Special Operations Aviation

Latest in Special Operations Aviation

The U.S. Army has given us our first glimpse at what the new MV-75A Cheyenne II tiltrotor will look like in its special operations configuration.
160th SOAR "Nightstalkers"

First Look At What A Night Stalker MV-75 Cheyenne Will Look Like

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Apr 15, 2026

FARP in Iran set up by special tactics squadron airman during WSO rescue.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

How A Dusty Strip Deep In Iran Can Be Turned Into A U.S. Special Operations Base In Hours

By Howard Altman

Posted on Apr 6, 2026

Little birds of the 160th SOAR were destroyed in Iran after the successful rescue of a F-15E WSO
160th SOAR "Nightstalkers"

Night Stalker AH-6 Little Bird Helicopters Destroyed At Forward Landing Site In Iran

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Apr 5, 2026

L3Harris has highlighted the potential benefits of pairing its Red Wolf miniature cruise missile with the U.S. Air Force's OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Red Wolf Cruise Missile Eyed To Give OA-1K Skyraider II Standoff Strike Capability

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 10, 2026

U.S. forces were prepared to destroy three airfields if it appeared that fighters belonging to the Venezuelan Air Force were attempting to scramble and intercept the force sent to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.
Special Operations Aviation

U.S. Was Primed To Destroy Three Venezuelan Airfields If Fighters Attempted To Launch

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jan 15, 2026

A U.S. plane with a civilian-style outward appearance and the ability to launch munitions from within its fuselage carried out the first controversial strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat, according to multiple reports.
Special Operations Aviation

Let’s Talk About The Mysterious “Civilian-Style” Plane Used To Strike A Drug Boat

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 14, 2026

The Little Bird's small size and incredible transportability mean that it can appear from virtually anywhere, on land or at sea, and are among the capabilities that have long endeared the type to the U.S. Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).
Special Operations Aviation

Night Stalker MH-6 Little Bird’s Ability To Appear Out Of Nowhere Highlighted In Tanker Raid

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 7, 2026

U.S. forces have secured the runaway Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera, a U.S. official has confirmed to TWZ.
160th SOAR "Nightstalkers"

U.S. Forces Seize Fleeing Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker In North Atlantic (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Jan 7, 2026

Despite parallels drawn between the two operations, one asset that featured prominently in the Bin Laden mission in 2011 that looks to have been notably absent in the force that descended on Caracas over the weekend is stealthy Black Hawk helicopters.
Special Operations Aviation

Why Stealth Black Hawks Weren’t Used For Maduro Capture Mission

By Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 6, 2026

U.S. Army MH-60 Black Hawks assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment approach Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic during a forward arming and refueling point exercise, MCOLF Atlantic, May 6, 2025. U.S. Army Soldiers and aircraft from the 160th SOAR utilized MCAS Cherry Point’s training area to conduct a FARP. This training is essential for enhancing the unit’s operational readiness and ensuring efficient support for rapid deployment, as Cherry Point provides the facilities and resources to simulate real world scenarios.
160th SOAR "Nightstalkers"

This Is What The Night Stalkers’ MH-60M Direct Action Penetrator Brought To The Venezuelan Op

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 5, 2026

A surge of aircraft from the U.S. to the U.K. has sparked speculation of a SOF aviation buildup.
160th SOAR "Nightstalkers"

U.S. Special Ops Aircraft Arriving In UK Could Point To Looming Oil Tanker Boarding Operation

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 5, 2026

Each of the U.S. Air Force's Special Operations Command's (AFSOC) new OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft has a somewhat unexpected feature in its cockpit.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

OA-1K Skyraider II Has Off-The-Shelf Rifle Sight Mounted In Its Cockpit

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 21, 2025

An OA-1K, like the one seen in the picture at the top of this story, crashed today.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Air Force’s Crop Duster Converted Into Attack Plane Crash Lands In Field (Updated)

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 23, 2025

The U.S. Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), better known as the Night Stalkers, has been exploring ways to ensure it can operate in more heavily defended airspace in the future.
Special Operations Aviation

How The Night Stalkers Are Planning To Survive In Future High-End Fights

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 15, 2025

Leidos has raised the possibility of eventually integrating its Black Arrow, also known as the Small Cruise Missile, in the MQ-9 Reaper drone and the OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft. The roughly 200-pound munition has, so far, been tested from C-130 variants but offers the kinds of capabilities that U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is increasingly looking at harnessing.
Special Operations Aviation

Tiny Black Arrow Cruise Missile Demonstrates A Whopping 400-Mile Range

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Updated on Sep 24, 2025

The last MC-12W Liberty turboprop surveillance aircraft under U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command's (AFSOC) umbrella have been retired.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Last Special Operations MC-12W Surveillance Planes Retired

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 15, 2025