May 17
Tynibelle airplane models, B-25 Old Glory, f-16, model aircraft, model airplane, model plane, P-51 Man O' War, plane models, Red Star Formation Flying Group, T-38, T-38s, Truckee Tahoe AirFair & Family Festival, Truckee Tahoe Airport, wooden airplane models, Yak-52
TAHOE/TRUCKEE, California — Aircraft enthusiasts and festival followers alike will be tantalized by the roar of T-38s flying overhead and SambaDa, a Santa Cruz group informed by bloco afro (Afro-Brazilian percussion music), samba-reggae, surf-rock, and California funk on Saturday, July 7 at the inaugural Truckee Tahoe AirFair & Family Festival.
This free all day (7 a.m.-4 p.m.) fundraising event with free vehicle and $1 bike parking in a gated corral is in support of Tahoe-Truckee youth programs.
The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. and will feature special performances by the “Just-In-Time Skydivers” and the Red Star Formation Flying Group. Both are certain to get the energy flying high.
“Never seen a skydiving performance or a formation flying team? Then don’t miss the opening ceremony. It will truly wow spectators. Smoke, a flag and cheers will explode at this time during the event,” says AirFair & Family Festival Chairman Tim LoDolce. “The Red Star formation flying team, soaring in YAK 52s, and the ‘Just-in-Time Sky Diving Team’ are going to make the Truckee sky come alive!”
The AirFair will feature a wide variety of aircraft on the ramp and in the air including the World War II era B-25 Old Glory and P-51 Man O’ War. Possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many, the Man O’ War is offering rides with profits going to the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). The CAF is the premier warbird organization now operating 156 vintage aircraft in honor of American military aviation. Ride fares are tax deductible.
AirFair spectators will also be thrilled by the “Parade of Planes” throughout the day. The airport ramp will crackle with all types of static aircraft displays and pilot docents explaining the details about each aircraft. Military, experimental, corporate and everyday general aviation aircraft offer something for everyone.
Free EAA Chapter 1073 Young Eagle flights for youth ages 8-17 are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Rides are subject to weather conditions, and parents must accompany their children at time of sign-up. Prior notice of those children interested in a free flight is highly recommended so AirFair planners may schedule planes and pilots. Call EAA Young Eagle Coordinator Michael Golden at 530-587-8017.
Another event highlight includes the attendance of two of the original Tuskegee Airmen as Grand Marshals: Les Williams and Le Roy F. Gillead. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States armed forces. Videos of these veterans can be viewed on the AirFair & Family Festival Facebook page and by watching the newly released Lucas Films movie “Red Tails.”
“The participation of the Tuskegee Airmen is a true honor,” said LoDolce. “Bring your children to meet and shake hands with these military aviator historians. They will also be honored on Friday, July 6 at the pre-AirFair dinner in hangar one.” Tickets for the Friday Night Pre-AirFair Dinner honoring the Tuskegee Airmen are available in advance for $40 per person. Call the Airport at 530-587-4119, ext. 0 for ticket purchasing information.
The Family Festival will boast an array of activities including a participatory bike rodeo with ramps and obstacle course; live music by SambaDa; a live two-hour radio remote from Truckee’s KTKE 101.5FM; giant bubbles; face painting; arts and crafts; stilt walkers; food court; beer garden; souvenirs; vendors and much more family fun.
The last air shows held at the Truckee Tahoe Airport were from 1974-1996 and featured displays like Air Force F-16s, Marine Corps, Vietnam-era helicopters and other privately owned war birds. In addition, some of those planes performed an array of spectacular aerobatics with trailing smoke. The 2012 AirFair will not feature aerobatics; instead periodic fly-overs will occur including the “Parade of Planes” flown by local aviators in different and exciting aircraft.
The AirFair & Family Festival is being put on by the Truckee Tahoe Airport District with the cooperation of Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 1073, KidZone Museum and the Truckee Optimist Club. This fundraising event replaces the well-known annual KidZone Family Festival and Truckee Optimist Club’s Cannibal Cruise.
The Truckee Tahoe Airport District is the “Golden Wings” sponsor of this event, meaning they are paying for all operational costs. Other sponsorship monies and proceeds go directly to youth programs.
Major sponsors to date include Amador Cellars Winery; Charter Media; CLM Design; Community Ink; DBI Beverage Company (Coors); Dickson Realty; GLA-Morris Construction, Inc.; KTKE Radio; Paragon PR; Northstar California; Robert E. Sutton Company; Sierra Sun; Suddenlink; Taco Bell; Tahoe Donner Association; Tahoe Forest Health System; Tahoe Mountain Resorts Foundation; Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal; Teichert Aggregates; The Weekly; Truckee Tahoe Lumber and World Fuels.
Satisfy aircraft cravings through quality model planes from Warplanes.
News Source: Sierrasun.com
Aug 19
TynibelleBlog Articles, Pilot aircraft models, airplane models, Avrid Shook, B-17, b-25, C-119, C-124, C-46 Commando, C-47 Skytrain, helicopter models, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, plane models, tiger moth, Valiant Air Command, warplanes, wooden airplane models
TITUSVILLE, Florida – A World War II veteran relives his wartime adventure by flying the very same airplane he once did six decades ago.
