Aircraft Used In The Raid?

[Gerard]

Cant seem to get a definite answer on the aircraft used by the SEALS. CNN said 4 helicopters were used along with Predator drones overhead. In their animation they showed UH-60s with the SEALS rappeling down into the compound.
On a copter forum some are writing that the SEALS only used MH-53Es, a totally tricked out CH-47 Chinook.
Others are saying MH-60 PaveHawks were being used.
And maybe an AH-64 Apache in the mix.
There is a pic of the tail boom of the downed copter and they cant even agree on that.
I guess eventually it will all come back.
Some thrilling and ballsy Tom Clancy stuff this Op was. :cool:

[cancidas]

i'm 90% certain that the mission was flown by army's SOAR. in that case it was MH-60s and CH-47s. marines would've used MH-53s. the whole concept of SOCOM is to integrate the services so that SEALs are comfortable working with SOAR and Delta guys can handle being on USMC birds etc. just like the question of how many licks it'll take to get to the center of a blowpop.... the world may never know the truth of what went down. all i know is i wish i was flying with the 160th!

[Gerard]

i'm 90% certain that the mission was flown by army's SOAR. in that case it was MH-60s and CH-47s. marines would've used MH-53s. the whole concept of SOCOM is to integrate the services so that SEALs are comfortable working with SOAR and Delta guys can handle being on USMC birds etc. just like the question of how many licks it'll take to get to the center of a blowpop.... the world may never know the truth of what went down. all i know is i wish i was flying with the 160th!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/160th_Special_Operations_Aviation_Regiment_(United _States)

[njgtr82]

When I was in Iraq the Seals were catching rides in MH-53's, they would stop in to pick up Marine Forced Recon to do joint missions. I thought the USAF retired them for the CV-22 now though?

[gonzalu]

I just hope they had at least one AWACS high overhead keeping them all under watch from the weirdo Paki Air Forces...

[hiss srq]

Apparently while not widely reported the Paki's scrambled fighters after the helicopters..... Cant trust them at all....

[gonzalu]

Actually it was widely reported. At least it was all over CNN CNN-HN and ABC World News...

[PhilDernerJr]

When I was in Iraq the Seals were catching rides in MH-53's, they would stop in to pick up Marine Forced Recon to do joint missions. I thought the USAF retired them for the CV-22 now though?

Marines are still rockin the 53's.

[PhilDernerJr]

Identify the tail and you have your answer...

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2011/05/04/alg_bin_laden_compound2.jpg

[moose135]

There's been a ton of speculation about that, and other photos that have been published. Just about every helicopter in the US inventory has been suggested, as well as a few that aren't, at least "officially".

[Ari707]

That is not a black hawk tail,
assuming that each of those pannels it is hidding behind is about 4x8 it is a fairly large helicopter. The MH-53 does not have a double "wing" on the boom,

[Gerard]

There's been a ton of speculation about that, and other photos that have been published. Just about every helicopter in the US inventory has been suggested, as well as a few that aren't, at least "officially".

i was reading that it was a "modified" MH-60. Apparently SOAR have been given $$$$ for "skunk works". Yeah I had to look it up also. :wink:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk_Works

And I found this interesting link.............http://www.activesensors.com/news/7
Mmmm, Blue Thunder closer to reality? :cool:

[njgtr82]

Marines are still rockin the 53's.
And its my favorite helicopter out there, even got to fly in the jump seat in one from Richmond to New River, NC

[PhilDernerJr]

And I found this interesting link.............http://www.activesensors.com/news/7
Mmmm, Blue Thunder closer to reality? :cool:

I opened the link, saw "militery" in the first sentence and I stopped reading. haha


And its my favorite helicopter out there, even got to fly in the jump seat in one from Richmond to New River, NC

MH-53s are by far my favorite chopper as well, and one of my fav aircraft overall.

[Gerard]

Seems that the "type" of helicopters used is becoming the talk of military aviation buffs around the world. They were just talking about it on CNN and new photos have emerged....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383482/Osama-Bin-Laden-dead-Did-US-forces-use-stealth-helicopters-raid.html

[mirrodie]

Just saw on TV. in a word, AWESOME that they may have used some tech that we really don't know about!

[Perriwen]

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/05/army-mission-helocopter-was-secret-stealth-black-hawk-050411/

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

[Matt Molnar]

It might have looked like this:

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/dangerroom/2011/05/mh-x3-660x410.jpg

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/aviation-geeks-scramble-to-i-d-osama-raids-mystery-copter/all/1

[Gerard]

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/05/army-mission-helocopter-was-secret-stealth-black-hawk-050411/
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

Yeah you gotta love this stuff!!!! :cool:
SKUNK WORKS!!!!!! :smile:

[Gerard]

It might have looked like this:

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/dangerroom/2011/05/mh-x3-660x410.jpg"] ("http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/aviation-geeks-scramble-to-i-d-osama-raids-mystery-copter/all/1[/url)

That top copter looks like an S-76 with some Commanche thrown in.
I like they might have practiced at Area 51. Maybe they used captured alien technology!!!! :tongue::smile:

[Perriwen]

That top copter looks like an S-76 with some Commanche thrown in.
I like they might have practiced at Area 51. Maybe they used captured alien technology!!!! :tongue::smile:

Well, the S-76 WAS developed from the Black Hawk.

[Nick]

It might have looked like this:

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/dangerroom/2011/05/mh-x3-660x410.jpg

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/aviation-geeks-scramble-to-i-d-osama-raids-mystery-copter/all/1


Is that Pavehawk #468? If so that's one of ours. It was the replacement to #110 lost in the Perfect Storm. As for the special helicopter, impressive. Never heard a thing about it. And if it hadn't of crashed I probably never would have.

[mirrodie]

So while the mission was an overall success, and they tried to blow up the helo, is the fact that the tail remained intact a partial failure in that aspect of the mission?

[Derf]

......is the fact that the tail remained intact a partial failure in that aspect of the mission?


everyone is talking about a super secret helicopter that has never been seen before..... YES

[mirrodie]

yes no one's saying how that aspect was a failure. Just thought I was the only one.

[PhilDernerJr]

I don't see that aspect as a failure...it's just not a big deal. Protecting the chopper's secrecy wasn't really part of the mission. It broke, they blew up what they could and even with remaining parts people STILL don't know exactly what it was.

[Nathan McGrew]

It is probably the ONLY failure in the entire mission. They should have erased any and every trace of evidence before they left....or dropped a few 1,000 pounders after dust off.