Futuristic Military Vehicles And Their State-Of-The-Art Gadgets And Gizmos

Here we have something that looks like it’s come straight from a sci-fi movie. Designed by Boeing with input from NASA, this unmanned, remotely controlled aircraft was made to demonstrate how very high speeds could be used in a military context. In tests, it has apparently reached speeds of up to around 3,800mph. Good job it doesn’t need a pilot!

And the developers reportedly hope to increase the aircraft’s speed to something like 5,400mph as the project matures. So far, there have been various test flights with an especially successful one in 2016. After that, Charlie Brink of the Air Force Research Laboratory told website FlightGlobal, “I believe all we have learned from the X-51A Waverider will serve as the bedrock for future hypersonics research and ultimately the practical application of hypersonic flight.”

With its sleekly armored hull, the PL-01 stealth tank has the look of a thoroughly modern — and daunting — battle machine. But the vehicle is much more than just a looker. It’s encased in a hi-tech shell made from a composite material: ceramic-aramid. That’s tough enough to withstand the force of a 40mm armor-piercing round or even the impact of a 20-pound charge of TNT. And the stealth features such as thermal camouflage give it extra protection.

The three-strong crew sits in the safety of the main hull with the turret remotely controlled. And there’s space for four more people by the tank’s rear entrance. The vehicle packs an impressive punch with its 120-millimeter cannon, and it can apparently also carry a grenade launcher or heavy machine gun.

This extraordinary four-legged beast is basically a robot and can move at speeds of around 20mph across a variety of landscapes. The machine has two modes of movement: bounding or galloping. Hi-tech robotics company Boston Dynamics is behind this modern-day mule, which is designed to carry the loads of soldiers on the ground.

WildCat is a successor to an earlier Boston Dynamics robot called Big Dog. That machine could transport 400 pounds’ worth of stuff, and the WildCat will be looking to achieve similar amounts. But the experts behind WildCat hope to refine their pet robot even further, expecting it to reach speeds as high as 50mph one day.

The Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) is a U.S. Navy-sponsored program aimed at developing unmanned aircraft that take off from ships and are capable of both surveillance and strike missions. It’s probably not a coincidence that a tern happens to be a type of seabird known for its free-flowing, acrobatic flight. The beauty of the Navy’s TERN is that it can launch vertically, is remotely controlled, and can return to its host vessel.

Once airborne, this drone swivels 90 degrees on its axis, and the propellers then act like those on a conventional plane. The TERN developers apparently plan to give their drone a minimum 600-mile range and the ability to carry 500 pounds in weight.

“The U.S. Navy’s newest warship, USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) is the largest and most technologically advanced surface combatant in the world,” the Navy magazine All Hands once declared. And it’s pretty hard to argue with that! Handed over to the military in April 2020, it’s the first of the new Zumwalt class of warships to take to the seas. How is it advanced? Well, for starters, its strikingly modern streamlined hull is sure to turn heads.

Sure, that sleek hull is designed to cut its way through the stormiest of seas. But the vessel’s profile also means it will be very hard for enemy forces to detect its location. That’s because its radar cross-section is almost the same as a regular fishing boat. Pretty smart, right? The USS Zumwalt’s role is defined as a “ship killer,” and it will be armed with SM-6 and Maritime Strike Tomahawk missiles.

BAE Systems — the company behind the CV90120 Ghost Tank — summarizes the machine’s capabilities in three words: “Strong, agile, lethal.” And that sounds about right. After all, the vehicle has a fearsome attack ability with a 120-mm cannon, which can supposedly fire up to 14 rounds a minute. It also boasts an array of hi-tech systems that can protect the tank from would-be attackers.

The Ghost Tank has what BAE Systems calls a “Defensive Aid Suite.” This consists of various sensors, including radar and lasers, that warn of incoming fire. The vehicle also has a special skin that masks its thermal signature — making it almost impossible to detect. Hence the name Ghost Tank. Finding an actual ghost might in fact be easier!

The Guardium UGV — unmanned ground vehicle — has one main purpose: surveillance and defense of sensitive boundaries. Unlike human guards, it never gets cold, doesn’t mind the rain, and will not drop off to sleep in the small hours. Whether it’s a border, the perimeter fence of a sensitive industrial plant, or an army base, the Guardium can reportedly offer 24/7 security.

