Interesting read....
Since the officials confirmed that 3 Chinooks were involved and given that a mixed formation of stealth and non-stealth helos would have rendered the entire formation clearly visible on radars and audible from distance, I believe that there must be also a modified MH-47 flying with the 160 SOAR. Unlike the Black Hawk, we have no photographic evidences of it, but I think that their existence is somehow confirmed by the fact that the officers admitted their presence on the scene. Furthermore, it is quite obvious that the sources are trying to deceive the public opinion when they say to the AP journalist that:
Read it all here. I don't quite buy it but ...
Its been clearly stated that the MH-47's were held back on the Afganistan side of the border. Abbattabad is less than 20 minutes from the border for a standard MH-47 at top speed. The fastest Pakistani jets at the nearest airbase would have taken atleast 20 minutes just to get to Abattabad. Add the scramble time and the time to intercept and a MH-47 should be able to make it in and out of Pakistan with time to spare.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe these were stealthed MH-47s but I do believe these are MH-47G's which are even faster than the standard variant.
Jeffrey,
ReplyDeleteGiven the most recent statements indicating a FARP operation for the MH-60X's most of the way to Abottabad (the likely purpose for the third MH-47), they were likely much closer than the border (esp as they were partially there to supply reserve SEALs in case the SHTF, and 20 minutes in a firefight or to replace a lost element is just too many).
It makes you wonder if they had decided to have US elements on the road between the compound and the Pakistani military academy, incase Pakistani forces were called out to the compound, the academy forces could react the quickest to the SEAL raid. I'm sure there are aspects we'll never know about the raid. As for the copter, it probably does exists or has for a while. Only such a radically advanced helicopter would have some kind of malfunction on a mission like that. I personally wonder why they didn't use a V-22, it could get to target in half the time. Time over Pakistani airspace was the real danger here, but I could see where conditions on the ground would dictate for helicopters. If we get the V-22 and the X2 together, that would be lethal and winning combination for our armed forces.
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