Triumph in the Desert: Recovering a Cold War Prize

Published March 2022

ABSTRACT

In 1988, the professionalism of the soldiers of Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment stood out during Operation MOUNT HOPE III. The unit received the sensitive mission of securing a key piece of Soviet combat technology, a downed but still-operational Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter, from Chad, but near the precarious Libyan border. The crews and maintenance personnel successfully executed the challenging recovery, which included disassembling, transporting, reassembling, and again dismantling and shipping their MH-47D Chinooks. This mission, performed without incident, both secured a working Hind for evaluation by the U.S. Army and highlighted the capability of Army Special Operations Aviation.

NOTE

IAW USSOCOM sanitization protocol for historical articles on recent operations, pseudonyms are used for majors and below who are still on active duty, unless names have been publicly released for awards/decorations or DoD news release. Pseudonyms are identified with an asterisk (*). The eyes of active ARSOF personnel in photos are blocked out when not covered with dark visors or sunglasses, except when the photos were publicly released by a service or DoD. Source references (end notes) utilize the assigned pseudonym.

SIDEBARS

Prepping and Loading onto the C-50

What Happened to the Hind?

TAKEAWAYS

Securing the Mi-24 Hind allowed the U.S. to examine the capabilities of a key piece of Soviet combat technology.
In a short timeframe, Company E was able to accomplish the mission of recovering a working Hind from a remote and potentially dangerous location near the Libyan border to a safer location where it could be shipped to the United States.
The stellar performance of Company E’s soldiers allowed for a successful mission that underscored the unique capabilities of Army special operations aviation.

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Just forty-five minutes of flight time from their destination of an airfield at N’Djamena, Chad, the crews of two MH-47D Chinook heavy lift helicopters encountered a critical situation: they were about to be engulfed by a great wall of sand. The Air Mission Commander of the lead aircraft, Major (MAJ) Gary S. Hasselbach*, recalled that he could “almost see [the airfield] when we were swallowed by the sandstorm.”1 Normally, the pilots would simply fly above the storm. On this occasion, doing so was impossible. Sling-loaded below MAJ Hasselbach’s Chinook was a massive Mi-24 ‘Hind’ Russian-made attack helicopter.

For safety, the pilots of the two Chinooks reduced speed and separated their aircraft by a mile. They quickly lost radio contact and sight of one another. Suddenly Hasselbach’s* MH-47D “popped out of the wall of sand. We could see the airfield about twelve miles away.”2 The crew could not spot the other Chinook, but saw the sand rising up to nearly 3,000 feet behind them. Hasselbach* decided to race to the airfield, set the Hind down, and land before the storm once again overtook the aircraft. After completing that action, the other Chinook emerged from the wall. That pilot only had enough time to set down, and, as Hasselbach* related, he “did not even turn into the wind.”3 Once down, the crews sat in their helicopters for the next twenty minutes as sand blasted the airframes. When they finally emerged, grit covered everything. But, they had succeeded in securing their Cold War prize, a working Hind.

This article explains the 1988 MOUNT HOPE III operation to recover a Soviet-made Hind helicopter. It was a critically important early mission for Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Group (SOAG), which later became 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). The recovery in Chad showcased the operational capabilities of the Chinook airframe in an austere environment at a time when the nascent 160th viewed the helicopter primarily as a gasoline hauler for refueling other helicopters.4

The context of the mission was the Cold War (roughly 1947-1991), in which the United States and its allies faced off in a war of ideologies against the Soviet Union and its satellite nations; a contest between Democracy and Communism. In an almost constant state of tension, one of the ways that each side spread their influence was through weapons sales and use of proxies. Libya, then anti-western and armed with Soviet military equipment, put those weapons to use in its territorial dispute with Chad.5

The Toyota War (1986-1987), the last of a series of border clashes that took place from 1978 to 1987, decided which country would control the Aouzou Strip, a 100-kilometer deep section of northern Chad that runs along the Libyan border. Using armed Toyota pickup trucks, or ‘technicals,’ for mobility, Chadian forces soundly defeated the Libyans. Suffering heavy losses, the Libyans abandoned large amounts of equipment as they fled Chad. The material left behind presented the West with a unique opportunity to study Soviet battlefield technology, including the formidable Mi-24 ‘Hind’ attack helicopter.6

The flight from Moussoro to N’Djemena. At the time, the temperature was well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The lead Chinook attempts to set the Hind down at N’Djamena prior to being overtaken by the sandstorm. The wall of sand rose more than 3,000 feet into the air.