This remotely controlled vehicle can be customized with cameras and microphones. And it can even be armed with a remotely controlled weapons system. The Guardium has other ways for frightening off intruders, too, as it can be equipped with a loudspeaker. Imagine if this started shouting at you in the dead of the night. Scary! Plus, it can travel at up to 50mph and can be loaded with 650 pounds’ worth of stuff.

We’re quite used to autonomous planes and ground vehicles, but how about a full-size remotely controlled ship? That’s something just a little bit different, and it’s exactly what the folks at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have developed. The Sea Hunter is an unmanned vessel with submarine-tracking abilities that can travel across the waves for long periods of time.

From the point of view of the U.S. Navy — not to mention America’s taxpayers — the Sea Hunter has one standout advantage over conventional warships: cost. An everyday destroyer — with all its crew — burns through around $700,000 each day, according to the Naval Technology website. But the 132-foot Sea Hunter, on the other hand, has a daily maximum running cost of around $20,000. Rather than deploy a handful of expensive vessels, then, the Navy could instead send out large fleets of these considerably cheaper ships.

Though only a 3D model (for now), this armored vehicle incorporates many of the most popular trends in military technology. Its sleek, aerodynamic shape and the side-mounted guns are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this tank’s potential...

The U.S. Army is already rolling out tanks that are several tons lighter than older models, though with superior shielding, firepower, and electronic sensor systems. It’s true that armor isn’t a vital aspect of all modern warfare, but tanks are still unmatched when it comes to ground fighting and countering artillery.

The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is the ultimate in hi-tech long-range bomber. Its sci-fi design — with the wings and fuselage forming a single profile — isn’t a product of the Northrop Grumman designer’s Star Wars fandom. It’s actually the optimum physical outline to confuse those manning enemy radars. And when you’re flying deep into hostile airspace, that’s a highly desirable quality.

The plane will be able to deliver conventional bombs or — and let’s hope it never happens — nuclear warheads. Northrop Grumman is building the aircraft in a highly protected location in Palmdale, California, and we can hope to see a maiden flight sometime in late 2022. All of this hi-tech equipment doesn’t come cheap, though. Each plane will cost an estimated $654 million, and the U.S Air Force is supposedly planning to have at least an 80-strong fleet. Yikes!

Take two commonplace words — robot and battle — mash them together, and what do you get? That’s right: RoBattle. This remotely controlled, unmanned ground vehicle can be used for a variety of military purposes. It runs on six wheels, and each one has its own suspension, meaning it can maneuver over the roughest of terrains.

RoBattle’s modular design makes it highly versatile and easily suited to different missions. It can operate as a solo reconnaissance and attack vehicle, for instance, or act in a support role for ground troops. The machine can carry weapons systems, navigation, and mapping equipment. It also has a range of intelligent sensors. So when there’s a dangerous mission, RoBattle can take the risks instead of humans.

Unlike much modern hi-tech kit, the BQM-167A Air Force Subscale Aerial Target (AFSAT) is not a machine intended for reconnaissance or attack missions in a battle theater. In fact, its purpose is to be tracked and virtually destroyed. It’s a missile system used to train U.S. Air Force combat pilots in the essential art of destroying enemy ordnance in the air. After an exercise, the AFSAT is then retrieved for re-use.

The 20-foot winged missile can travel at speeds of just under 700mph at an altitude of up to 50,000 feet. It can also skim along at heights of as low as 50 feet. Those operational characteristics make it a true test of a pilot’s skill and reflexes in reacting to enemy attacks. If you can consistently counter these AFSATs in training exercises, you should have a good chance of surviving a real-life missile attack on your plane.

The Ripsaw MS1 is far from any old tank. For a start, it needs no crew — it’s a remotely controlled vehicle that can pretty much do everything that a human-occupied tank can. Well, it probably can’t make a decent cup of coffee. But it sure can fight on the battlefield, making casualties only a problem for the other side.

The men who came up with this highly mobile, lightweight, and autonomous vehicle are twin brothers Geoffrey and Michael Howe of North Brunswick, Maine. The tracked Ripsaw can quickly scoot over most terrains. The vehicle is apparently capable of going from zero to 50 miles per hour in just 4 seconds. The Howes came up with their innovative tank after studying the way Monster Trucks and NASCAR sports cars are put together using lightweight tubular technology.

