View source for 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)

{{Short description|US Army helicopter unit}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
|image= 160th SOAR emblem.svg
|caption= Regimental [[distinctive unit insignia]]
| dates =
|country ={{Nowrap|{{flagu|United States|name=United States of America|size=23px}}}}
|branch=[[United States Army]]
|type= [[Special Operations Force|Special operations]] aviation
|role=
|size= 2,700
|command_structure=[[United States Army Special Operations Aviation Command]]<br/>[[United States Army Special Operations Command]]<br/>[[United States Special Operations Command]]<ref>[http://www.soc.mil/Index.html United States Army Special Operations Command] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214052425/http://www.soc.mil/Index.html |date=14 February 2014 }}, official website, last accessed 1 February 2014</ref>
|garrison= [[Fort Campbell]], [[Kentucky]], U.S.
|nickname= "Night Stalkers", "160th SOAR(A)", "Task Force Brown"
|patron=
|motto= "Night Stalkers Don’t Quit!"
| colors = {{legend2|#78021A|Maroon|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
| colors_label = Color of berets
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=[[Invasion of Grenada]]<br />[[Operation Mount Hope III]]<br />[[Operation Earnest Will]]<br />[[Operation Prime Chance]]<br />[[United States invasion of Panama|Invasion of Panama]]<br />[[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]]<br />[[Operation Neptune Spear]]<br />[[Somali Civil War]]<br />
[[Operation Restore Hope]]<br />
[[Operation Red Wings]]<br />
[[Operation Gothic Serpent]]<br />
[[War on Terror|Global War on Terrorism]]<br />
[[Operation Enduring Freedom]]<br />
[[Iraq War]]<br />
[[Operation Inherent Resolve]]<br />
[[Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen]]<br />
[[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)#Post ISAF phase|Operation Freedom's Sentinel]]
|anniversaries=
|identification_symbol=[[File:US Army Special Operations Aviation Command SSI.png|120px|center]]
|identification_symbol_label=U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command [[Shoulder Sleeve Insignia]], worn by the 160th SOAR(A)
|start_date={{start date and age|1981}}
|current_commander=
}}
The '''160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)''', abbreviated as '''160th SOAR(A)''', is a [[special forces|special operations force]] of the [[United States Army]] that provides [[helicopter]] aviation support for special operations forces. Its missions have included attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and these missions are usually conducted at night, at high speeds, low altitudes, and on short notice.
Nicknamed the '''Night Stalkers''' and called '''Task Force Brown''' within the [[Joint Special Operations Command|JSOC]],<ref name="RelentStrike">{{cite book|title=Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command|last1=Naylor|first1=Sean|chapter=Chapter 4|publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]]|year=2015 |isbn=9781466876224}}</ref> the 160th SOAR(A) is headquartered at [[Fort Campbell]], [[Kentucky]].
== Overview ==
The 160th SOAR(A) consists of some of the Army's best-qualified [[aviator| aviators]], crew chiefs, and support soldiers. Officers are all volunteers; enlisted soldiers volunteer or are assigned by the [[United States Army Human Resources Command|U.S. Army Human Resources Command]]. Until 2013, only men were allowed to be pilots in the 160th.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/04/18/us-military-to-open-6200-new-jobs-to-women.html |title = US Military to open 6200 new jobs to women |date = 31 October 2017 }}</ref>
Upon joining the 160th, all soldiers are assigned to "Green Platoon", in which they receive intensive training in "advanced methods of the five basic combat skills: first responder, land navigation, combatives, weapons and teamwork".<ref name="laudano2006" /> The weapons training includes firing thousands of rounds with [[AK-47]]/[[AK-74]] rifles, [[Beretta M9]] pistols, [[M4 carbine|M4/M4A1]] carbines, and [[SIG Sauer M17|SIG Sauer M17/M18]] pistols. Soldiers who fail to pass the course the first time may retake it, but there is no guarantee that anyone assigned to Green Platoon will pass and continue on with the 160th.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.campbell.army.mil/newinternet/UnitPages/SpecialForces/greenplatoon.htm |title=160th SOAR(A) Green Platoon Train-up program |work=160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment |publisher=United States Army |access-date=21 November 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080531170029/http://www.campbell.army.mil/newinternet/UnitPages/SpecialForces/greenplatoon.htm  |archive-date = 31 May 2008}}</ref> The basic Night Stalker course for enlisted soldiers lasts five weeks;<ref name="laudano2006">{{Cite news |url=http://www.fortcampbellcourier.com/news/article_d025cc07-8843-5b6d-b0bd-502f43edc167.html |title=Green Platoon—first step to SOAR |last=Laudano |first=Kimberly |date=28 September 2006 |work=Fort Campbell Courier |access-date=6 August 2017 |archive-date=20 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720053806/http://fortcampbellcourier.com/news/article_d025cc07-8843-5b6d-b0bd-502f43edc167.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> the officer course lasts 20 to 28 weeks.
A new Night Stalker pilot arrives at a unit as Basic Mission Qualified (BMQ). After a series of skills test qualifications, experience, leadership, and oral review boards lasting up to three years, the Night Stalker is designated Fully Mission Qualified (FMQ). After three to five years as an FMQ, the Night Stalker may try out for flight lead qualification.{{cn|date=July 2022}}
SOAR flight medics can qualify as [[special operations]] [[combat medics]] by completing the 36-week long [[68W|Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM)]] course at [[Fort Liberty]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.military.com/military-fitness/general-fitness/who-attends-the-special-operations-combat-medics-socm-course|access-date=23 August 2020|title=Who Attends the Special Operations Combat Medics (SOCM) Course?}}</ref>
== History ==
=== 1980s and 1990s ===
After the April 1980 [[Operation Eagle Claw]] attempt to rescue [[Iran hostage crisis|American hostages]] held in [[Tehran]], Iran, failed, President [[Jimmy Carter]] ordered former [[Chief of Naval Operations]] Adm. [[James L. Holloway III]] to figure out how the U.S. military could best mount another attempt. At the time there were no U.S. helicopter units trained in this kind of stealthy, short-notice Special Operations mission.
