Top Tens

From WWII to today, fighter aircraft have dominated the battlefield from the skies. In this episode, we assess the dominance of each aircraft and determine the most feared fighters ever flown.

From the sea-going behemoth the Bismarck to the brand-new stealth corvette HMS Visby, each of these warships that have helped shape military history is scrutinized and ranked.

Our panel of strategic bombing experts examines British, German, Soviet, and American designs and ranks them according to technical innovation, payload and, above all, combat performance.

Whether patiently stalking their prey in two World Wars or carrying devastating nuclear missiles as a deterrent in the Cold War, submarines have played an often unseen but crucial role in the conflicts of the 20th century. But who's the best of the best? Find out which of these hunters of the deep is the most sophisticated and powerful of them all.

Despite only 60 years of service, helicopters have revolutionized modern warfare with their exceptional versatility and maneuverability. From their first appearance in World War II, through the Vietnam War and to the modern day, helicopters have helped to transform the battlefield. Find out which one - the legendary Huey, the powerful Cobra, the mighty Apache or the ubiquitous Black Hawk - takes the top honor.

During the last century, whilst tanks slugged it out from a distance, the armored infantry fighting vehicles were the ones that delivered the troops to the center of the combat zone, and helped to win the battle. Is the fully armed modern "infantry fighting vehicle" better for the job than older armored personnel carriers? Experts compare innovation, protection, mobility and overall performance of American, British, Soviet, Canadian and Israeli designs.

The infantryman's closest companion since the American Civil War, the combat rifle is still the primary armament of the 21st century army. From the bloody trenches of the first World War to today's fast-moving urban warfare, TOP TEN looks at some of the most battle-hardened and reliable weapons ever made.

Count down of the most influential machine guns.

Top Ten ranks materials and technologies that have changed fighting.

Ranking the top ten covert gear that has helped the Special Operations Forces accomplish their missions.