Acquiring a Hind had long been a U.S. priority because the military did not fully understand its capabilities and limitations.7 Following months of negotiations, U.S. and Chadian officials reached a settlement that allowed U.S. military forces to recover one of the abandoned helicopters. A previous attempt to recover another Mi-24 in Chad by cutting it up and transporting it by truck failed to deliver an operational platform. The best solution to successfully recover an intact aircraft seemed to be by airlifting it to an airfield where it could be packed and transported to the U.S. The mission fell to Company E, 160th SOAG.

In April 1988, Company E prepared for the operation with a stateside test simulating lifting and flying with a sling-loaded helicopter. The unit disassembled and loaded two MH-47Ds into a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy and transported them to Roswell, New Mexico. To replicate the distance in Chad, the reassembled Chinooks flew to Biggs Army Air Field (AAF), El Paso, Texas. There, the first MH-47D sling loaded six full 500-gallon water blivets to simulate the weight of a Mi-24. Flying at night around White Sands, New Mexico, both helicopters had to twice land and refuel from C-130s staged along the route. Having successfully completed the simulation, Company E was ready when it received the execution order on 21 May 1988.8

Careful preparation did not mean that all went smoothly. Led by Hasselbach*, the advanced party flew to U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. As soon as they got off the plane, the USEUCOM J-3 demanded that the party give him a briefing. Hasselbach* recalled, “We looked like crap because we flew all night.”9 During the brief, the colonel in charge of the J-3 interrupted to demand that the 160th perform the mission during daylight hours just like a Regular Army Chinook unit. The advanced party then asked why one of the Chinook units already in Germany could not perform the mission. Receiving no response from the J-3, on the spot they called Major General (MG) Gary E. Luck, the commanding general of the Joint Special Operations Command. MAJ Hasselbach* explained the situation to MG Luck, who in turn asked to speak to the J-3 colonel. After speaking with MG Luck, the colonel said, “proceed with the briefing,” and offered no other resistance to the plan.10 Four days later, the group flew from Paris to N’Djamena, Chad, landing on 31 May. There they made billeting arrangements with the U.S. Embassy for the remainder of the group (a total of 67 soldiers) that would arrive two weeks later.

A Grove model RT4451 4-ton Self Propelled Crane for Aircraft Maintenance and Positioning (SCAMP) is being used to remove a component from one of the Chinooks. A single SCAMP serviced both airframes.

The main body at Fort Campbell prepared two MH-47Ds for shipment aboard a single U.S. Air Force C-50 Galaxy strategic airlifter. Staff Sergeant (SSG) Robert H. Wilson*, a Maintenance Team Chief in charge of nine soldiers, received the mission notification when his beeper went off. His instructions were simple: “come in with a bag packed.”11 Once at the hangar, the mechanics began the eight-hour process of preparing the Chinooks to fit into the C-50’s cargo bay. The maintainers positioned the helicopters side by side but facing in opposite directions. This allowed a Grove model RT4451 4-ton Self Propelled Crane for Aircraft Maintenance and Positioning (SCAMP) to move between and service both airframes. In this manner, both crews could work on the same portion of their respective helicopters without getting in each other’s way, said Wilson*.12