The Army looked to the 101st Aviation Group, the air arm of the [[101st Airborne Division]] (Air Assault), which had the most diverse operating experience of the service's helicopter units, and selected elements of the 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Aviation Battalion, 229th Aviation Battalion, and the 159th Aviation Battalion. The chosen pilots immediately entered intensive training in night flying.
This provisional unit was dubbed Task Force 158, since most of its pilots were Black Hawk aviators detached from the 158th. Their distinctive 101st "Screaming Eagle" patches remained on their uniforms. The Black Hawks and Chinooks continued to operate around Campbell Army Airfield at the north of post, and Saber Army Heliport at the south. The [[OH-6 Cayuse]]s, aircraft that had vanished from the division's regular inventory after Vietnam, were hidden on base in an ammunition holding area still known as the "SHOC Pad", for "Special Helicopter Operations Company".
As the first batch of pilots completed training in the fall of 1980, a second attempt to rescue the hostages was planned for early 1981. Dubbed [[Operation Honey Badger]], it was called off when the hostages were [[October Surprise|released]] on the morning of President [[Ronald Reagan]]'s inauguration.
Task Force 158 was the Army's only special operations aviation unit, and its members had already become recognized as the Army's premier aviation night fighters. Their capability was judged too useful to lose, and so instead of returning to the 101st, the pilots and modified aircraft became a new unit. (Original members of the Night Stalkers refer to it as "the day the Eagles came off".{{citation needed|date=July 2017}})
Originally created as Task Force 160 when the 101st Airborne Division was commanded by [[Jack V. Mackmull]] from June 1980 to August 1981. When the command was formally organized as a regiment, Mackmull was chosen to serve as its honorary colonel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usma1950.com/memorial/jack-v-mackmull |title=Memorial, Jack V. Mackmull |last=Mackmull |first=Beverly |date=2011 |website=USMA1950.com |publisher= USMA Class of 1950 |location=West Point, NY |access-date=June 3, 2023 |ref={{sfnRef|Mackmull, Beverly}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Zolvinski |first=Steve |date=June 4, 1988 |title=Task Force 160 Activated As Regiment |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-leaf-chronicle-regiment/125832893/ |work=[[The Leaf-Chronicle]] |location=Clarksville, TN |page=1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |ref={{sfnRef|Zolvinski}}}}</ref>
The unit was officially established on 16 October 1981, when it was designated as the 160th Aviation Battalion.
The 160th first saw combat during 1983's [[Operation Urgent Fury]], the U.S. invasion of [[Grenada]].
In 1986, it was renamed the 160th Aviation Group (Airborne); and in May 1990, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). As demand for highly trained special operations aviation assets bloomed, the regiment activated three battalions, a separate detachment, and incorporated one [[Army National Guard]] unit, the 1st Battalion, 245th Aviation (OK ARNG).
In 1987 and 1988, its pilots took part in [[Operation Earnest Will]], the protection of re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers in the [[Persian Gulf]] during the [[Iran–Iraq War]]. They flew from [[United States Navy|US Navy]] warships and leased oil barges in a secret sub-part called [[Operation Prime Chance]], and became the first helicopter pilots to use [[night vision device|night vision goggles]] and [[forward looking infrared]] (FLIR) devices in night combat.
[[File:US Army 160th SOAR(A) CH-47 sling-load a Mi-24 out of Chad-Operation Mount Hope III.jpg|thumb|left|The Regiment's Company E fly the slingloaded [[Mil Mi-24]] out of Chad, known as [[Operation Mount Hope III]]]]
In June 1988, the unit received a short-notice directive to recover a Soviet made Mi-25 Hind ([[Mi-24 Hind]] export version) attack helicopter from a remote location in [[Chad]]. The Hind was abandoned by the Libyans after 15 years of fighting, and was of great intelligence value to the U.S. In April 1988, two CH-47 Chinooks, a [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] [[Lockheed C-5 Galaxy|C-5 Galaxy]], and 75 maintenance personnel and crew flew to [[White Sands Missile Range|White Sands AFB]], [[New Mexico]] to rehearse the mission. In late May of that year an advance team went to [[Ndjamena]], Chad, to await their aircraft. Two weeks later two Chinooks and 76 crew members and maintenance personnel arrived by C-5. At midnight on 11 June 1988, two MH-47s flew 490 miles at night without outside navigational aids to the target location, the Ouadi Doum Airfield in northern Chad. The first Chinook landed and configured the Hind, while the second hovered overhead and sling loaded it for return to Ndjamena. A surprise sandstorm slowed the return trip, but less than 67 hours after the arrival of the C-5 in Chad, the ground crew had the Hind and Chinooks aboard and ready for return to the U.S.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/USASOAC/photos/a.251685494936578/526484250790033/?type=3&theater This date in ARSOA history: OPERATION MOUNT HOPE, U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command Facebook page, dated 11 June 2014, last accessed 9 June 2019]</ref>
The Night Stalkers spearheaded [[Operation Just Cause]], the 1989 invasion of [[Panama]], and they were also used in [[Operation Desert Storm]] in 1991.