The General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle is an unmanned aircraft system — what we mere mortals outside of the military call a drone. But it bears little resemblance to the type of remotely controlled gizmo that you can fly in your backyard. This 28-foot-long lethal weapon has a range of nearly 2,900 miles. And it can also apparently fly as a hi-tech reconnaissance machine.

The Gray Eagle is much more than just a drone. It’s deployed in a pack of four with two ground control stations and an array of other technology operated by as many as 128 military personnel. That makes this one of the most advanced systems in the world. And with its ability to hold four Hellfire missiles, it’s also one of the most deadly.

A partnership between Swiss company UMS Aero Group and Swedish outfit SAAB is behind the SKELDAR V-200 unmanned aerial vehicle. It’s an unusual beast in that it comes in the shape of a miniaturized helicopter — just 13 feet long and a little over 4 feet tall. The remote-controlled plane can also stay in the air for as long as five hours.

With its limited footprint, this craft is ideally suited for launch from a ship, but it can also be used in land-based operations, too. The principal purpose of the SKELDAR drone is intelligence gathering. And as well as reconnaissance, the drone’s array of sensors can provide invaluable information for targeting enemy forces.

American company Lockheed Martin is developing this aerodynamically advanced hypersonic aircraft for the U.S. military. According to Airforce Technology, this twin-engined, 60-foot plane will be capable of flying at speeds of up to Mach 6. That’s around a staggering 4,600mph! The SR-72 will take on a surveillance and intelligence gathering role, but it will also have attack abilities, too. In other words, it will be a hi-tech spy plane with a potential sting in the tail.

The SR-72 is being designed to be both piloted and pilot-free, so it will have an autonomous, remotely controlled capability. This aircraft, it’s claimed, will be able to reach any country within 60 minutes. The SR-72 is currently slated to take to the air in 2023, although it will probably be several more years before it’s fully operational.

The Cormorant VTOL is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed and built by Urban Aeronautics for the Israeli Defense Forces. The nearly 18-foot long aircraft is propelled by two ducted fans at the back and has vertical takeoff and landing ability. Apparently, the aim is to create a piloted as well as an autonomous version.

The craft’s maneuverability and small launch and landing footprint will make it highly useful in urban warfare situations. In operation, the Cormorant will be able to carry a load of over 1,000 pounds — a handful of people or cargo perhaps. The aircraft can also play a key role as a medevac vehicle — especially for casualties caught in tight spots where traditional helicopters cannot land.

On its website, Croatian-based DOK-ING — the company that makes this remotely controlled vehicle — proclaims, “Don’t send a man to do a machine’s job.” And it’s difficult to argue with that. Dealing with unexploded weaponry — whether it’s a roadside booby trap, a bomb that’s failed to go off, or a landmine — is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

So, if there’s a machine capable of doing it, that’s got to be the better option. And there is! It’s the DOK-ING MV-4 mine-clearance drone. This unmanned ground vehicle can be fitted with a variety of tools to detonate unexploded artillery. Chain flails, rollers, a blade, or a gripper can all be attached to the front of the armored vehicle depending on the particular mission. And the human operator can maneuver it from a comfortingly safe distance.

The Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System (MAARS) is a cute critter. It’s basically a remote-controlled vehicle that can maneuver its way into tight corners. The little tracked machine is ideal when a soldier wants to explore some unknown terrain without exposing himself to enemy fire. The onboard camera can show exactly what’s going on behind that wall, and who’s hiding there.

As well as providing in-the-moment intelligence, the MAARS can attack with both its light machine gun and its four grenade launchers. It’s an altogether dangerous little package, to put it mildly. Word has it that the U.S. Marines are interested in this clever robot vehicle. And it’s easy to see how it could be a real boon in combat situations.

Despite its lethal capability, the DOGO Robot may be the cutest military vehicle ever developed. It’s a tiny little remotely controlled gizmo that runs on tracks and looks a bit like something a kid might zoom around a backyard. But what makes it stand out is the fact that it can be armed with a semi-automatic 9-millimeter Glock.

General Robotics is the developer behind this clever machine that weighs in at just over 20 pounds. It’s ideal for dealing with terrorists or house-to-house combat operations. If you’re of a mind to talk to, say, a hostage-taker, the DOGO has two-way audio capabilities. And you’ll also be able to see your enemy thanks to the robot’s cameras. Plus, this diminutive gadget can even navigate stairs.