Before squeezing the Chinooks into the cargo bay, the maintenance crews had to remove the blades, the rotor heads, the forward and aft transmission pylons, driveshafts, and transmissions. But, they did not just remove the components. SSG Bradley Arnold* noted that the standard practice was to “inspect [each piece] as we took it off because we don’t want to put a bad part on at the other end.”13 All of the hardware was installed onto a threaded template that the unit made specifically for that purpose. This procedure ensured that no hardware was missing and no parts fell out in transit. Still, they “always took an extra set of hardware. If a mechanic dropped it or lost it, that was not mission failure,” recalled Arnold*.14 Major components went onto stands that were tied down on the plane to prevent damage in transit. In addition, all the parts removed from a particular airframe remained with that airframe. “You don’t cross parts,” explained Wilson*.15

Commanders also stressed the sensitivity of the mission, so as not to tip off the Libyans. Arnold* recalled that participants “had to go sterile and leave all your [unit] stuff at home.”16 With all preparations complete, the C-50 left Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in the second week of June to deliver the two MH-47Ds and more than sixty crew and maintenance personnel on a non -stop flight to N’Djamena. Arriving at dusk, the maintenance personnel took advantage of the cooler night time temperatures and immediately sprang to work to rebuild the Chinooks.

Facilities and conditions in Chad, however, were not as optimal as back at Fort Campbell. “The hangars were terrible,” explained SSG Wilson*.17 In addition to the decrepit condition of the buildings, the lights did not work, forcing the 160th maintenance crews to set up temporary lights so that they could see. The high humidity and lingering heat also made work harder. “Some of the guys started to doze off, so I got them coffee to wake them up. We had to keep it up. We were not on a vacation and had to meet a schedule,” remembered Wilson*.18

Reassembling the Chinooks was not just a reversal of the teardown. It is “a lot easier taking them apart than putting them back together,” said Wilson*.19 In contrast to the eight hours it took to tear down the Chinooks, it took almost fourteen to rebuild them, since assembly had more steps. For instance, during reassembly, the maintenance crews torqued the bolts to the proper tolerances to ensure that the aircraft remained safe in flight. Finally, there was one last task. Crew Chief, SSG Chris G. Rogers*, said that the maintenance crew “took everything off the helicopters to make it lighter but still function safely.” This included removing things like soundproofing.20 All these things took time to do properly. Arnold* remembered that “they worked through the night. You could see the sun coming up when we pushed the helicopters out” onto the tarmac. After having two pilots test fly the helicopters to ensure that they were flight ready, the mission was “good to go.” But, “after having been up for a day and a half, we were pretty much cooked,” said Arnold in describing the condition of the maintenance crew.21

With their tasks done, the maintenance personnel went to the Marine Security Guard Detachment at the U.S. embassy to get some well-deserved rest. Wilson said that “they made us as comfortable as they could but we were everywhere you could put a body.”22 Arnold* added: “There were eight guys to a room, and some had to sleep on the floor. We were just wore out because of the heat.”23 In contrast, the six pilots, four crewmembers, and two Air Force pararescuemen (known as PJs) scheduled to fly on the mission had stayed in the home of an embassy employee to be as well rested as possible.24

At midnight, on 11 June 1988, the two MH-47Ds and their crews departed from N’Djamena on the 550 mile direct flight to Ouadi Doum.25 The crews had planned no refuel stops during the initial leg. Although the helicopters were not equipped with an air-to-air refueling capability, they carried an internal system devised by Company E. This consisted of fuel tanks rolled into the aircraft via the ramp, connected to one another, and then filled. When full, the system added an additional 600 gallons of fuel and more than 5,000 pounds to the aircraft.26

In a true test of skill, the crews flew over the trackless Saharan desert at night with only the use of then-sophisticated, but now rudimentary navigational aids. The first of these was OMEGA, a global long-range radio navigational system that sent very low range frequencies from fixed locations to help ships and aircraft navigate. The second was Doppler radar. While neither was perfect, Rogers, the Crew Chief in Hasselbach’s* helicopter said, “OMEGA was better. [It] said we were there, [Doppler] said we were not there.”27 However, as dawn approached, the crew spotted the early rays of sun reflecting off the airfield at Ouadi Doum and vectored in to the waiting Hind. SSG Oscar Waters*, the crew chief on the second Chinook, described the scene. “The sun was coming up and all kinds of [Soviet] equipment was laying out. It looked like a battle had been fought.”28

The Hind as the Libyans left it at Ouadi Doum. In this photograph, it has not yet been prepped for sling-load as the Soviet helicopter still retains its rotor blades.

