[Popular Mechanics] The U.S. Army’s elite fleet of A/MH-6 "Little Bird" special operations helicopters might give way to civilian choppers in the coming years.
The Army could swap the Little Birds, which the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment has used for nearly 40 years, for the winner of a new armed reconnaissance helicopter competition. The catch? Just one of the two competing helicopters can actually carry troops—a key requirement for the Little Bird’s replacement.
In 1981, following the failure of the mission to free the U.S. hostages in Tehran, the U.S. Army founded Task Force 160, an elite helicopter unit designed to support special forces ground units. The unit received its first A/MH-6 helicopters in 1983; since then, the "Little Birds" have served in the aviation unit continuously. The small and nimble helicopters fly low to mask their appearance and avoid enemy fire.
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