[[File:S64-Crew.gif|thumb|''Super Six-Four'' one month before the [[Battle of Mogadishu (1993)|Battle of Mogadishu]]. From left: Winn Mahuron, Tommy Field, Bill Cleveland, Ray Frank and [[Michael Durant]].]]
In October 1993 in [[Somalia]], Night Stalkers became involved in the [[Battle of Mogadishu (1993)|Battle of Mogadishu]], which later became the subject of the book ''[[Black Hawk Down (book)|Black Hawk Down]]'', and its [[Black Hawk Down (film)|film adaptation]]. Two Night Stalker Black Hawks, Super 6-1 (piloted by Cliff Wolcott), and Super 6-4 (piloted by [[Mike Durant]]), were shot down in the battle. Five of the eighteen men killed (not counting a nineteenth post-operation casualty) in the Battle of Mogadishu were members of the Night Stalkers team, who were lost along with the two Black Hawks.
=== Global War on Terrorism ===
==== 2001–2005 ====
[[File:MH-60M DAP firing 2.75 inch rockets at a test ground.jpg|thumb|left|A MH-60L DAP fires its {{convert|2.75|in|cm|1|abbr=on}} rockets on a U.S. test range]]
During the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|2001 invasion of Afghanistan]], the Night Stalkers from 2nd Battalion supported two task forces established in early October 2001: [[United States invasion of Afghanistan#Command structure|Dagger]] and [[United States invasion of Afghanistan#Command structure|Sword]]. (Their unit in TF Sword was designated Task Force Brown.)<ref>Neville, Leigh, ''Special Forces in the War on Terror'' (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, p.25, p.29, p.31</ref> In the evening of 18 October into 19 October 2001, two SOAR [[Boeing CH-47 Chinook|MH-47E]] helicopters, escorted by MH-60L (Direct Action Penetrators) (DAPs), airlifted U.S. troops from the [[Karshi-Khanabad Air Base]] in [[Uzbekistan]]<ref name="specialops">{{cite web|title=Task Force Dagger—Operation Enduring Freedom |url=http://www.americanspecialops.com/operations/sof-afghanistan/task-force-dagger.php|access-date=13 January 2012}} page 127ff</ref> more than {{convert|300|km|sp=us}} across the {{convert|16000|ft||adj=on}} [[Hindu Kush]] mountains into Afghanistan.
The pilots of the Chinooks, flying in zero-visibility conditions, were refueled in flight three times during the 11-hour mission, establishing a new world record for combat rotorcraft. The troops—two 12-man [[Special Forces (United States Army)|Green Beret]] teams from the [[5th Special Forces Group (United States)|5th Special Forces Group]] dubbed Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 555 and 595<ref>Neville, Leigh, ''Special Forces in the War on Terror'' (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, p.29, p.32</ref> plus four [[United States Air Force Combat Control Team|Air Force Combat Controllers]]—linked up with the CIA and [[Northern Alliance]]. Within a few weeks, the Northern Alliance, assisted by U.S. ground and air forces, captured several key cities from the Taliban.<ref name="army.mil">[http://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/go0610.pdf Units Credited With Assault Landings]</ref><ref name=gresham>{{cite web|last1=Gresham|first1=John|title=The Campaign Plan—Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom|url=http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/operation-enduring-freedom-the-first-49-days-2/|access-date=11 September 2015|date=12 September 2011}}</ref>
In November 2001, Night Stalker AH-6J Little Birds took part in [[United States invasion of Afghanistan#Objectives Wolverine, Raptor and Operation Relentless Strike|Objective Wolverine and Raptor missions and Operation Relentless Strike]].<ref>Neville, Leigh, ''Special Forces in the War on Terror'' (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, p.42</ref>
In December 2001, Night Stalker crews resupplied more than 150 [[Delta Force]], British [[Special Boat Service]], and CIA [[Special Activities Division]] operatives as they [[Battle of Tora Bora|hunted]] for [[Osama bin Laden]] in the [[Tora Bora]] mountain complex.<ref>Fury, Dalton. Kill Bin Laden. St Martin's, 2008. Print.</ref>
On 21 February 2002, while scouting Islamist terrorists on [[Basilan Island]] as part of [[Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines]] and seeking to rescue a nurse and an American missionary couple, a MH-47 crashed at sea in the southern [[Philippines]]' [[Cebu Strait|Bohol Strait]], killing 10 servicemen (eight from E company, 160th SOAR and two from the [[353rd Special Operations Group]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/02/24/phil.us.crash/index.html |title='No survivors' in U.S. chopper crash |publisher=CNN  |date=24 February 2002 |access-date=24 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icasualties.org/OEF/Fatalities.aspx |title=Operation Enduring Freedom casualties |publisher=iCasualties |date=24 December 2016 |access-date=24 December 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203121759/http://icasualties.org/OEF/Fatalities.aspx |archive-date=3 December 2011 }}</ref>
In March 2002, Night Stalkers from B Company, 2nd Battalion, 160th SOAR supported coalition troops during [[Operation Anaconda]], particularly at the [[Battle of Takur Ghar]] on 4 March, where one of their MH-47Es, callsign Razor 03, was damaged by rocket-propelled grenades and crash-landed carrying Mako 30. A second MH-47E, callsign Razor 01, responded to the shoot down with a [[Quick reaction force|Quick Reaction Force]]; it was damaged by small arms and rocket-propelled grenades, and crash-landed. One Night Stalker was killed in the battle.<ref name="ReferenceA">Neville, Leigh, ''Special Forces in the War on Terror'' (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, pp.29, 50, 58–59, 64–65, 185</ref>
