The May 2 raid on Osama bin Laden’s luxury compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, had it all: painstaking intelligence-gathering, a heroic Navy SEAL assault team, satellite and drone surveillance, and biometric forensics.
And now this: a possible super-secret, stealthy helicopter, unknown to the wider world before one crashed during the assault.
Aviation specialists are picking apart pixel-by-pixel the dozen-or-so photos of the copter that have appeared online. They’re assembling digital mock-ups of the aircraft and comparing them to lost stealth designs of the 1980s and ’90s. Speculation abounds, and so far no one from the government is commenting. But depending on what the copter turns out to be, it could shed new light on everything from the abilities of U.S. commandos to the relationship between the United States and Pakistan.
Opinions about the copter seem to fall into three basic camps. The most-cautious observers believe the wreckage is from a conventional chopper that got so badly mangled during the crash that it became unrecognizable. In the center, there are those who think the helicopter is an Army MH-60 Blackhawk tweaked to make it quieter and more stealthy. On the fringes, the true believers are talking about a brand-new, radar-evading helicopter design.
Considering the proliferation of bewildering photos from the crash site, the conservative viewpoint seems unlikely. Equally, the notion of a brand-new “black” helicopter seems far-fetched, especially considering the Army’s long history of heavily modifying existing rotorcraft for secret missions.
That leaves an upgraded, stealth-optimized MH-60 as the most likely candidate — a conclusion that jibes with CIA director Leon Panetta’s assertion Tuesday that the 25-man strike team was “carried in two Blackhawk helicopters that went in.”
A story by ace reporter Sean Naylor in Army Times, published just minutes after the initial version of this post, supports this conclusion. Naylor quotes a retired Special Forces aviator saying the special Blackhawk, modified by Lockheed Martin, has “hard edges, sort of like an … F-117″ stealth fighter from the same company.
According to a source who spoke to our own Spencer Ackerman, the modifications might have taken place with the help of a mysterious Army organization called the “Technology Applications Program Office,” located at Fort Eustis, Virginia. The rumored nickname? Airwolf. That’s right, like the cheesy ‘80 TV show.
Full article at link:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/aviation-geeks-scramble-to-i-d-osama-raids-mystery-copter/
Latest Headlines
-
Ancient DNA reveals West African ancestry in early medieval England
-
Archaeologists have analyzed the DNA of two unrelated individuals buried in
7th-century-AD cemeteries on the south coast of England, revealing that
they bo...
1 minute ago
-
"I'm Embarrassed By Our President": Retired US Military Members Are Sharing
Their Honest Thoughts About The Trump Administration
-
"If Congress won't stop him, then the courts must. Otherwise, we must get
ready for a potential civil war."
------------------------------
View Entire Pos...
19 minutes ago
-
American tried to assassinate her lover's enemy on Birmingham street
wearing flip-flops and a summer dress - then the Daily Mail tracked the
fugitive down
-
Aimee Betro, 45, was found guilty on Tuesday of travelling 4,000 miles from
her Wisconsin home to carry out a 'hit' on a man in Birmingham.
57 minutes ago
-
-
BWC video shows parents pleading with officers to act during Uvalde school
shooting
-
Records detail moments of chaos, miscommunication and hesitation during the
2022 Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 students and two
teachers
1 hour ago
-
UFC to host first-ever fight event at the White House
-
The fight is set to be part of a series of events commemorating the 250th
anniversary of the founding of the United States.
1 hour ago
-
Are Opinions Respecting En Banc Denials "Offensive to Our System of Panel
Adjudication"?
-
The judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit split over
whether they should write about the reasons for their splitting over en
banc review.
2 hours ago
-
She Thought That Her Computer Science Degree Would Get Her A Six Figure Job
– Instead It Got Her An Interview With Chipotle
-
If you recently graduated from college, good luck trying to find a decent
job. What we are experiencing right now reminds me so much of the early
1990s....
2 hours ago
-
Moscow Slams Ukraine’s Backers After Issuing A “Nazi-Style Pamphlet”
-
Ukraine's Western European backers have issued a statement regarding the
upcoming talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his United
States coun...
3 hours ago
-
Hockey Mom Enters Ice Rink to Protest Penalties Against Son’s Team
-
A Czech woman got her 15 minutes of international fame after entering the
ice rink during a youth hockey game to protest a series of penalties
against he...
3 hours ago
-
How Secure cPanel VPS Hosting Supports Independent Journalism and Free
Speech Online
-
Independent journalists know that censorship and surveillance are among the
actions taken to stop them from spreading the truth. Yet, reporters and
publish...
4 hours ago
-
And Now… Bill Gates Butter
-
Via: CBS: A company in Batavia, Illinois is making butter in a way you’ve
never seen before. No animals, no plants, no oils; this butter is made from
carbo...
4 hours ago
-
White House teases Trump visit to Russia
-
[image: Preview] The statement comes as the US and Russian leaders prepare
to meet in Alaska this week
Read Full Article at RT.com
4 hours ago
-
Fermented Stevia Extract Crushes Pancreatic Cancer… While Sparing Healthy
Cells
-
A Deadly Cancer in Need of New Options Pancreatic cancer is one of the most
aggressive and lethal cancers in the world. It resists conventional
treatments ...
5 hours ago
-
Man spends two days with a crossbow bolt lodged in his head
-
Emergency responders couldn't believe their eyes when they were called to
the man's home in Italy recently. According to reports, the man was found
on...