Avrid Shook flew during the war and was assigned to the China, India, Burma (CBI) Theater. He flew the famous C-46 Commando and C-47 Skytrain among many others, such as the B-25, B-17, C-124, C-119 and a fabric covered bi-plane called the Tiger Moth.
So in honor of his 91st birthday, Shook requested to be able to fly again in the first aircraft he trained on those many years ago — the Tiger Moth. On Saturday, he took to the sky from the Valiant Air Command at the Warbird Museum in Titusville.
Shook was stationed around the world including Korea and Japan. He retired in 1964 and has two children, six grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
He has been a member of the Valiant Air Command for about 5 years; often volunteering during our Open Houses to stand by our exhibits and regal visitors with stories of his exploits and experience.
-cfnews13.com
Aug 18
TynibelleBlog Articles, Pilot aircraft models, airplane models, B-24 Liberator, Fleet Finch, harvard, Harvard Mk. IV, helicopter models, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, plane models, Royal Air Force, tiger moth, veteran, warplanes, wooden airplane models, yellow peril, Yellow Wings
Len Hodges found his wings again.
The 89-year-old Royal Air Force veteran hadn’t flown in a Harvard Mk. IV flight trainer in 68 years. But he got his chance last week, taking a ride in the swift, yellow trainer when it visited Niagara District Airport — the same airport where he learned to fly as a Tiger Moth pilot in 1943.
As he climbed down from the wing of the plane, he was grinning from ear to ear.
The Harvard Mk. IV plane was just one piece of history brought to life as six vintage aircraft were brought out to the tarmac and shown off. They were part of the Yellow Wings initiative, a program flying coast to coast to draw attention to the history of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
The airport was once part of that plan: As the former No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School, it graduated more than 1,800 pilots during the Second World War, sending them off with the basics of flight under their belts to earn their wings at more advanced schools.
Hodges is among the surviving graduates. ”It brings back a lot of memories,” he said prior to his flight.
At St. Catharines, he said, he trained in Tiger Moths rather than the Fleet Finch aircraft typically used. He moved up to the Harvard elsewhere, finding the plane easier to handle than those he flew here.
But the challenge of learning didn’t cow him. ”I wanted to fly, and I loved it,” said Hodges, who went on to fly B-24 Liberator bombers over Southeast Asia for the Royal Air Force.
Dave Hadfield, team leader of the Yellow Wings tour, said there were bound to be a few flying aces that came out of the Niagara operation.
“St. Catharines was a big operation,” he said. “One of the World War II hangars is still here, but it was a larger operation in those days.”
He said pilots did their first 50 hours in flight here, zipping about in bright-painted planes often dubbed yellow perils. They’d move up to fly Harvards elsewhere, and finally split off to fighter or bomber school.
The Yellow Wings have stopped at many of the old schools already, he said, with more on the agenda. They started their journey in British Columbia and plan to touch down at every base involved in the Air Training Plan.
In St. Catharines, they joined in a re-dedication ceremony for a monument at the airport terminal, honouring the flight school.
Hadfield said Canada started with only a handful of airmen. He said British prime minister Winston Churchill asked the country not to send 10 pilots to war right away, but to send 10,000 in a year.
“The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan was likely our largest (contribution) to victory in the Second World War,” Hadfield said. “We were the aerodrome of democracy.
“We trained over 200,000 people and we did it in an incredible hurry.”
Many were pilots from the United States and other countries.
“It was a magnificent accomplishment — never been equalled in Canadian aviation. It’s not something you read about in the history books.”
It’s a history that’s being lost, Hadfield said. He noted many Second World War veterans are old, and more and more are dying.
“That whole knowledge is disappearing, but by maintaining these aircraft and flying them we can preserve that history.”
It wasn’t just flight that brought Hodges to put down roots here, though. He’s originally from Basingstoke in the U.K. but has lived here since 1947. Here, he said, he met his wife of 64 years.
“I’m a war husband,” he said.
-wellandtribune.ca
Aug 17
TynibelleCarriers, News 777, 777X, 787, Airbus A350-1000, aircraft models, airplane models, b777, B777X, Boeing, boeing 777, Boeing 777X, custom models, helicopter models, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, plane models, Popular Airlines, warplanes, wooden airplane models
Boeing is looking at expansive and more modest changes to the 777 widebody to keep the product viable, but a strategy decision is not likely soon, says Air Lease Corp. Chairman and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy.
Boeing is already in talks with potential customers about the so-called 777X, says Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Jim Albaugh.
Some of the proposals being looked at include a brand-new engine to replace the GE90, which General Electric would first have to develop, Udvar-Hazy says.
Also on the agenda are potentially a new wing, or, at least, aerodynamic improvements.
Udvar-Hazy says the options range from major changes to a Band-Aid approach to keep the aircraft competitive versus the Airbus A350-1000.
Some options are “extremely costly, in terms of development and would involve significant redesign of the airplane,” he says.
The near-term focus for Boeing will be on getting the 787 into customer hands, he adds, so, “I don’t think Boeing is going to come to any quick decision.”