On 21 June 2002 in the Philippines, Night Stalker MH-47Es were involved in the operation that killed [[Abu Sabaya]], a senior leader in [[Abu Sayyaf|Abu Sayyef]]. A U.S. Predator drone marked the person with an infrared laser as he tried to escape in a smuggler's boat. The MH-47Es trained searchlights on the boat while operators from the Philippine [[Naval Special Operations Command|Naval Special Operations Group]] opened fire, killing the terrorist leader and capturing four other terrorists with him.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
Later in 2002, in Afghanistan, Task Force 11 (previously known as Task Force Sword but renamed in January 2002) was composed of DEVGRU, and a company of Rangers, and was supported by a company of helicopters from the 160th SOAR.<ref>Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015 {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}</ref>
[[File:Offensive Air Support 5 160405-M-VO695-523.jpg|thumb|An AH-6M attacks designated targets during an offensive air support exercise with the [[United States Marine Corps Training and Education Command|USMC's MAWTS-1]]]]
During the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]], 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR, deployed as the Joint Special Operations Air Detachment-West under CJSOTF-West (Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-West/Task Force Dagger). It was equipped with eight MH-47E Chinooks, four MH-60L DAPs, and two MH-60L Black Hawks. At 9 p.m. on 19 March 2003, the first strike of Operation Iraqi Freedom was carried out by members of the 160th SOAR, on Iraqi visual observation posts along the southern and western borders of Iraq. The strike groups included one flight of MH-60L DAPs and four "Black Swarm" flights, each consisting of a pair of AH-6M Little Birds; a FLIR-equipped, target-spotting MH-6M; and a pair of U.S. Air Force A-10As.<ref name="ReferenceB">Neville, Leigh, ''Special Forces in the War on Terror'' (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, pp. 90, 97, 130–134</ref>
[[File:US Army 160th SOAR with FRIES insert a Ranger team.jpg|thumb|left|A MH-6M insert a team of [[75th Ranger Regiment|Rangers]] atop a building using the [[Fast-roping|Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System]] (FRIES)]]
In seven hours, more than 70 sites were destroyed, effectively depriving the Iraqi military of any early warning of the coming invasion. As the sites were eliminated the first heliborne SOF teams launched from H-5 airbase in Jordan, including vehicle-mounted patrols from the British and Australian special forces, who were transported by the MH-47Es of the 160th SOAR. Night Stalkers from 1st Battalion 160th SOAR were tasked with supporting [[2003 invasion of Iraq#Initial infiltration|Task Force 20]] with its MH-60L/K Black Hawks, MH-60L DAPs, MH-6M transport and AH-6M Little Birds; they were based at [[Arar, Saudi Arabia|Ar'Ar]]. On 26 March, the 160th SOAR took part in the [[2003 invasion of Iraq#|Objective Beaver]] mission, a raid by DEVGRU on a complex known as al Qadisiyah Research Centre that was suspected to have stocks of chemical and biological weapons.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
[[File:SSG Jeremy Mayo of the 9th Special Operations Squadron observes an aerial refueling of a U.S. Army MH-60K Blackhawk helicopter.jpg|thumb|An MH-60K conducts air-refueling with an [[AFSOC]] [[Lockheed MC-130|MC-130J Commando II]]]]
On 1 April 2003, the 160th SOAR took part in the [[2003 invasion of Iraq#Jessica Lynch rescue|rescue mission]] of [[Private first class|PFC]] [[Jessica Lynch]] who was taken prisoner during the [[Battle of Nasiriyah]]. On 2 April, a Delta Force squadron operating in Iraq was ambushed by a half-dozen armed technicals from an anti-special forces [[Fedayeen Saddam|Fedayeen]]. Two MH-60K Black Hawks carrying a parajumper medical team and two MH-60L DAPs of the 160th SOAR responded and engaged the Iraqis, which allowed the Delta operators to move their two casualties to an emergency HLZ. However, one Delta Force operator succumbed to his wounds.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
On the evening of 13 December 2003, [[Saddam Hussein]] was captured by U.S. forces in [[Operation Red Dawn]], he was exfiltrated by a MH-6 Little Bird from the 160th SOAR and he was taken into custody at Baghdad International Airport.<ref>Neville, Leigh, ''Special Forces in the War on Terror'' (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, p.195-197</ref>
In 2004 they took part in the rescue of three Italian contractors and one Polish businessman held for ransom by Iraqi insurgents.
In Afghanistan in 2005: Eight Night Stalkers (four from [[Headquarters and Headquarters Company (United States)|HHC]] and four from Bravo company of 3rd Battalion<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soldiers.dodlive.mil/2014/02/honoring-the-u-s-army-heroes-of-operation-red-wings/|title=HONORING THE U.S. ARMY HEROES OF OPERATION RED WINGS|publisher=soldiers.dodlive.mil|access-date=17 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118000551/http://soldiers.dodlive.mil/2014/02/honoring-the-u-s-army-heroes-of-operation-red-wings/|archive-date=18 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>) were killed along with eight [[United States Navy SEALs|Navy SEALs]] on a rescue mission for [[Marcus Luttrell]], after their [[CH-47 Chinook|MH-47 Chinook]] helicopter was hit by an RPG ([[rocket propelled grenade]]). They were sent out to look for Luttrell after [[Operation Red Wings]], in which he was involved with three other SEALs, was compromised and Luttrell's teammates killed.