The Hind in the process of being prepped at Ouadi Doum. The C-130 was there to transport the Hind’s rotor blades and the discarded internal fuel tanks from the Chinooks.

U.S. personnel prepare the Hind for sling-load. The Russian helicopter was already prepared and rigged by the time the 160th Chinooks arrived.

Both MH-47Ds landed as close to the Mi-24 as possible and pushed out the internal fuel tank which, by this time, were empty. The first Chinook could not pick up the Hind with the added weight of the extra fuel tanks. The backup helicopter also jettisoned its internal system because it had to be prepared to pick up the Hind in case the first craft suffered mechanical problems. Because the operation was on a tight schedule, lest the Libyans be tipped off to the extraction and try to bomb the helicopter, other U.S. personnel had already rigged the Hind in such a way that it could withstand a minimum of a 90-knot forward speed (about 104 miles per hour).

SSG Rogers* described how they attached the Hind to the Chinook. Each of the U.S. helicopters had dual hooks under the airframe to better balance the load. Although there was a ground guide, the Crew Chief would lay on the floor and look through a hole in the Chinook’s deck to determine their location and relay the information to the pilots via a headset intercom. “I told the pilot where to go … and called off the height of the load. I did it all visually,” said Rogers*.29 Once the Hind was hooked up, the crew determined that the load was stable, and said “It hung like a rock, even at 110 knots [127 miles per hour]. It was rigged perfectly … [We almost] did not know it was down there.”30 From the trailing Chinook, Waters* observed, “It flew perfectly.”31 With the Mi-24 slung, the two helicopters began their journey back to N’Djamena. With no internal fuel system, the flight had to conduct two refueling stops.

The Air Force C-130 aircraft as it waits at Faya Largeau to refuel the inbound Chinooks.

The Hind on its initial leg to Faya Largeau. This photo shows how well the Hind ‘flew’ beneath the Chinook.

The Chinook and the sling-loaded Hind come into the Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) at Faya Largeau, the first of two refueling stops.

At the first stop at Faya Largeau, a waiting Air Force C-130 had established a Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP). Done in stages, the Chinook first had to set down the Mi-24, unhook it, land to refuel, and then re-hook the load when both helicopters had refueled. Unfortunately, the refueling system on the C-130 had broken and the Chinook crews had to shut down while awaiting a solution. Instead of waiting for someone to come fix the C-130’s fuel system, a 160th crewman worked with the Air Force crew to get it working. The delay allowed the Army crew to briefly inspect their prize for the first time.

MAJ Hasselbach’s (third from left, standing) crew in front of the Hind at Faya Largeau. A refueling delay allowed them to check out the Soviet helicopter.

The Hind at Faya Largeau with SSG Oscar Waters in front. This photo shows how the helicopter was rigged for sling load.

The MH-47D and Hind on the flight from Faya Largeau to Moussoro. During this stretch, temperatures began to climb.

Back in the air, the Chinooks headed to their next FARP, located at an airfield at Moussoro, and manned by the French Foreign Legion. The pilots set the Hind down inside a fenced compound, but both MH-47Ds had to land outside of the wire to refuel. The Legionnaires passed refueling hoses to them through the fence. “The French were supporters” of what Company E was doing because “everybody wanted to get their hands on a Hind,” reminisced Hasselbach*.32

A potential problem was avoided when the locals came to investigate the unarmed helicopters and crews. Being very interested, they approached close enough to touch the aircraft. Then, according to Rogers*, “The French sent jeeps out and said something … I don’t know what they said but it must have been pretty impressive because [the locals] stayed back.”33 When the refueling was complete, the crew of the second Chinook helped hook up the Hind for the last leg of the flight back to N’Djamena.

