Meet the Night Stalkers, the pilots who fly SEALs and Delta Force to their most dangerous and secretive operations

The Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne (SOAR-A) is the elite aviation unit that flies special operators like Navy SEALs and the Army's Delta Force into the most dangerous and secretive missions the US conducts.

The 160th, nicknamed the Night Stalkers, operates religiously my their creed, which says they'll be there within plus or minus 30 seconds of any operation time, and they'd "rather die than quit."

The Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne, (SOAR-A), has earned the nickname "The Night Stalkers."

Operating under the cover of night or the shadows of dawn, these elite pilots are responsible for getting special operators into and out of some of their most secret and dangerous operations.

Night Stalker pilots go through rigorous training to become mission-ready to fly in the most challenging conditions, including bad weather and enemy fire, all while relying on infrared and night-vision equipment to navigate through the darkness...

Complete article with many photos and two videos:

https://www.businessinsider.co...s-operations-2019-10

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sigmund,

I have a little emotional attachment to the Night Stalkers by way of being a strong supporter of the Night Stalker Association.

Each year they run a two gun match at Rockcastle Shooting Center that I volunteer at as an RO. Great bunch of BTDT guys and gals. It is also one of my primary charities because I KNOW where the money goes. Same way with the Special Forces Association.

#NSDQ

While I would hate to have our folks in harm's way, I'd love to see them employed against the Mexican cartels!

It's been a very long time since I've flown with them...but it was a rush! They would fly so low over the desert floor you could reach down and grab a jackrabbit.

Go to ride on the bench of a "Little Bird" just once...all I was thinking is I hope I tied my sling rope correctly.

You can tell a 160th bird by the refueling boom. Regular Army ones don't have them. So, it's either a 160th SOAR bird or if it has a groovy gray/green camo pattern, an air force Pararescue MH60 "PAVE Hawk."

We see and work with them often in stateside training.

That article scratches the surface, but there is always so much more to a unit like that.

They are very silent professionals.

I've had the pleasure of meeting a few of em.

I'll pass along a story I made up.

Somewhere in a desert there was a bad guy, and I mean a really bad guy who would exploit our bullshit rules to kill and torture many many people. Not just soldiers, but kids too. He was caught red handed twice and brought back and released because of our nonsensical red tape. The third time he was caught, after an unspeakable act and was being flown to the same trial he would be freed from again, he pushed his harness against one of our guys hands, and then threw his back into his boot launching himself out of the helo about 100 feet up full clip.

The guy who owned that boot has a hard time living life now, because of lots of innocents and friends being obliterated in front of him, that bad guy however is not one of those reasons.

Can't say enough good things about them.

There’s a good book called simply, “The Night Stalkers,” written by Michael Durant (Blackhawk Down) and Steven Hartov. It’s about the creation of the 160th SOAR and some of the unit’s missions. Hey, sounds like a good idea for a karma.

Buried in the article I posted was this para about the very bad-ass AH-60L:

"The Night Stalkers's MH-60 Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) is a Black Hawk specially outfitted with an M230 30 mm automatic cannon. When the aircraft is modified to the DAP, it can move only small numbers of troops, according to US Special Operations Command (SOCOM)."

This photo shows the 30mm gun mounted under the left pylon. That's what I call superior firepower!

https://www.americanspecialops...-60l-dap-montage.php

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
There’s a good book called simply, “The Night Stalkers,” written by Michael Durant (Blackhawk Down) and Steven Hartov. It’s about the creation of the 160th SOAR and some of the unit’s missions. Hey, sounds like a good idea for a karma.

I have that book and In The Company of Heroes too.

Good books.

A shorter article, below the text is a 1:20 low altitude night refueling video:

https://theaviationist.com/201...ir-to-air-refueling/

quote:

Night Stalkers

Well that just great, I have spent hours and hours in the last few weeks down a rabbit hole on You Tube watching our fantastic service members relate their personal stories. Now I will expand that for the Night Stalkers.

I never served... I was end of Vietnam winding down era... but my respect and gratitude for those who did serve grows greater and greater as time goes by.

Thank You all for your service!

every so often SOCOM does a CAPEX in the harbor here in Tampa (near MacDill)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozvnJddIDbQ

SOAR definitely brings the A Game along with other SOCOM forces a tremendous display of capability -- although for obvious reasons done in daylight as opposed to night ops

got to see this one live

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Todays REAL American Heroes. Not someone confused about their genitalia who are called heroes because they are "so brave" for coming "out".
THESE GUYS (and girls) actually deserve our admiration, respect and support. God bless them!

160th provides quality taxi services even at the earliest hours of the morning!

.18Z50..another satisfied life long customer!