==== 2006–2009 ====
In March 2006, SEALs from DEVGRU and Rangers were flown by the 160th SOAR into in [[North Waziristan]], [[Pakistan]], to assault an al-Qaeda training camp, allegedly under the codename: Operation Vigilant Harvest, the assaulters killed as many as 30 terrorists including the camps commandant.<ref>Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1-4728-0790-8}}, p.232-233</ref>
On 14 May 2006, helicopters from the 160th SOAR brought operators from Delta Force's B Squadron to [[Yusufiyah]], Iraq, to fight al-Qaeda fighters in several buildings. As the operators disembarked their helicopters, they came under fire from a nearby house, and more al-Qaeda fighters soon joined the firefight. The door gunners of the 160th's Black Hawks fired at the insurgents; a pair of AH-6M Little Birds carried out strafing runs. One Little Bird from the 160th's 1st Battalion, B Company, was shot down. An estimated 25 al-Qaeda fighters were killed.<ref>Urban, Mark, ''Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq '', St. Martin's Griffin, 2012 {{ISBN|978-1250006967}}, p.154-156</ref><ref>Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, p.215</ref>
[[File:MH-47E Chinook lands on the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge.jpg|thumb|left|An MH-47E from the regiment lands aboard the {{USS|Kearsarge|LHD-3}}]]
In July 2006, a pair of MH-47Es from 160th SOAR attempted to insert a combined strike element of DEVGRU, Rangers, and Afghan commandos in [[Helmand Province]], Afghanistan, to attack a compound. With some troops on the ground, a large insurgent force ambushed them. Both helicopters were struck by small arms fire. One MH-47E pilot put his aircraft in the line of fire to protect the other MH-47E as its assault team disembarked. An RPG hit the shielding MH-47E, whose pilot crash-landed with no serious injuries to operators or aircrew. The Ranger commander and an attached [[2nd Commando Regiment]] operator organised an all-round defence while the other MH-47E held back the advancing insurgents until its miniguns ran out of ammunition. An [[AC-130]] Spectre joined the battle and kept the down crew and passengers safe until a British Immediate Response Team helicopter recovered them. The AC-130 then destroyed the MH-47E wreck, denying it to the Taliban.<ref>Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, p.236-237</ref>
Elements of 3rd Battalion 160th SOAR have conducted episodic deployments in support of [[Operation Enduring Freedom#Subordinate operations|Operation Enduring Freedom—Caribbean and Central America]], begun in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/oef-cca.htm|title=Operation Enduring Freedom—Caribbean, Central America (OEF-CCA)|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org}}</ref> Night Stalker helicopters were present during the 2008 SOCOM counter-terror exercises in Denver.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shadowspear.com/2009/01/160th-special-operations-aviation-regiment/|title=160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)|website=shadowspear.com|date=15 January 2009|access-date=18 January 2017|archive-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116163208/http://www.shadowspear.com/2009/01/160th-special-operations-aviation-regiment/|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 24 April 2008, Company D, 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR was inactivated at a ceremony conducted at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, as part of a regimental transformation plan.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/army_co_deactivated_043008w/ |title=Special ops aviation company deactivated |work=Army Times |publisher=Army Times Publishing Company |date=4 May 2008 |access-date=21 November 2008}}</ref> The 160th SOAR also took part in the [[2008 Abu Kamal raid]].
[[File:US Army 160th SOAR deploy 7th SFG to US submarine.jpg|thumb|An MH-60L deploys an ODA from [[7th Special Forces Group (United States)|7th Special Forces Group]] onto the deck of a [[U.S. Navy]] [[submarine]]]]
On 19 August 2009, four Night Stalkers from D Company, 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR lost their lives in a [[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk|MH-60 Black Hawk]] helicopter crash in [[Leadville, Colorado|Leadville]], Colorado, during mountain and environmental training.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20Archive/2009/August/090821-02.html |title=PRESS RELEASE: Four Special Operations Aviation Soldiers die in helicopter crash in Colorado |work=USASOC News Service |access-date=22 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826141235/http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20Archive/2009/August/090821-02.html |archive-date=26 August 2009 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> On 9 September 2009 in Afghanistan, Night Stalkers inserted the British SBS and [[Special Forces Support Group|SFSG]] into [[Kunduz Province]] to rescue ''Times'' journalist [[Stephen Farrell (journalist)|Stephen Farrell]] after he and his Afghan interpreter were captured by the Taliban. On 19 September 2009 in Somalia, the Night Stalkers took part in [[Operation Celestial Balance]], whose target was a senior terrorist leader connected to al-Qaeda affiliated organizations. The assault force (4 AH-6M Little Birds and 4 MH-60L Black Hawks) carried in DEVGRU operators to kill or capture the leader. AH-6Ms strafed the two-vehicle convoy, killing the leader along with three other [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|al-Shabaab]] terrorists, then carried out an overwatch while DEVGRU cleared the vehicles and recovered the body.<ref>Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, p.243, p.282-284</ref>
On 22 October 2009, a 3rd Battalion helicopter crashed into the [[USNS Arctic (T-AOE-8)|USNS ''Arctic'']] during a joint training exercise involving fast roping about 20&nbsp;miles off [[Fort Story]], Virginia. The crash killed a soldier, Sergeant First Class James R. Stright, 29, and injured eight others, three seriously.<ref>King, Lauren, "One Killed, Several Injured in Copter Crash on Navy Ship", ''[[Norfolk Virginian-Pilot]]'', 23 October 2009.</ref><ref>Clayton, Cindy, and Lauren King, "Army, Navy Investigating Deadly Copter Crash on Ship", ''[[Norfolk Virginian-Pilot]]'', 24 October 2009.</ref>
