It’s rare you get to see the Nightstalkers of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in action, mainly because their missions and the bulk of their training are, appropriately enough, conducted at night! This video compilation contains some good daytime footage of the unit training in both field and urban environments–as well as a few select moments of real-world mission execution in far-away lands! It provides a broad view of the scope of missions the 160th SOAR performs.
With three airframe types set up for five distinct mission profiles, the unit performs dozens of missions, ranging from direct action air assault to fast-rope insertion, overwater helocasting, extraction, and special boat support, as well as urban assault. They can also provide their own close air support of these missions and CAS for the supported units.
Their truly ‘special’ capability isn’t just in their mission set; it comes from the ability to seamlessly perform these missions across all environments with pinpoint accuracy, ‘plus or minus thirty seconds’, all within time and mission constraints that would be insurmountable by most military units.
Special Operations Soldiers fast-rope from an MH-60 of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) to an objective. (U.S. Army Photo)
Their high-quality realistic training and strict adherence to their operating procedures give them great power to mitigate risk and project the combat power of their customers across the world. Some of you might be lucky enough to see them training around the country, honing their skills.
The arrival of the 160th SOAR in urban areas especially can occasionally cause consternation among the locals…but fear not! The government is not coming to get you–they just need to borrow your neighborhood for a few days to be ready to respond around the globe with little or no notice.
Enjoy the video, and don’t fear the black helicopters…unless you’re a bad guy!
NSDQ!
(Featured Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army)