We are always looking for more information about the elusive stealth Black Hawk helicopters used by the US military, including the one that crashed during the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in 2011, as well as any potential predecessors.
A newly discovered image appears to show a modified EH-60 electronic warfare and signals intelligence variant of the Black Hawk, which could be one of the missing links between the Bin Laden raid helicopter and stealth Black Hawk concepts from the 1970s.
It is believed that the image was taken at Fort Eustis in Virginia, where the Flight Concepts Division (FCD), now known as the Aviation Technology Office (ATO), is responsible for developing the US Army’s most advanced rotary-wing capabilities, including the stealth Black Hawks.
Although the photo has no date or program information, the heavily modified nose, “doghouse,” engine intakes, exhausts, and rotor hub suggest an attempt to reduce the helicopter’s radar signature. The picture does not show any modifications to the tail rotor, which could negatively impact its radar reflectivity and acoustic signature.
It is unclear whether the image is a prototype of the Stealth Hawks used in the Bin Laden raid or an earlier iteration leading to the current design.