The Northrop Grumman Fire Scout is a full-sized remote-controlled helicopter. It has a somewhat sinister look because where you’d expect to see the pilot’s windshield, there’s just a non-transparent nose. But that’s because the pilot is not in the aircraft but instead directing its flight from a station on the ground.

There’s more than one model of this clever craft, too. The MQ-8B has already proved its worth in operations in Afghanistan. There it was deployed to help counter roadside bombs and booby traps while minimizing the risk to people. It has also been tested with onboard weapons systems. The larger MQ-8C — inspired by the Bell 407 helicopter — is the next stage of development, and its greater size takes its abilities to another level.

But being state-of-the-art isn’t a guarantee of success. A case in point: March 27, 1999. Lieutenant Colonel Dale Zelko was in the air manning the F-117 — the United States Air Force’s “invisible” jet. Zelko and his incredible craft were a crucial part of a series of airstrikes meant to end the conflict between Kosovo’s Serb and ethnic Albanian populations. Everything was going as planned — until the airman got a sudden shock.

Something had a lock on his jet... and it was coming in hot. This was not meant to happen. The stealth fighter was supposed to be invisible! But there was no time to analyze that then: the American pilot was locked in a fight for his life — and he didn’t even know who or what had targeted him...

Zelko could be forgiven for being more than a little confused. After all, everything from the United States Air Force (USAF) plane’s angular shape to its built-in features was deliberately designed to deflect radar detection. Yet, as it transpired, Zelko’s craft wouldn’t be able to zip unseen across Serbian skies that night. But how could this be?

Well, unbeknownst to the American, the untraceable F-117 had one vulnerability that nobody had planned for. The U.S. had even long fought to ensure that nothing like this would be remotely possible. So it’s safe to say that everybody’s worst nightmare was about to take place... And it became one of the most unbelievable stories of Operation Allied Force.

The F-117 was one of the cornerstones of Operation Allied Force for good reason, too. The craft – also known as the Nighthawk – started life as a commission from the USAF. The organization was looking to add a stealth aircraft to its hangar – and this was no easy task. So it contacted the Lockheed Corporation (these days under the umbrella of the Lockheed Martin Corporation) to get the job done.

It’s important to understand that this was a revolutionary idea at the time. In fact, the F-117 commission was the very first of its kind upon delivery in 1982. What was the USAF looking for that was so unique? Well, it specifically envisioned an aircraft with the ability to fly without being spotted on radar. So the brains at Lockheed began to design a prototype with this feature at its center.

Although it’s unclear precisely when Lockheed embarked on the monumental task of designing the F-117, the first record of the military’s desire for such a stealth aircraft appeared in 1974. This was when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense, described exactly the type of plane that the F-117 would become.

Now, for the aircraft to avoid radar detection, it would have to meet a very specific set of criteria. For starters, the engineers had to come up with a plane that would give off very little light, infrared or radio energy. Why? Because these frequencies would otherwise show up on radar – and give away the position of the stealth jet.

Turning a hypothetical boffins’ wish-list of attributes into something as tangible as the F-117 was easier said than done, though. And the development process saw multiple Lockheed prototypes plummet to the ground. But the firm eventually designed something that worked as envisioned, and in 1982 it handed this craft to the USAF.

The completed F-117 has a unique design, with each element serving to help the plane fly undetected by radar. Firstly, the stealth aircraft has a triangular shape, with wings that pivot away from the nose at a sharp 67 degrees. Its flat exterior has an important purpose too: it can deflect radar waves sent its way.

The shape of the F-117 is only one of the radar-avoiding techniques built into the aircraft, though. Also present are a pair of General Electric turbofan engines, which power the jet free from afterburners. And this means that the engines fire the aircraft to subsonic speeds without many infrared emissions.

Meanwhile, inside the F-117, pilots can fly with infrared sensors, digital maps, inertial guidance and satellite-sent radio signals. These navigational tools replaced conventional internal radar systems – preventing the aircraft from appearing on other radar detectors. And arguably even cooler, the designers brushed the outside of the stealth jet with a layer that can deflect detection as well.

Finally, the F-117 avoids detection because it doesn’t hold any of its munitions externally. The plane does have a few pieces of weaponry on board, mind you – such as radar- or infrared-seeking missiles and bombs deployed with laser guidance. But it keeps these cards close to its chest, so to speak. And all of these design features combined to make a craft that was as close to invisible as possible – or so they thought.