In that final phase, the only complication was the nearly 110 degree Fahrenheit heat. “We were cooking,” said Waters.34 Rogers* added that it was so hot “we had to wear gloves” to touch the airframe “or we would burn our hands.”35 He recalled that the Air Force PJ on his helicopter helped considerably. While laying on the hot floor of the helicopter to monitor the load as they flew, Rogers* recalled that “the PJ was so good that he cracked ice packs and put them on the back of my neck without me even asking for it.”36 Then, the sandstorm hit.

Their extensive training allowed the crews to pass through this challenging situation with ease. Rogers* said that “we buttoned every door we could but dust was everywhere … the sand came up from below,” through the hole in the floor. Despite the difficulties, the helicopters landed at N’Djamena just in time to be engulfed. While they were on the ground, Rogers* saw that the wind was blowing so hard that it picked up a tent and wrapped it around the nose of a C-130.37 After twenty minutes the storm passed, the pilots shut down their aircraft, and the crews exited the helicopters following the long flight.

The lead Chinook as it begins to set down the Hind on the N’Djamena airfield. While the dust in the foreground is from the prop wash, the sand storm looms in the background.

MAJ Hasselbach sets the Hind down on the tarmac at N’Djamena as the sand storm swallows hangars at the far end of the field. As soon as the Hind was released, the Chinook landed alongside.

Meanwhile, the rest of the maintenance crew at the embassy was unaware of the situation at the airfield. Arnold* said that he and the maintenance crew slept right through the sandstorm because they were so tired. As he recalled it, “I was dead.” When the maintainers did get up they saw that the storm had blown a tree right into the barracks pool and had covered everything with sand. But, they did not have time to gawk at the damage or look at the sandblasted Mi-24 because they had to get the Chinooks ready for loading. The biggest challenge was to get all the sand out of the airframes since it had collected wherever there was moisture or oil.38 Otherwise, the grit would have acted like sandpaper and worn down the moving parts. The maintenance crews towed the helicopters to the hangar to again disassemble them for transport.

The Hind with MAJ Hasselbach’s Chinook just as the sand storm is about to engulf them. The Chinook’s rotor blades are still turning as the crews could not shut the engines off for fear that the wind might bend the blades into the airframe.

The Hind at N’Djamena after the sand storm. Civilian personnel have already begun securing the airframe for transport to the United States.

Ironically, the most difficult aspect of the mission proved to be getting back to Fort Campbell. While the Hind was loaded and flown out separately, the Company E maintenance crew prepared the MH-47Ds for loading.39 The problem lay with the U.S. Air Force C-5 that was to bring them back. At their first refueling stop, at Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean, they had a hard landing that was so violent the ceiling panels shook loose from the aircraft.40 Only after landing at the second stop at Antigua did the Air Force crew find a crack in the fuselage near the forward section, grounding the aircraft until that particular part was replaced. The 160th soldiers, with no money and arriving out of season, spent the night at a nearly vacant resort. Wearing whatever spare clothes they had, Arnold* said that “we all looked funny” as they enjoyed an impromptu luau. Once another C-50 landed with the spare part, the group was soon on its way back to Fort Campbell.41

The mission was a complete success thanks to Company E’s professionals, despite the challenging deployment, austere environment, and working in temperatures as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit.42 Not only had the crews navigated deep into a country to bring back a desperately wanted example of front-line Soviet combat aviation, but the maintenance crews had excelled in preparing the aircraft and keeping them mission capable. They twice had dismantled and once rebuilt two MH-47D helicopters all without incident to accomplish the mission in 67 hours, according to a post mission brief.43

The mission had long-term implications for Company E. For Hasselbach* the mission represented “the Chinook coming out” event for the 160th.44 Wilson* summed it all up, saying the mission was “our big claim to fame. It was our glory moment … [before] we felt like the red-headed stepchild. It started to change a little after that.”45

