Soldiers Flying Through The Air While Tethered To A Black Hawk Is Nuts - Soldiers Flying Through The Air While Tethered To A Black Hawk Is Nuts 2.jpg ...

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Based in Hawaii, the Army's 25th Combat Aviation Brigade truly flies birds of
paradise and sometimes soldiers hitch a ride on one of them without even
climbing aboard. Known as Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction (SPIE), the
long-proven method allows for soldiers to be quickly inserted into or extracted
from enemy territory even in rough or obstructed terrain where a helicopter
can't safely land. Beyond its critical tactical applications, it is the ultimate
e-ticket ride, sending commandos slung below a charging helicopter flying
through the air as a team. Even though you may have seen this technique before,
I guarantee you have never seen it like how it is showcased in the 360 video
below.

SPIE comes in two flavors, standard and 'wet,' the latter being for quickly
plucking operators from the water as seen in the video above. SPIE and its
closely related cousin, the Stabilized Body (STABO) method of aerial troop
transfer, were developed by the U.S. military nearly 50 years ago and have since
spread to many other militaries around the globe. It is especially popular among
special operations communities.

Generally speaking, it works like this:

A helicopter drops a specially designed and weighted SPIE rope down to soldiers
awaiting hookup below. The soldiers then attach their harnesses to the rope with
carabiners via d-rings on the rope. Then the helicopter gently lifts them into
the air and over any obstacles vertically before accelerating forward to a
pre-set speed as crew chiefs monitor the action of the line below to make sure
it stays within certain parameters.

Once at the landing zone, the group of commandos is gently lowered back down to
the ground and each member clears the area for the next to touch down safely
while also keeping the line taught. It's a remarkably simple but highly
effective way to make otherwise impossible or too risky rapid helicopter
infiltrations and extractions a reality. In theory, it also allows the troops
themselves to shoulder their weapons and return fire if need be as they approach
or depart their pickup zone, although it seems the use of this tactic depends on
the specific doctrine of the military and/or unit.



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