Yet the jet was secretive in more ways than one. It was, after all, a commission carried out by the Advanced Development Projects of Lockheed – which had also been responsible for ultra-secret craft such as the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. The USAF didn’t even admit that the F-117 was part of its arsenal until 1988 – six years after Lockheed had delivered the first completed aircraft.

Within two years of this official acknowledgment, though, the USAF had 59 F-117s in its fleet. The jets – which could manage cargo of 5,000 pounds and fly at speeds of up to 684 mph – played a large part in the military conflicts of their time, too. In the first Gulf War and the invasion of Panama, for instance, the craft earned a reputation for striking with near-surgical accuracy. This would come in handy for Operation Allied Force.

In an Air Force press release, one-time F-117 maintainer Yancy Mailes lauded the plane’s uncanny ability to drop guided bombs exactly where they were intended to land. The expert explained, “It was the marriage of the GBU-27 to the F-117 that had a laser designator in its nose that made it such a precise, deadly platform.”

Mailes also recalled the pivotal role that the F-117’s precision had played in the first Gulf War conflict – particularly its second stage, which raged from mid-January through February 1991. The maintainer said, “It was best demonstrated during Operation Desert Storm when pilots snuck into Iraq and dropped weapons down the elevator shaft of a central communications building.”

Still, the F-117 – like all technology – was eventually phased out of service. The USAF retired the craft on April 22, 2008, after it had spent a quarter-century flying stealth for the military. Yet not all of the 59 aircraft made it back home safely. Yes, as it panned out, one of the famous radar-deflecting Nighthawks was gunned down in the line of duty.

That particular F-117 made up part of the American fleet in Operation Allied Force. This offensive was the 1990 NATO-backed bombings of what was then still the state of Yugoslavia. The conflict arose in the country’s autonomous region of Kosovo – where Albanian-speaking Muslims made up the majority of the population. The problem was that the region’s ethnic Serbs reportedly felt disparaged and scared living in territory that they regarded as their home.

It seems that the situation became even tenser when Serbian socialist Slobodan Milošević entered the political landscape in the 1980s. In 1987, for instance, he promised Kosovo’s Serbian population – following their clashes with Albanian police – that no one would be able to physically oppress them any further. And he later took control over Kosovo and removed Albanian officers from patrol.

But Milošević’s actions against Kosovo-based Albanians didn’t stop there. Under Milošević’s presidency, the government removed television channels, radio stations and newspapers in the Albanian language. Many Kosovar Albanians lost their jobs in the public sector, too, including in hospitals, banks and schools. Teachers of this ethnic background were barred from going into their classrooms in 1991, leaving their Albanian-speaking students to learn remotely.

All of this pushed the ethnic Albanian population to do something. So they banded together in 1991 to form the Kosovo Liberation Army – also known as the KLA. And, in the summer of 1998, this group took deadly action. The KLA assassinated Kosovo-based Serbian police officers and killed civilians. This in turn sparked a reaction from the Serbian-led authorities, who entered Albanian settlements in combat vehicles and burned homes – giving the people who lived there no choice but to flee.

Things got worse in January 1999 after the KLA took out four more Serbs. That’s when government forces encircled the village of Račak and massacred 45 ethnic Albanians, including a child. At this point, the international media began to focus upon the growing violence in the region – and NATO did too.

NATO even moved without the green light from the United Nations. What did it do? Well, it gave Milošević the option of allowing peacekeepers and refugees into Kosovo and removing the Serbs. But the Yugoslav leader refused the deal – and NATO forces prepared for Operation Allied Force. The military alliance’s planes took off on March 24, 1999, with missiles ready to fire on Serbian strongholds.

And on March 27, 1999, it was Dale Zelko’s turn to take off as part of the air raids. Zelko piloted the F-117 – the stealth jet, you’ll remember, designed to avoid radar detection. But he had a bad feeling about this particular mission, as conditions in the region would prevent the Nighthawk from taking off with its typical escorts.

Normally, bear in mind, two types of aircraft flew with the F-117 to protect the stealth plane. The F-16 fighter was one of them, and it was usually armed with anti-radar missiles. A plane known as the Prowler would also jam electronic signals at the same time. But neither could take off with the Nighthawk — and that’s why Zelko was harboring misgivings.

