Pakistan to let Chinese plunder secret U.S. stealth helicopter downed in Bin Laden raid

By Oliver Tree
Updated: 18:41 EDT, 10 May 2011

The Chinese military could soon get its hands on the wreckage of a secret U.S. 'stealth' helicopter that crash landed in the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound, Pakistani officials have said.

The previously unseen helicopter crashed in the daring dawn raid in Abbottabad earlier this month, with Navy SEALs managing to destroy all but a tail section of the secret aircraft.

The U.S. has since demanded the Pakistanis return the destroyed helicopter.

But according to ABC news, Pakistani officials have said the Chinese were also 'very interested' in seeing the tail section, with one unnamed official adding: 'We might let [the Chinese] take a look.'

Pictures of the heavily damaged tail section circulated on the internet shortly after the May 2 raid,   with the remaining tail bearing a striking resemblance to the smooth angular design of other stealth aircraft such as the B2 bomber.

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Stealth: The strange design of the rotor tail has led many to speculate that U.S. Navy SEALs used a secret stealth helicopter in Sunday's raids

Mission: One of the four helicopters used in the operation crashed close to Bin Laden's compound

Speaking to the news network, an unnamed U.S. official added that he would be 'shocked' if the Chinese had not already had a look at the classified helicopter.

In the days following the crash, children from the surrounding neighbourhood were seen playing with fragments of a mysterious cloth like material said to come from the stealth helicopter wreckage.

Images of the severed tail section left aviation experts scratching their heads, with several concluding it must be a new, as yet unknown helicopter design.

Bill Sweetman, editor of Aviation Week said the pictures show a 'stealth-configuration' on the wrecked rotor housing.

He said: 'Well, now we know why all of us had trouble ID'ing the helicopter that crashed, or was brought down, in the Osama raid.

'It was a secretly developed stealth helicopter, probably a highly modified version of an H-60 Blackhawk.'

Citing pictures shown on MailOnline, he added: 'Photos show that the helicopter's tail features stealth-configured shapes on the boom and tip fairings, swept stabilizers and a 'dishpan' cover over a non-standard five-or-six-blade tail rotor.

'The willingness to compromise this technology shows the importance of the mission in the eyes of US commanders - and what we're seeing here also explains why Pakistani defences didn't see the first wave (at least) coming in.

'No wonder the team tried to destroy it.'

The White House and Department of Defence have consistently refused to comment on what type of helicopter crashed in the raid.

Standard: The UH-60 Black Hawk is a workhorse with U.S. forces, with over 1000 currently serving across the Army, Navy and Airforce

Comparison: The rotor of the crashed 'stealth' helicopter (left) from the raid and a close up of a standard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter

If the rumours prove true, it would not be the first time the Chinese have got their hands on U.S. stealth technology.

In 1999, a F-117 Nighthawk bomber was shot out of the sky by Serbian rebels, with much of the wreckage making its way to China.

It has been speculated that the recent unveiling of China's first stealth aircraft owes a lot to technical know how gleaned from the destroyed Nighthawk.

It was previously thought that the Navy SEAL teams involved in last Sunday's attack used modified MH-60 Black Hawk or Sea Hawk variant helicopters in the raid - although the White House would not confirm or deny what type of helicopter was used.

Initially the plan was for the SEAL teams to 'fast rope' from the hovering 'Black Hawks', but according to the White House and defence officials, one of the helicopters developed a mechanical fault and had make a 'hard landing'.

Equipped: SEALs and other special forces have access to the latest military hardware, potentially explaining why they would have used an experimental or secret helicopter type

ID: The rear end bears no resemblance to that of the Black hawk typically used by special forces

As the U.S. special forces fled bin Laden's compound, they destroyed the crippled helicopter, leaving what they thought were only charred remains.

Discussing the intriguing pictures, a writer for website Defense Tech dismissed speculation the new craft was a modified version of the MH-60.

He said: 'All I’ll say is that it sure doesn’t look like it came off even a modified MH-60 Black Hawk. It looks like a stealthy new aircraft.'

Previous: Experts have speculated the 'clasified' helicopter could be a descendant of the now abandoned RAH-66 Comanche stealth helicopter project - seen here in prototype testing

Experts are now speculating the mysterious helicopter may be a descendant of the abandoned RAH-66 Comanche stealth helicopter project.

The Comanche, in development since 1984, reached the working prototype phase before it was cancelled in 2004.

It has been suggested that the military could have kept a few examples of the Comanche for use on high priority missions such as last Sunday's raid on the bin Laden compound.

The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, manufactured by Sikorsky, first entered service with the U.S. army in 1979.

Since then, the $44 million helicopter has become a workhorse across all branches of the American military, with U.S. forces currently operating 1,349.

There are numerous variations on the basic design, with special forces typically using the highly modified MH-60 variant.

The Black Hawk, which first began flying in 1978, has a crew of three or four and can carry 11 soldiers equipped for combat.

Eyes: 'The Beast of Kandahar' i.e. the secretive RQ-170 surveillance drone, was said to have filmed the daring raid and transmitted it back to the President in real time

The new 'stealth' helicopter may not have been the only secret weapon used last Sunday.

Navy SEAL teams have access to the latest weaponry and have the pick of any hardware deemed necessary to carry out the job.

It is alleged that during the killing of bin Laden in Abbottabad, the SEALS involved were supported by the Air Force's secretive RQ-170 pilot less drone- dubbed 'The Beast of Kandahar'.

The Air Force denied the futuristic looking weapons existence until 2009 and has never released an official photo of the reconnaissance aircraft.