Despite Crash, Ties Strong Between SOF, Conventional Aviatio

[Chiron]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The call came over the radio -- a U.S. Army Ranger unit needed support after one of the thousands of night raids U.S. special operations forces have executed over the past 10 years in Afghanistan.

An elite Navy SEAL team loaded onto a CH-47 Chinook to fly to the target. Like many other nights, pilots assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the one dedicated to Joint Special Operations Command, did not fly the mission.

But unlike most nights, a rocket-propelled grenade slammed into the Chinook on Aug. 6, sending it crashing to the ground and killing everyone aboard: Eight Afghan commandos and 30 U.S. troops, including the 17 SEALs. It marked the deadliest day in U.S. Special Operations Command's 24-year history.


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[Baseplate]

Even if a bird kills everyone here and there it still beats walking

[Chiron]

Even if a bird kills everyone here and there it still beats walking

And by not walking you can sleep longer before it's time to go....

[hobbit]

Using chinooks for special ops insertions (and at night no less), is borderlne criminal. I have photos I took of chinooks flying 155mm artillery pieces to an American FB...in 1970. Even then this aircraft was OLD.

[rangertough]

Using chinooks for special ops insertions (and at night no less), is borderlne criminal. I have photos I took of chinooks flying 155mm artillery pieces to an American FB...in 1970. Even then this aircraft was OLD.

Brother, agreed the design has been around forever. Hell the Marines fly a bird similar.

However, the current models are upgraded and provide an ability to deliver troops at high altitudes in AFG. Here in Washington state we have people get stuck on MT Ranier, and the only way to get a rescue to them is the USAR Chinook unit on FT Lewis.

The Osprey has killed more Marines in its time of service than any other airframe in the same time frame.

Anyone remember the MH-53J PaveLow? SOCOM specific bird retired because it tried to do all the jobs that the Chinook and the Blackhawk did. Didn't do either job well.

Tough

[CloakAndDagger]

The basic design of the H-47 might be old, but the airframes aren't neccessarily old--the assembly line still occasionally runs. I've also heard that the Vietnam-era issues of them leaking hydrolic fluid like a sive have largely been eliminated. The avionics in the current birds are also (relatively) new.

The bird is a big, strong, tough, reliable, and flies high (for a helicopter), but it's also a big slow target. The H-53, on the other hand, is big, strong, cranky, unreliable, but could fly high; it has a frequent tendency to crash without being shot up. During my tour in A-stan in April-September 2002 --if I recall correctly (my memory is a bit rough on this... I'm remembering occasions, not research)-- I wanna say we lost 3 or 4 -53's, no -47's (I got there just after Op Anaconda finished up), maybe one -60, and one or two -64's (we also lost a C-130).

[Jim]

Using chinooks for special ops insertions (and at night no less), is borderlne criminal. I have photos I took of chinooks flying 155mm artillery pieces to an American FB...in 1970. Even then this aircraft was OLD.

There was aa Chinook unit in Viet-Nam that mounted a 105mm in the rear of the bird (same gun that is still used on the AC-130). The unit was nicknamed "Guns a-go-go." The initial Chinooks were fielded in 1960, and one of the prototype birds is still flying.

[hobbit]

Using chinooks for special ops insertions (and at night no less), is borderlne criminal. I have photos I took of chinooks flying 155mm artillery pieces to an American FB...in 1970. Even then this aircraft was OLD.

There was aa Chinook unit in Viet-Nam that mounted a 105mm in the rear of the bird (same gun that is still used on the AC-130). The unit was nicknamed "Guns a-go-go." The initial Chinooks were fielded in 1960, and one of the prototype birds is still flying.

A 105? For what reason? To battle with nonexistant communist armor south of the DMZ? I think the first time American aircraft encounterered communist armor was during Lam Son 719. A lot of L Company teams pulled missions up in that area previous to the battle. We never encountered NVA tanks but that doesn't mean they weren't there. Most of the aviation support for the battle was provided by the 101st. We took a bloody nose there.

[Jim]

Check out the ACH-47A:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CH-47_Chinook

[hobbit]

Check out the ACH-47A:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CH-47_Chinook

It's been a war horse who's earned its oats, no argument there.