As Zelko told the BBC in 2012, “I’d never felt so strongly – if there was ever a night, a mission, for an F-117 to get shot down on, it would be this one.” But little did the Nighthawk pilot know that he also had more than bad weather to contend with. On the ground, you see, Serbian commander Zoltan Dani had concocted an idea for taking down the stealth jet.

Dani’s role as a military commander wasn’t an easy one. His soldiers showcased great skills, and they had the morale required to win a tough battle. Yet they didn’t have the resources that NATO brought to the table. And the Serbian forces found themselves exposed to the F-16 and its anti-radar missiles.

But Dani and his men had thought up a way to avoid the F-16s. This cleverly involved his troops constantly moving around and only firing up their weapon systems for 20 seconds at a time. And the tactic proved successful in enabling the forces to elude enemy detection. From there, the commander then came up with another idea – one that could take down an otherwise-untraceable stealth jet.

Dani later said that he had taken inspiration from famed Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla as he reconfigured his troops’ equipment. According to Popular Mechanics magazine, the commander’s strategy had him “using a low bandwidth radar to queue the activation of a higher bandwidth, just when the F-117 would be visible to it.”

And then, on March 27, it came time for Dani to put his method to the test. So, as his squad detected the F-117, they launched two missiles – and only one of them missed the Nighthawk. The commander later recalled, “When it hit, it felt very, very good. Like scoring the winning goal in a [soccer] match.”

The missile strike sent the F-117 hurtling uncontrollably through the air – with Zelko alive and at the helm. Zelko successfully ejected from the aircraft, though, and the F-117 remained pretty much intact as it plunged towards the ground. Yet as the pilot parachuted through the air, he had some surprising thoughts about his ill-fated flight over Yugoslavia.

Zelko told the BBC, “I thought about the Serbian SAM (surface-to-air missile) operator, imagining having a coffee and conversation with this guy, saying to him, ‘Really nice shot.’ I had this huge respect for him and the Serbian people.” But his generous mood would soon dissipate when he hit the ground – in enemy territory.

Zelko then broke military protocol by radioing his comrades to tell them where he had landed. You see, he assumed that his descent from the plane had made it difficult for the enemy to find him. But the Serbians started a manhunt – as some had calculated where he would touch down as he parachuted to Earth.

Zelko had actually landed in a town called Ruma – and he worked quickly to conceal himself. First, the pilot dug into the ground, covering his parachute with the earth. He then literally covered his tracks as he searched for a place to lie low. And the unlucky airman had to make do with a drainage ditch overgrown with heavy foliage.

Before sliding into his hiding place, though, Zelko rubbed his visible skin with mud to make himself less noticeable. The earthy material would cover his scent, too, should sniffer dogs come searching for him. And soon enough they did – along with police, soldiers and even villagers who took part in the massive manhunt for the NATO pilot.

As he lay in his hiding place, Zelko could feel the battle raging around him, too. But even as exploding bombs shook the earth, he couldn’t move to a new location. Instead, he waited it out – and, eventually, his patience paid off. It took eight hours, but at long last a chopper flew to his aid over enemy lines.

The story of Zelko’s ill-fated flight and his damaged aircraft didn’t end there, though. Years after the conflict had ended, Dani’s son, Atila, reached out to the pilot after seeing a documentary on his father’s unit called The 21st Second. Atila hoped to connect the former Serbian commander with the man he had shot down.

Perhaps surprisingly, too, Zelko was more than open to the concept. He told the BBC, “As soon as I read the idea of meeting the man who shot me down, my immediate reaction was, ‘Yes, absolutely,’ and I became obsessed with the idea. I felt I had to connect deeply and personally with this person and the Serbian people. It became a mission of passion for me.”

Zeljko Mirkovic, who’d filmed the first documentary on Dani, followed along when he met up with Zelko. And the subsequent documentary, The Second Meeting, revealed how the men and their families bonded and became real friends. Which was precisely the message that the filmmaker hoped to convey. He said, “We all believed we had the right to send the message – hope, peace – which could be accepted universally.”

Since Operation Allied Force, the Balkans, too, have come to find a semblance of peace. Milošević fell from power in 2000 after the U.N. prosecuted him for war crimes. Yugoslavia, meanwhile, split into its constituent parts: initially Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro. And in 2008 the region of Kosovo followed Montenegro by becoming its own autonomous country. This decision has since been recognized by 110 nations around the world – and is reinforced by the thousands of NATO troops still protecting the fledgling state.