=== 2010–2020 ===
[[File:Soldiers from E Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), explain the capabilities of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System at their activation ceremony Nov. 19, 2013..jpg|thumb|The Regiment's E Company gets a tutorial of the MQ-1C Gray Eagles]]
In May 2011, the Night Stalkers took part in the [[Death of Osama bin Laden|raid on Osama bin Laden's compound]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Burns |first=Robert |date=6 May 2011 |title=Stealth chopper secrets may have been exposed |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/987241--stealth-chopper-secrets-may-have-been-exposed |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref> The operation involved flying covertly into [[Abbottabad]], [[Pakistan]] in a pair of MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, specially modified for stealth and piloted by the 160th SOAR, to take a team of Navy SEALs directly to bin Laden's compound. While one of the helicopters crash landed on arrival,<ref name="afi1" /> all on board survived. The SEALs were successfully inserted onto the property while the crew was able to extract themselves, provide cover for the SEALs and then leave on the other helicopter. The mission was overall considered a success. The dramatic nighttime raid was "painstakingly recreated" in the film ''[[Zero Dark Thirty]]'',<ref name="afi1" /> which covers the CIA's efforts to track down bin Laden, from just after the September 11th attacks to the daring raid ten years later.<ref name="afi1">{{cite web|url=https://www.afi.com/news/afi-movie-club-zero-dark-thirty/|title=Zero Dark Thirty|publisher=afi.com}}</ref>
On 28 May 2012, [[List of operations conducted by SEAL Team Six#Operation Jubilee|Operation Jubilee]] took place: Black Hawks from the 160th SOAR flew in teams from the British [[Special Air Service|22 SAS]] and [[Seal Team 6|DEVGRU]] into [[Badakhshan Province]], Afghanistan so they could rescue a British aid worker, a Kenyan NGO worker and 2 Afghans who were taken hostage by Bandits in the province. The rescue was a success.<ref>Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, p.266</ref>
{{Annotated image
| image = Two UH-60M, 160th SOAR on USS Bataan on 10 Feb. 2006.jpg
| image-width = 350
| image-left = -130
| image-top = -55
| width = 220
| height = 130
| float = left
| annotations =
| caption = An MH-60M from the regiment lands aboard the {{USS|Bataan|LHD-5}}
}}
On 15 January 2014, a MH-60M Black Hawk of the 160th performed a hard landing at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. One soldier, CPT Clayton Carpenter of NY (posthumously promoted to MAJ),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nsa160.com/media/files/files/882c3d8a/MAJ_Clayton_Carpenter_Bio.pdf|title=Major Clayton O Carpenter|author=Unknown|work=J. A. UNDERWOOD}}</ref> was killed with another two injured.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.army.mil/article/121185/PRESS_RELEASE__Special_Operations_Aviation_Soldier_dies_in_helicopter_training_accident |title=PRESS RELEASE: Special Operations Aviation Soldier dies in helicopter training accident |work=[[U.S. Army]] |date=4 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25770311|title=One killed in US 'Night Stalkers' hard landing|work=BBC News|date=16 January 2014 }}</ref> On 4 July 2014, during [[Operation Inherent Resolve]], the Night Stalkers inserted [[Delta Force]] operators into Syria to [[2014 American rescue mission in Syria|rescue]] [[James Foley (journalist)|James Foley]] and other US hostages. One American was wounded, no hostages were found, but a substantial number of terrorists were killed. [[United States Central Command|CENTCOM]] mistakenly posted a video on the internet of a flight of four MH-60Ms of the 160th SOAR conducting a mid-air refueling over Iraq in October 2014, the video was hastily taken down. On 26 November 2014, MH-60s flown by Nightstalkers took part in the first raid in the [[2014 hostage rescue operations in Yemen]].<ref>Neville, Leigh, '' Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military)'', Osprey Publishing, 2015  {{ISBN|978-1472807908}}, pp. 302, 307, 310</ref>
The Night Stalkers continue to be deployed to Afghanistan as part of NATO's [[Resolute Support Mission]] after Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan ended in late 2014 and was replaced with [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)#Post ISAF phase|Operation Freedom's Sentinel]]. Throughout that night of 5 December 2015, a group of Rangers engaged in a firefight with enemy troops near the Afghan-Pakistan border; after about 5 a.m. their commander called for an extraction after they learned of a larger enemy group approaching. A helicopter from the 160th SOAR arrived and began receiving heavy fire from the enemy, with an AH-64 Apache helicopter from the 1st Battalion [[101st Aviation Regiment (United States)|101st Aviation Regiment]] escorting the helicopter, put their Apache directly between the U.S. troops, the helicopter and the enemy forces to draw the fire. As a result, the extraction was a success.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2016/06/02/2-fort-campbell-soldiers-receive-distinguished-flying-cross/85304848/|title=2 Fort Campbell soldiers receive Distinguished Flying Cross|work=army times|date=2 June 2016}}</ref>