ENDNOTES

Gary S. Hasselbach interview with Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, 31 March 2016, USASOC History Office, Fort Bragg, NC, hereafter Hasselback interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Hasselback interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Hasselback interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
The official name of the country is the Republic of Chad. ^[return]
Chad gained its independence from France in 1960. ^[return]
While this particular Hind could fly, it had taken a bullet in the engine and flying it out was considered too risky. ^[return]
“Mt. Hope III, Regimental Officer Professional Development 4th Quarter,” p 15, included in USASOC FOIA request Case #11-012 (J) response to Mr. John Greenewald, 7 April 2011. ^[return]
“Mt. Hope III, Regimental Officer Professional Development 4th Quarter,” p 19. ^[return]
Hasselback interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Hasselback interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Robert H. Wilson, interview with Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, 6 September 2016, USASOC History Office, Fort Bragg, NC, hereafter Wilson interview, 6 September 2016. ^[return]
Wilson interview, 6 September 2016. ^[return]
Bradley Arnold, interview with Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, 25 May 2016, USASOC History Office, Fort Bragg, NC, hereafter Arnold interview, 25 May 2016. ^[return]
Arnold interview, 25 May 2016. ^[return]
Wilson interview, 6 September 2016. ^[return]
Arnold interview, 25 May 2016. ^[return]
Wilson interview, 6 September 2016. ^[return]
Wilson interview, 6 September 2016. ^[return]
Wilson interview, 6 September 2016. ^[return]
Chris G. Rogers, interviewed by Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, 25 August 2016, USASOC History Office Classified Files, Fort Bragg, NC. ^[return]
Arnold interview, 25 May 2016. ^[return]
Wilson interview, 6 September 2016. ^[return]
Arnold interview, 25 May 2016. ^[return]
“Operation MOUNT HOPE III (June 1988), p. 2, copy provided to the USASOC History Office by 2nd Battalion, 160th SOAR. The pararescuemen, also known as PJs, were there to provide medical assistance if needed. ^[return]
The crews and helicopters flew unarmed. ^[return]
Chris G. Rogers, interview with Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, 25 August 2016, USASOC History Office, Fort Bragg, NC, hereafter Rogers interview, 25 August 2016. ^[return]
Rogers interview, 25 August 2016. ^[return]
Oscar Waters, interview with Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, 1 September 2016, USASOC History Office, Fort Bragg, NC, hereafter Waters interview, 1 September 2016. ^[return]
Rogers interview, 25 August 2016. ^[return]
Hasselback interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Waters interview, 1 September 2016. ^[return]
Hasselback interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Rogers interview, 25 August 2016. ^[return]
Waters interview, 1 September 2016. ^[return]
Rogers interview, 25 August 2016. ^[return]
Rogers interview, 25 August 2016. ^[return]
Waters interview, 1 September 2016. ^[return]
Arnold interview, 25 May 2016. ^[return]
The Hind went out on the first plane, the Chinooks and 160th soldiers followed later. ^[return]
Rogers interview, 25 August 2016. ^[return]
Arnold interview, 25 May 2016. ^[return]
“Mt. Hope III, Regimental Officer Professional Development 4th Quarter,” p 34, included in USASOC FOIA request Case #11-012 (J) response to Mr. John Greenewald, 7 April 2011. ^[return]
“Mt. Hope III, Regimental Officer Professional Development 4th Quarter,” p 5, included in USASOC FOIA request Case #11-012 (J) response to Mr. John Greenewald, 7 April 2011. ^[return]
Hasselback interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Wilson interview, 6 September 2016. ^[return]
Gary S. Hasselbach, interview with Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, 31 March 2016, USASOC History Office, Fort Bragg, NC, hereafter Hasselbach interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Hasselbach interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Hasselbach interview, 31 March 2016. ^[return]
Burt MacAdoo, interview with Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, 16 August 2016, USASOC History Office, Fort Bragg, NC, hereafter MacAdoo interview, 16 August 2016. MacAdoo flew the MH-60 Blackhawk Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) while in the 160th SOAR. ^[return]
MacAdoo interview, 16 August 2016. ^[return]
MacAdoo interview, 16 August 2016. ^[return]
Wayne Novy, Southern Museum of Flight curator, interview with Dr. Troy J. Sacquety, 17 August 2016, USASOC History Office, Fort Bragg, NC. ^[return]