10 hours ago
-
Missing the point. Islamic extremism is the VEHICLE, but ISRAEL is the
driver. Listen to Rabbi extremists and they are telling you
-
The British state is captured by Islamic activists. A 700-member Home
Office Islamic Network holds counter-terror scheme Prevent hostage.
Propaganda depart...
11 hours ago
-
Trump eyes Federal takeover of D.C. in push for âLaw and Orderâ amid
rising chaos
-
(NaturalNews) Federalizing D.C.: President Trump proposes deploying the
National Guard under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act, placing local
police u...
17 hours ago
-
Ross Coulthart’s Reptilian Claims: Are Shape-Shifting Alien Species Living
Among Us?
-
Ross Coulthart reveals claims of reptilian aliens. Witnesses share chilling
encounters with alleged shape-shifters.
The post Ross Coulthart’s Reptilian C...
1 day ago
-
The Deeper Agenda Behind the Sydney Sweeney Controversy
-
Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad campaign was met with scorn by mass media as
words such as "racist" were freely thrown around. Meanwhile, Beyoncé
starred in a ne...
6 days ago
-
Donald Trump Cancels Second Mainstream Interview in Days
-
Marco Bello/Reuters
Donald Trump pulled out of another mainstream interview Thursday–this time
nixing a sit-down with NBC News.
The interview, CNN reporte...
9 months ago
-
New Classification Bill Highlights Ongoing Bipartisan Efforts to Improve
Government Transparency
-
The current declassification system is a “crisis that undermines both our
national security and government transparency,” according to Senator Gary
Peters ...
1 year ago
-
-
-
This feed has moved and will be deleted soon. Please update your
subscription now.
-
The publisher is using a new address for their RSS feed. Please update your
feed reader to use this new URL:
*http://www.alternet.org/home/feed*
2 years ago
-
John Stamos’ Friend Says He’s “Devastated’ Full House Family Is Now Mired
in Scandal
-
A friend of John Stamos stated that the 'Full House' star is "devastated"
by Bob Saget's death, co-star scandals.
2 years ago
-
Joe Scarborough: Every single conspiracy is easily disproven in about two
or three minutes
-
Intellihub | "I walk through it--every single conspiracy theory is
disproven in about two or three minutes."
The post Joe Scarborough: Every single consp...
4 years ago
-
Building demolition goes wrong
-
Building collapses on excavator, fortunately no-one was reported injured
4 years ago
-
New French coronavirus deaths steady, infections creep up
-
The number of people who died from coronavirus infection in France rose by
28 to 29,603 on Thursday, the same increase as Wednesday, but the number of
new ...
5 years ago
-
U.S. prison riot teams faulted for injuring staff during exercises
-
U.S. Bureau of Prisons riot teams that helped protect the White House
during protests earlier this month injured employees by deploying flash
bang grenades...
5 years ago
-
The Hemp Industry / Staying Positive
-
Air Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020
Doug Fine discussed the many amazing properties of hemp. Followed by Eldon
Taylor on staying positive in the COVID-19 era.
5 years ago
-
“City of Manchester” Gives Cop Blocker $15,000 After Illegal Arrest by
Lying Cop at DUI Checkpoint
-
National talk show host, Linux entrepreneur, and Cop Block activist
Christopher Waid knew there was a chance he could be
“City of Manchester” Gives Cop B...
5 years ago
-
Burials begin in quake- and tsunami-hit Indonesian region
-
A mass burial of earthquake and tsunami victims was being prepared in a
hard-hit city Monday as the need for heavy equipment to dig for survivors
of the di...
6 years ago
-
Yet another federal judge tears into qualified immunity, citing Cato
Institute & Will Baude
-
The legal blogosphere has been abuzz with Judge Willett’s recent
“dubitante” concurrence in Zadeh v. Robinson, in which the Twitter superstar
and Supreme...
6 years ago
-
The Alzheimer’s Drug that Might Unlock Your Dreams
-
As excited as I get about the potentiality of psychedelic drugs, I get far
more amped about pushing the boundaries of dreams as I’m not sure there are
an...
6 years ago
-
AP Investigation: Sustainable seafood dealer sold fishy tale
-
MONTAUK, New York (AP) — Even after winter storms left East Coast harbors
thick with ice, some of the country's top chefs and trendy restaurants were
offer...
7 years ago
-
AP Investigation: Sustainable seafood dealer sold fishy tale
-
MONTAUK, New York (AP) — Even after winter storms left East Coast harbors
thick with ice, some of the country's top chefs and trendy restaurants were
offer...
7 years ago
-
St. Paul raccoon reaches roof after scaling downtown tower
-
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A raccoon that became an internet sensation by
scaling a 25-story office tower in downtown St. Paul was safely trapped
early Wednesd...
7 years ago
-
DOJ Stumbles at Hearing on Detaining Immigrants
-
Criticizing an attorney for the government for arguing issues he never
raised in briefing, the First Circuit seemed likely at a hearing Wednesday
to u...
8 years ago
-
Breaking Down Barriers in Sexual and Reproductive Health Reporting in Africa
-
*This is a guest post by Humphrey Nabimanya, founder of Reach a Hand
Uganda. *
[image: 2016-04-15-1460736651-1435623-huffpo1.jpg]*Journalists and bloggers...
9 years ago
-
Mom Has Stacked Dinner Party Roster
-
GOLDEN, CO—Their eyes widening in amazement as the 43-year-old rattled off
the names of heavy hitter after heavy hitter, impressed members of the
Dreesh...
9 years ago
-
Goodnight, and good luck
-
A valedictory note from Al Jazeera America on what we tried to bring to the
online news landscape
9 years ago
-
-
No comments:
Post a Comment