHAL HAVOC ON U.S. CONVOYS.

THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID THE THREAT IS TO STAY OFF THE ROADS.

ONE MACHINE IN PARTICULAR IS VERY GOOD AT DOING JUST THAT...

THE BLACK HAWK.

Jennifer Johnston: PEOPLE WANTED TO FLY WITH US IN THE BLACK HAWK

BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WAS SAFER TO BE TRANSPORTED IN THE AIR

THAN ON THE GROUND.

Narrator: CAPTAIN JENNIFER JOHNSTON

WAS A BLACK HAWK MISSION LEADER DURING OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.

Johnston: EVERYBODY THAT ASKED FOR A RIDE,

WE TRIED TO GIVE THEM A RIDE.

Narrator: THE TROOPS CATCH ON

THAT THEY ARE SAFER IN AIR TRANSPORT THAN GROUND TRANSPORT.

KEEPING UP WITH DEMAND EXHAUSTS THE PILOTS.

Johnston: WE WENT TO GREAT, GREAT LENGTHS

TO KEEP AS MANY PEOPLE OFF THE ROADS AT THAT TIME AS POSSIBLE,

AND THAT MEANT MORE HOURS FOR OUR PILOTS.

SOMETIMES THEY WERE FLYING 12, 13-HOUR DAYS.

Narrator: DURING OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM,

U.S. BLACK HAWKS LOG HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HOURS

CARRYING PASSENGERS HIGH ABOVE THE IED THREAT.

THE NUMBER OF LIVES SAVED IS TOO MANY TO COUNT.

SINCE ITS DEBUT 35 YEARS AGO, THE BLACK HAWK HAS PLAYED A ROLE

IN NEARLY EVERY AMERICAN CONFLICT.

FOUR OUT OF FIVE U.S. MILITARY BRANCHES

FLY BLACK HAWK VARIATIONS.

Hill: THE ARMY'S EXPECTATION WHEN IT BOUGHT THE BLACK HAWK

IN THE EARLY '80s WAS VERY GREAT.

AND IT'S BEEN MET IN SPADES. PERIOD.

I DON'T THINK WE EVER COULD HAVE ASKED ANYTHING MORE

OF A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE BOUGHT.

Narrator: OTHER COUNTRIES USE THE BLACK HAWK, TOO.

THEY FLY IN EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD,

SERVING MILITARY AND HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS

FROM COLOMBIA TO JAPAN.

Leoni: 30 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD USE BLACK HAWKS

IN THEIR INVENTORY.

SO IT'S BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARILY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.

Narrator: FOR THE U.S., THE BLACK HAWK CONTINUES TO EVOLVE.

SIKORSKY HAS FITTED OUT BLACK HAWKS FOR ATTACK.

SOME MODELS CAN DEPLOY A RETRACTABLE PROBE,

HOOK UP TO A FIXED-WING TANKER, AND REFUEL MID-FLIGHT,

DRAMATICALLY INCREASING THE HELICOPTER'S RANGE

FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS.

AND IN MAY 2011, SPECIAL FORCES RAID THIS COMPOUND

AND KILL OSAMA BIN LADEN.

THEY LEAVE BEHIND CLUES

TO THE FIRST OPERATIONAL STEALTH HELICOPTER.

REPORTS SAY A MODIFIED BLACK HAWK.

Connor: THIS IS GOING TO BE THE MOST SPECIALIZED TOOL

THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TOOLBOX.

THIS IS SOMETHING YOU ARE ONLY GOING TO TAKE OUT

ONCE IN A WHILE UNDER VERY EXTRAORDINARY SCENARIOS.

Narrator: AFTER NUMEROUS UPGRADES,

THE BLACK HAWK STANDS AS ONE OF THE SAFEST HELICOPTERS

IN THE U.S. ARSENAL.

NOW, ENGINEERS WORK TO TAKE PILOTS OUT OF THE EQUATION

ALTOGETHER WITH THE FIRST UNMANNED BLACK HAWK.

Connor: IN FUTURE CONFLICTS,

AUTOMATION WILL PLAY A MUCH GREATER ROLE.

THIS INCLUDES UNMANNED HELICOPTERS,

BUT ALSO HELICOPTERS THAT ARE

WHAT ARE CALLED OPTIONALLY MANNED.

THIS MEANS HELICOPTERS THAT YOU COULD FLY IN WITH A PILOT,

BUT IF THINGS ARE TOO HAZARDOUS, YOU COULD SEND IT IN AS A ROBOT,

JUST SIMPLY BY FLICKING A SWITCH.

Narrator: THE 4,000th BLACK HAWK MODEL

JUST ROLLED OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE,

AND THERE IS NO END IN SIGHT.

THE ARMY EXPECTS THE UH-60 BLACK HAWK TO REMAIN IN SERVICE

FOR DECADES TO COME.

Johnson: EVERY COMBAT OPERATION THAT WE HAVE

YIELDS A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED.

AND IT'S MUCH MORE SURVIVABLE NOW

THAN IT WAS INITIALLY IN 1983,

AND THEY'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AS THEY LEARN.

Narrator: THE BLACK HAWK IS ONE OF

THE HARDEST WORKING HELICOPTERS IN THE U.S. INVENTORY.

MISSION AFTER MISSION,

SOLDIERS AND ENGINEERS HAVE LEARNED FROM TRAGEDIES

AND EXPANDED ITS CAPABILITIES.

DARING, POWERFUL, SHOCKINGLY RESILIENT.

THE UH-60 BLACK HAWK IS THE BEST IN ITS CLASS,

GETTING AMERICA INTO AND OUT OF THE FIGHT,

SAVING TIME AND LIVES.