How many helicopters? What kind?

[Longermonger]

How many SEALs? Were they involved at all? Was there another team besides "SEAL Team Six"?

What carrier or base did the helicopters fly from? To?

Other branches or CIA operatives involved? SEAL teams are small, I think. Reports say that there were lots of troops on the mission. Hrmmmm...

Did one of Osama's men shoot out the tail rotor on one of the helicopters and cause it to have a hard landing (crash)?

The news said that the helicopters landed, but I always though SEALs fast-roped down. They've got those $1000+ fancy ropes, ya know.

[Longermonger]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operati...tune.27s_Spear

I found some interesting tidbits reading this Wiki page on Operation Neptune's Spear. Did the CIA & DEVGRU capture a live person And take him with with them?

It sounds like lots of thumb drives were captured. That must be what the courier couriered.

[6ULDV8]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/0859920...2FtYWJpbmxhZGU-

Short version, 4 choppers at least one was a CH-47 the others were special ops Blackhawks. 2 teams, twenty four in the raid itself. Mostly Seals but apparently some CIA along. 2 choppers delivered the teams. The choppers hovered and the teams roped down. Unfortunately one chopper lost lift due to the high walls and hard landed. Teams decided to destroy it rather than attempt to recover it. Teams launched from Afghanistan and recovered to Afghanistan where the DNA test was done.

[6ULDV8]

As of this morning there's some speculation that the downed chopper might have been a new variant.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/httpnew...91bGR0aGViaW5s

[Longermonger]

Yeah, it sounds like the Nightstalkers have special stealth helicopters. I'd like to hear some congrats for these Army guys. It sounds like Air Force guys should get some credit, too.

Normally, (I think) a SEAL Team fast-ropes from one helicopter while the second one covers them with a 50 cal. Which one crashed? Were they fast roping out of 2 aircraft? Or were there fewer than 24 men?

[6ULDV8]

I get the impression both choppers delivered assault teams in what looks like a east to west line. The eastern chopper went down. I saw a picture yesterday that showed a rotor assembly the pakistanies recovered that didn't look like it was from a blackhawk. Buddy of mine who's a chopper pilot sent me a artist rendering of the stealth. Picture fits.

Update from the armytimes

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/0...k-hawk-050411/

[KCJoe]

They probably borrowed some of those black helicopters from the UN that continually hover around in the back of Galt's mind.