Stealth Blackhawk Used In Bin Laden Raid?

Av Web ^ | May 4, 2011 | Glenn Pew

[KeyLargo]

Stealth Blackhawk Used In Bin Laden Raid?

May 4, 2011 By Glenn Pew, Contributing Editor, Video Editor

Images of what appears to be the tail-rotor of one the helicopters used in Sunday's raid on Osama bin Laden's compound at Abbottabad, Pakistan, are hitting the internet, and may be a glimpse at something special. The parts don't appear to come from the standard military catalogue. According to the Army Times, the aircraft "were a radar-evading variant of the special operations MH-60 Blackhawk." That aircraft has hard edges like those on the F-117 Nighthawk and incorporates similar low-observable technology.

[Yosemitest]

Check out these links:

MH-60G Pave Hawk

mh-60 PaveHawk helicopter attack

The advanced MH-60G Pave Hawks

Eurocopter Moves One Step Closer to ‘Whisper Mode’

[mad_as_he$$]

So it was Nightstalker equipment.

BTW the DAP was initiated by Michael Durant.

[Taxman]

That is my take, also.

[Taxman]

I can’t remember the source, but supposedly, the hideout was equipped with a fiber optic cable and a satellite dish, which was vislble in several of the pics we have seen.

IOW, UBL had comms with the outside world.

[N. Theknow]

I can’t remember the source, but supposedly, the hideout was equipped with a fiber optic cable and a satellite dish, which was vislble in several of the pics we have seen.

They tracked him down by the address on his DirecTV bill?

Of course he probably used an alias like Osama bin Smith.

[rlmorel]

I would suggest you should not be angry about losing the helicopter. We have to expect unexpected things to happen. The mission is a rousing success and testament to our armed forces, not like Eagle Claw.

And even then, those men were doing the best they could at Desert One. The odds were against them, there were a LOT of possible error points, and they simply weren’t lucky. It was a plan conceived out of desperation, and ended as those often do.

[McGruff]

Since it looks grey would it be a Greyhawk?

[N. Theknow]

Maybe it was this:

[McGruff]

Years ago if you drove by the Sikorsky plant you could see that thing X-wing thing sitting on the tarmac. All wrapped up in a cocoon of plastic. May still be there.

[TheOldLady]

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[Hotlanta Mike]

My question is what was the aircrew doing for 40 min....they should have been the ones doin the destruct.. From what I have read .. it was the SEAL team that pitched the thermite into the chopper on their way out ....

---

With military training base approx. a mile away they probably they were trying to avoid “waking up the natives”.

[AntiKev]

Think heat signature.

[dusttoyou]

How far off can heat signature been read? Would think the 2 turbofans would be throwing off enough heat signature to blind any tail thrusters.

[Dubh_Ghlase]

This was my only fear, that we’d give up something we’d regret later...

[af_vet_rr]

Whatever it is (was) everyone knows it can be shot down probably w/ little effort.

If you can lay eyeballs on it, you can shoot it down the old fashioned way, which is actually something our guys in Afghanistan do have to worry about. If your enemy is used to fighting out of caves (or compounds near Pakistani military bases), you don't need to worry about the highest of the high tech, you need to worry about one of them actually seeing you and putting you in the crosshairs of a gun that was probably manufactured prior to the Soviets invading.

[af_vet_rr]

So how much will we have to pay Pakistan to get this back?

It's probably already sitting in China. Next time we see anything about it, it'll be some of the technology showing up in Chinese-made helicopters that they are trying to sell to various countries, probably competing against American defense contractors. The Chinese are stealing as much of our military tech as possible to beat us and the Russians and Europeans in the international arms markets.

The sad thing is, we have major companies like Boeing that are partnering with the Chinese on various projects that could have or do have military applications, and those companies like Boeing full admit that the Chinese could do some serious harm to our defense industry in the long run by undercutting us and beating us out on contracts. That's a lot of jobs at stake, but their justification is that if they don't work with the Chinese, then either the Chinese will steal the technology or they'll partner with somebody else. I think it comes down to those companies selling us out for short-term profits, because by the time we feel the effects, they'll be long retired as millionaires.

[af_vet_rr]

I hate to sound like a party pooper, but I’m very angry about the loss of the helicopter. It reminds me way too much of the keystone cops comedy of errors of the the Iran hostage rescue attempt under Carter. Why or how was it lost?

To even compare it to the Iranian hostage rescue is to really insult everybody involved. The loss of a helicopter didn't stall the mission, didn't prevent them from getting Bin Laden, and it didn't prevent all of the Americans from getting out of there alive and intact. It is an incredible success and testament to the men and their training that the loss of a helicopter at the last moment didn't prevent them from carrying out their mission.

As for why or how it was lost, that should remain classified, whether it was pilot error or mechanical failure, that is one thing that does not need to be announced to the world, because it could help our enemies. I have flown with night vision gear, and while the stuff I used was much older, I have the utmost respect for those pilots and what they accomplished. It's a testament to their training that the pilots were able to set it down without getting a lot of Americans killed.

Also, why tell everyone about the treasure trove of information found in the house? Why mention anything about it?

Al Qaeda operatives would know that we hit the intelligence jackpot, even if nobody said anything, because they are going to know that no American in a special operations unit is just going to nab Osama and then leave, they are going to scour the place for computer equipment and documents, whether it's a cave or a compound.

By pushing the idea that we got a lot of intelligence, they are hoping to scare the crap out of a lot of people in Al Qaeda and put them on the move, and flush them out in the open.

As a result, a lot of Al Qaeda operatives are probably going to be doing a lot moving around over fears that they've been compromised, and our satellites and drones are going to pick up on all of that activity and all of that movement, as well as all of the increased amount of communications traffic. Our intel people are probably working overtime on everything they've seen since the raid. It also throws off Al Qaeda, because they don't know what's been compromised both in Afghanistan and abroad.

Forcing Al Qaeda, and Taliban, operatives to have to move gives us a much better chance of actually finding them.

[redgolum]

Loved the movie and TV show. Dad and I would watch it all the time.

[Joe Boucher]

I’ll talk to one of several guys that work at Pratt and Sikorsky in North Palm Beach that live here and find out more about this little gem.
Thanks./

[taildragger]

I’ll talk to one of several guys that work at Pratt and Sikorsky in North Palm Beach that live here and find out more about this little gem.

And if it still classifed my former team mates will tell you nothing, 5 yrs in da-bigga-house and 50k fine to talk is not worth it not to mention what it will do to your eternal soul.