''The Washington Post'' reported that 160th SOAR took part in the [[Yakla raid]] in Yemen on 29 January 2017, distinguishing itself when its helicopters flew repeatedly into heavy enemy fire to support U.S. Navy SEALs pinned down on the ground. On 25 August 2017, a Black Hawk helicopter flown by the 160th SOAR crashed off the coast of Yemen while conducting hoist training when it lost power and crashed into the sea, six servicemen survived, one US service member remained missing.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/08/26/american-service-member-missing-after-black-hawk-helicopter-crash-off-yemen/ |title=Black Hawk helicopter that crashed off Yemen belonged to elite Special Operations air unit|newspaper=Washington Post|date=26 August 2017}}</ref> ''CNN'' reported that on 27 October 2017, a US helicopter from 4th Battalion 160th SOAR crashed in Logar province, Afghanistan, killing one and injuring six more US service members; the crash was not a result of enemy action.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/28/asia/afghanistan-chopper-crash/index.html|title=Pentagon identifies US service member killed in Afghanistan copter crash|publisher=CNN|date=29 October 2017}}</ref>
On 20 August 2018, CW3 Taylor Galvin died from injuries resulting from an MH-60M crash while conducting a partnered counter-terrorism mission in support of the Operation Inherent Resolve.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/08/21/special-operations-aviator-killed-in-iraq-helicopter-crash-identified/|title=Special operations aviator killed in Iraq helicopter crash identified|work=Army Times|date=21 August 2018}}</ref>
=== 2021–present ===
On the morning of September 18, 2021, "according to what appears to be a military incident report shared on Instagram and Reddit", a [[katana]]-wielding man attacked several SOAR soldiers at a California airport, forcing over twenty of them to "hunker down" in a hangar at [[Inyokern Airport]], resulting in wounds to two soldiers that required stitches. "The soldiers' names were redacted in the photo shared on social media—but one was identified as a staff sergeant and the other as a captain."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2021-09-30/ninja-attack-special-operations-california-airport-3076663.html|title=Special ops troops 'hunkered down' in California airport hangar after nighttime ninja attack|work=Stars and Stripes|date=30 September 2021}}</ref>
On November 12, 2023, details emerged about a [[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk|UH-60 Black Hawk]] crash landing in the Mediterranean Sea 30 miles off the coast of [[Cyprus]] during a training exercise, which the Department of Defense later confirmed and released the names of the 5 crew members killed, also stating that the events leading to the crash were under investigation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schmitt |first=Eric |date=12 November 2023 |title=5 U.S. Special Operations Troops Killed in Helicopter Crash in Mediterranean |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/12/us/politics/us-service-members-killed-crash.html |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cenciotti |first=David |date=2023-11-13 |title=U.S. Army MH-60 Of Elite Night Stalkers Unit Crashes In The Eastern Med Sea Killing Five Soldiers |url=https://theaviationist.com/2023/11/13/mh-60-crashes-eastern-med/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=The Aviationist |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-13 |title=5 US special ops troops killed in helicopter crash after training 'mishap': Officials |url=https://abc7chicago.com/5-us-special-ops-troops-killed-in-helicopter-crash-after-training-/14053682/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=ABC7 Chicago |language=en}}</ref>
== Aircraft ==
{| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:l center; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Variant
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|In service<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111006020855/http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=dti&id=news%2Fdti%2F2011%2F09%2F01%2FDT_09_01_2011_p44-357707.xml&headline=Making%20Do%20For%20Special%20Ops Making Do For Special Ops], aviationweek.com, 6 September 2011</ref><ref>[https://www.army.mil/article/116700/comparing_apples_to_elephants Comparing apples to elephants], Army.mil, by MAJ Emily Potter, dated 10 December 2013, last accessed 24 November 2018</ref>
! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="6" | [[Helicopters]]
|-
| [[Boeing CH-47 Chinook|Boeing CH-47]]
|[[United States]]
|transport / [[Combat search and rescue|CSAR]]
| [[Boeing CH-47 Chinook#MH-47G|MH-47G]]
|71
|
|-
|[[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk|Sikorsky UH-60]]
| [[United States]]
|utility
||[[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk#Special purpose|MH-60L/M]]
|72
|Some L models were upgraded to Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) variants
|-
| [[McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender|MD500 Defender]]
| [[United States]]
|light attack
| [[MD Helicopters MH-6 Little Bird#Variants|AH/MH-6]]
| 47<ref name="World Air Forces 2019">{{cite web |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-2019-world-air-forces-directory-454126/|title = World Air Forces 2019|publisher= Flightglobal Insight |year= 2019 |access-date= 12 May 2019}}</ref>
|M variants can be equipped with the Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanspecialops.com/night-stalkers/helicopters/little-birds.php |title=AH/M-6 Little bird|publisher= americanspecialops.com |access-date=27 May 2019}}</ref>
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="6" | [[Unmanned Aerial Vehicle]]s (UAVs)
|-
|[[General Atomics MQ-1 Predator|General Atomics MQ-1]]
| United States
|surveillance
|[[General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle|MQ-1C]]
|12
|
|}
[[File:MH-60L DAP SOAR.jpg|thumb|The [[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk#Variants|MH-60L DAP (Direct Air Penetrator)]] version of the  Black Hawk, configured to act as a [[helicopter gunship]], is used exclusively by the 160th SOAR]]
{{Annotated image
| image = Special Boat Team takes flight with Nightstalkers (14165572918).jpg
| image-width = 425
| image-left = -190
| image-top = -22
| width = 220
| height = 180
| annotations =
| caption = A MH-47G conducts Maritime External Air Transportation System (MEATS) training with the U.S. Navy's [[Special Operations Craft – Riverine (SOC-R)|Special Operations Craft–Riverine]]
}}
=== List of known operations ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Operation
!Country
!Year
|-
