Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Wgbh Boston
• VHS Release Date: March 28, 2000
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: 6305371962
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,367 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The tense and enduring standoff between the United States and Iraq in the Persian Gulf is portrayed vividly in this well-produced episode of Nova. Focusing on the naval battle group formed around the aircraft carrier USS Independence, the program shows how U.S. military might is used daily to enforce the "no fly zone" over Iraq as well as the economic sanctions imposed upon Iraq at the end of the Gulf War. Pilots are interviewed about their flights over Iraq, which are considered quite risky due to Iraq's capable batteries of antiaircraft missiles. The video also shows how ships in the battle group intercept smugglers trying to slip through the naval blockage of Iraq. One highlight is footage of a Navy boarding party searching a suspicious ship at night; an infrared camera on a helicopter shot the footage, which looks like something staged for a high-tech adventure film although it's all real. Onboard the U.S. ships, the duties of Naval personnel from the skippers to the landing crews toiling on the carrier decks are examined. The production values of this video are very high and the camera work is excellent throughout. Though the U.S. Navy's mission of patrolling the Persian Gulf might seem to be a tedious exercise, this video shows it to be a fascinating, risky, and highly technical endeavor. --Robert J. McNamara

Product Description

With rare access to American submarines, cruisers, destroyers, helicopters, aircraft carriers and their personnel, NOVA reveals the complex inner workings of American military forces as they prepare to retaliate against Iraq for its recent violation of UN sanctions. Land an FA-18 "Hornet" on the USS Stennis. Pinpoint enemy targets with high-tech weaponry. And discover why, despite our advanced fighting power, American forces could be vulnerable to future attacks in the Persian Gulf.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Battle Alert -A Must see, December 26, 2000

By 

Robert Spalding - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nova: Battle Alert in the Gulf [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Excellent coverage about how the US Navy Battlegroup works. It also goes into the blockade of Iraq in exquisite detail, and the ways in which the armed forces train for battle.