Smithsonian Channel Launches New Series Exploring Powerful Fleet of U.S. Navy In CARRIERS AT WAR

Today's U.S. Navy faces very different challenges than its Cold War era counterpart. Conflicts are smaller and more regional. Terrorism impacts not only our allies' sovereignty, but also the security of the United States. A new four-part series offers unique access to America's elite fleet of mighty aircraft carriers as they engage in real-world action - giving viewers an intimate look at how the U.S. Navy maintains, operates and deploys to troubled spots around the globe. The series also unveils the newest generation of American supercarrier, designed to revolutionize naval warfare. CARRIERS AT WAR premieres Sunday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel as a part of its Memorial Day programming.

CARRIERS AT WAR journeys aboard today's carriers - some of the world's most powerful and the most technologically sophisticated in military history. Granted exclusive access by the U.S. Navy, the series embeds with the nuclear-powered USS George H.W. Bush as it travels into the Arabian Gulf during combat operations to help Iraqi ground troops defeat ISIS. The series also features the first-ever in-depth look at the construction and launch of the Navy's latest generation of carriers - the multibillion-dollar, highly advanced and controversial supercarrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. Viewers join air wing strike force pilots in the cockpit during real-life missions and learn about life aboard the giant vessels -four-and-a-half acres of sovereign and mobile American territory that can bring lethal power and the hard arm of American diplomacy to conflict zones around the world.

The series pulls back the curtain on these floating metal cities at sea - standing 20 stories high and running more than three football fields long. All on board are focused on the same goal: to safely and successfully launch and land its 70 aircraft - the F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornet jets dedicated to electronic attack, and the helicopters and cargo planes. CARRIERS AT WAR features special access from the United States Navy to the carriers currently on the frontlines, as well as candid firsthand interviews with active duty admirals, fighter pilots, air wing bosses, commander master chiefs, petty officers and a range of other personnel serving aboard several deployed vessels. The series combines archival footage with aerial footage and combat missions filmed firsthand to give a comprehensive look at the role of American naval power over the years, now, and in the future.

The series premiere, STRIKE FORCE ARABIAN GULF, showcases the role the U.S. Navy plays in maintaining stability in the Middle East region. Aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, cameras capture the crew as they prepare for action and fulfill the Navy's mission statement: to deter aggression and maintain freedom of the seas. The USS Bush travels through the DANGEROUS WATERS of the Suez Canal and prepares to launch airborne attacks against ISIS in Iraq. The flight deck is such a chaotic place that one petty officer likens it to "playing dodgeball with 60,000-pound jets." When the pilots return, tired and sore from a mission, they must land on a deck that heaves and sways with the sea. STRIKE FORCE ARABIAN GULF shows the incredible focus of the air wing and all aboard, working like a well-oiled unit to achieve the mission - and some tense moments with equipment during the landing as the

team returns.

Subsequent episodes of CARRIERS AT WAR are:

READY TO LAUNCH

Premieres Sunday, May 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

READY TO LAUNCH provides a comprehensive portrait of the crew members of the USS George H.W. Bush to capture what it takes to successfully operate an aircraft carrier at sea, from feeding the crew of 5,000 men and women on board to delivering supplies to keep the warship running. Smithsonian Channel also explores the roles on the ever-busy flight deck.

AIR WING

Premieres Sunday, June 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

AIR WING dives in on the action-packed role that an aircraft carrier's air wing plays, profiling several pilots of F/A-18/E Super Hornets and their missions. Cameras follow pilots from the USS HARRY S. Truman as they destroy ISIS targets in Iraq, dropping the most bombs ever in a single deployment. The episode further explores the future of the carrier air wing, and how it may evolve to ensure that U.S. aircraft carriers will maintain a presence of strength and a mission of goodwill throughout all waters of the Earth.

USS FORD

Premieres Sunday, June 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Thirteen years and a cast of thousands went into the making of the new $14 billion

USS Gerald R. Ford - the ultimate evolution of naval technology. The newest, most

advanced warship in the United States Navy, it is the first new aircraft carrier designed since the USS Nimitz in 1968, and only the fourth class in aircraft carrier history. With rare access granted by the U.S. Navy, Smithsonian Channel follows every moment of construction. Much of its material and technology has never before been seen, including the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), which the Navy has been developing, and the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG).

AT WAR is produced by Red Rock Films and Smithsonian Channel. Executive Producers for Red Rock Films are Brian Armstrong and Shannon Malone. Executive Producers for Smithsonian Channel are Tim Evans and David Royle.

About Smithsonian Channel

Smithsonian Channel™, owned by Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, is where CURIOSITY lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing entertainment across multiple platforms. Smithsonian Channel combines the storytelling prowess of SHOWTIME® with the unmatched resources and rich traditions of the Smithsonian, to create award-winning programming that shines new light on popular genres such as air and space, history, science, nature, and pop culture. Among the network's offerings are series including Aerial America, America in Color, First Ladies Revealed, Polar Bear Town, The Lost Tapes, Amazing Monkeys, America's Secret Space Heroes, Mighty Ships, Mighty Planes and Air Disasters, as well as critically-acclaimed specials that include Titanic's Fatal Fire, The Obama Years: The Power of Words, Nightmare on Everest, Diana and the Paparazzi, Diana: The Day We Said Goodbye and Flying High with Phil Keoghan. Smithsonian Networks also operates Smithsonian Earth™, through SN Digital LLC., a new subscription video streaming service delivering spectacular original nature and wildlife content. To learn more, go to www.smithsonianchannel.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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