| [[Operation Urgent Fury]] || [[Grenada]] || {{center|1983}}
|-
| [[Operation Prime Chance]] || [[Persian Gulf]] || {{center|1987–1988}}
|-
| [[Operation Mount Hope III]] || [[Chad]] || {{center|1988}}
|-
| [[Operation Just Cause]] || [[Panama]] || {{center|1989}}
|-
| [[Operation Desert Shield (Gulf War)|Operation Desert Shield]] || [[Iraq]] || {{center|1990}}
|-
| [[Operation Desert Storm]] || [[Iraq]] || {{center|1991}}
|-
| [[Operation Restore Hope]] || [[Somalia]] || {{center|1993}}
|-
| [[Operation Gothic Serpent]] || [[Somalia]] || {{center|1993}}
|-
| [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] || [[Afghanistan]] / [[Pakistan]] || {{center|2001–2014}}
|-
| [[2003 invasion of Iraq|Operation Iraqi Freedom]] || [[Iraq]] || {{center|2003–2010}}
|-
| [[Operation Celestial Balance]] || [[Somalia]] || {{center|2009}}
|-
| [[Iraq War#2010: US drawdown and Operation New Dawn|Operation New Dawn]] || [[Iraq]] || {{center|2010–2011}}
|-
| [[Operation Neptune Spear]] || [[Pakistan]] || {{center|2011}}
|-
| [[Operation Inherent Resolve]] || [[Syria]] / [[Iraq]] || {{center|2014–2021}}
|-
| [[Death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi|Operation Kayla Mueller]] || [[Syria]] || {{center|2019}}
|}
{{Clear}}
== Organization ==
<div  style="text-align: center;">
'''160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) [160th SOAR(A)]'''<ref>[https://home.army.mil/campbell/index.php/Go160thSOAR/160th-organization 160TH ORGANIZATION] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211195143/https://home.army.mil/campbell/index.php/Go160thSOAR/160th-organization |date=11 December 2021 }}, U.S. Army Fort Campbell official website, page last updated 13 May 2020, last accessed 11 December 2021</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|-
![[United States military beret flash|Beret flash]]
!Unit
!Location
|-
| [[File:US Army 160th SOAR Flash.svg|75px]]
| 160th SOAR(A)
* Regimental [[Headquarters and Headquarters Company]]
* USASOAC Special Operations Training Battalion [co-led by the 160th SOAR(A)]
| Fort Campbell, Kentucky
|-
| [[File:US Army 1st BN-160th SOAR.svg|75px]]
| 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR(A)
* Headquarters and Headquarters Company
* Light Assault Helicopters Company (MH-6M)
* Light Attack Helicopters Company (AH-6M)
* Medium Attack Helicopters Company (MH-60M DAP)
* Medium Assault Helicopters Company (MH-60M)
* Aviation Maintenance Company
| Fort Campbell, Kentucky
|-
| [[File:US Army 2nd BN-160th SOAR.svg|75px]]
| 2nd Battalion, 160th SOAR(A)
* Headquarters and Headquarters Company
* Heavy Assault Helicopters Company (MH-47G)
* Heavy Assault Helicopters Company (MH-47G)
* Medium Assault Helicopters Company (MH-60M)
* Extended-Range Multi-Purpose Company (MQ-1C)
* Aviation Maintenance Company
| Fort Campbell, Kentucky
|-
| [[File:US Army 3rd BN-160th SOAR.svg|75px]]
| 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR(A)
* Headquarters and Headquarters Company
* Medium Assault Helicopters Company (MH-60M)
* Heavy Assault Helicopters Company (MH-47G)
* Heavy Assault Helicopters Company (MH-47G)
* Aviation Maintenance Company
| [[Hunter Army Airfield]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|-
| [[File:US Army 4th BN-160th SOAR.svg|75px]]
| 4th Battalion, 160th SOAR(A)
* Headquarters and Headquarters Company
* Medium Assault Helicopters Company (MH-60M)
* Heavy Assault Helicopters Company (MH-47G)
* Heavy Assault Helicopters Company (MH-47G)
* Aviation Maintenance Company
| [[Joint Base Lewis-McChord]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
|}
</div>
== See also ==
* [[Black helicopter]]
* [[Fort Campbell]], [[Kentucky]]
* [[Hunter Army Airfield]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
* [[Joint Base Lewis–McChord]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
=== Comparable U.S. units ===
* [[8th Special Operations Squadron]] ([[1st Special Operations Wing]], [[Air Force Special Operations Command]])
* [[20th Special Operations Squadron]] ([[27th Special Operations Wing]], [[Air Force Special Operations Command]])
* [[7th Special Operations Squadron]] ([[352d Special Operations Wing]], [[Air Force Special Operations Command]])
* [[HSC-85|Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 (HSC-85)]] ([[US Navy Reserve]], [[United States Naval Special Warfare Command|Naval Special Warfare Command]])
=== Comparable international units ===
* [[171st Special Operations Aviation Squadron|Australian 171st Special Operations Aviation Squadron]]
* [[Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing|British Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing]]
* [[427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron|Canadian 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron]]
* [[4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment|French 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment]]
* [[3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment|Italian 3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment]]
* [[1st Helicopter Brigade|Japanese 1st Helicopter Brigade]]
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
* {{ACMH|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/av/160av.htm|article=160th Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers) Lineage and Honors}}
== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{oweb|https://Go160thSOAR.com}} of the 160th SOAR(A)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080622085528/http://news.soc.mil/imagery/160th/160th.htm Photographs of 160th SOAR] (archived 22 June 2008)
{{US Special Operations Forces}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1981 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Aviation regiments of the United States Army]]
[[Category:Battle of Mogadishu (1993)]]
[[Category:Helicopter units and formations]]
[[Category:Killing of Osama bin Laden]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1981]]
[[Category:Night flying]]
[[Category:Military units and formations involved in the Somali Civil War]]
[[Category:Special operations regiments of the United States Army]]
[[Category:United States Army Special Operations Command]]