Episode #1.11

The AMPHIBIOUS ARMOURED VEHICLE: In June 2007, a squadron of Vikings filled with British Marine Commandos were returning to base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan when they suddenly found themselves under heavy fire. They had driven into a massive Taliban ambush – and their only hope was the Viking. When a steel plated hull is fitted with controls on the inside and tracks on the outside, it’ll become the Viking BVS10 –an armoured amphibious personnel carrier that can get troops in and out of any combat zone, even if it has to go through snow, sand, or water to get there. The Viking’s unique design allows this 1-and-a-half ton vehicle to glide through the water instead of sinking like a stone. And it can keep up to a dozen passengers protected. Even under fire.The BOMB ROBOT: In the manhunt following the Boston Bombing - when the killer was finally found, it was a robot which pulled back the canvas tarp to find him hiding in the bottom of a boat. After a piece of aluminum is welded and wired, it will become a robotic arm that can punch through walls, look for suspicious objects, and carry deadly explosives safely beyond the blast zone. Employed by military and police security forces, the robot can go where people shouldn’t: to seek out and extract explosive devices for safe detonation.The LIFE RAFT: In October of 2011 a search and rescue team of three was parachuted into arctic waters to rescue men trapped in the ice. When their plane had to return to a base on account of weather, the rescue team became the victims. After 5 hours in the icy water, 2 out of 3 survived because of their personal life rafts. It takes days for rolls of watertight fabric to be cut, sewn, and fused together to make a life raft. The single person life raft is designed to be stowed in the cockpit of fighter planes. If the pilot ejects over open water, the life raft goes with him. And in the event of an emergency bail out, it’ll be ready to deploy in 7 seconds flat. 7 se