-aviationweek.com
-wikipedia.org
Aug 15
TynibelleNews aircraft models, airplane models, Doomsday defense cuts, f-15, F-18, F-35, f-35 joint strike fighter, f35, helicopter models, Jet Model Planes, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, Osprey, Other Nautical/Aviation and Decor, Pentagon, plane models, Tank and Armored Vehicle Models, V-22, V-22 Osprey, V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, V22, warplanes, wooden airplane models
For the dozen lawmakers tasked with producing a deficit-cutting plan, the threatened “doomsday” defense cuts hit close to home.
The six Republicans and six Democrats represent states where the biggest military contractors — Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Corp., Raytheon Co. and Boeing Co. — build missiles, aircraft, jet fighters and tanks while employing tens of thousands of workers.
The potential for $500 billion more in defense cuts could force the Pentagon to cancel or scale back multibillion-dollar weapons programs. That could translate into significant layoffs in a fragile economy, generate millions less in tax revenues for local governments and upend lucrative company contracts with foreign nations.
The cuts could hammer Everett, Washington, where some of the 30,000 Boeing employees are working on giant airborne refueling tankers for the Air Force, or Amarillo, Texas, where 1,100 Bell Helicopter Textron workers assemble the fuselage, wings, engines and transmissions for the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.
Billions in defense cuts would be a blow to the hundreds working on upgrades to the Abrams tank for General Dynamics in Lima, Ohio, or the employees of BAE Systems in Pennsylvania.
For committee members such as Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., the threat of Pentagon cuts is an incentive to come up with $1.5 trillion in savings over a decade. Failure would have brutal implications for hundreds of thousands workers back home and raise the potential of political peril for the committee’s 12.
“I think we all have very good reasons to try to prevent” the automatic cuts, Toomey told reporters last week when pressed about the impact on Pennsylvania’s defense industry. “That is not the optimal outcome here, the much better outcome would be a successful product from this committee.”
The panel has until Thanksgiving to come up with recommendations. If they deadlock or if Congress rejects their proposal, $1.2 trillion in automatic, across-the-board cuts kick in. Up to $500 billion would hit the Pentagon.
Those cuts, starting in 2013, would be in addition to the $350 billion, 10-year reduction already dictated by the debt-limit bill approved by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama this month.
Not surprisingly, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has described the automatic cuts as the “doomsday mechanism.” He’s warned that the prospect of nearly $1 trillion in reductions over a decade would seriously undermine the military’s ability to protect the United States.
For the Pentagon, “we’re talking about cuts of such magnitude that everything is reduced to some degree,” said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute, a think tank. “At that rate, you’re eliminating the next generation of weapons.”
Committee members will face competing pressures as they try to produce a deficit-reducing plan.
As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a possible successor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton if Obama wins a second term, Sen. John Kerry is certain to be protective of the budget for the State Department.
Yet the Massachusetts Democrat, who recently said he would seek a sixth term in 2014, represents a state that was fifth in the nation with $8.37 billion in defense contracts this year, behind Virginia, California, Texas and Connecticut, according to data on the federal government’s website USAspending.gov.
In Tewksbury and Andover, Mass., deep defense cuts could have serious ramifications for thousands of Raytheon employees working on the Patriot, the air and missile defense system. It was heralded for its effectiveness during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and is now sold to close to a dozen nations, including South Korea, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.
Whatever decisions Kerry and the committee make will affect Massachusetts-based Raytheon, which was fourth in defense contracts this year at $7.3 billion, behind Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics. Raytheon also has operations in Arizona, home to another committee member, Republican Sen. Jon Kyl.
“While some will argue there is peril in serving on this committee, we believe there is far greater peril in leaving these issues unaddressed,” Kerry said in a joint statement with Murray and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., after they were selected by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
In February, Murray celebrated when the Air Force ended a decade-long saga of delays and missteps and awarded one of the biggest defense contracts ever, a $35 billion deal to build nearly 200 air refueling tankers, to Boeing, a mainstay in her home state.
Boeing was fourth on the list of donors to Murray from 2007-2012, with its political action committee, individual employees and family members contributing $102,610.
Michigan is home to two committee members, Republican Reps. Dave Camp and Fred Upton, and General Dynamics work on the Abrams tank. The state is struggling with a 10.5 percent unemployment rate, which is above the national average.
Already facing the prospect of $350 billion in defense cuts over 10 years, the Pentagon could look to scale back some projects, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the stealthy aircraft that has been plagued by cost overruns and delays.
Lockheed Martin, in conjunction with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems, is building 2,400 of the next generation fighter jet for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as working with eight foreign countries. But the cost of the program has jumped from $233 billion to $385 billion; some estimates suggest that it could top out at $1 trillion over 50 years.
Questioned about the defense cuts, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen recently said that “programs that can’t meet schedule, that can’t meet cost … requirements are very much in jeopardy and will be very much under scrutiny.”
The Joint Strike Fighter is being built in Fort Worth, Texas, and Palmdale and El Segundo, Calif. Those are the states of committee members Reps. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and Xavier Becerra, D-Calif. Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems also have operations in Pennsylvania.
The Pentagon could decide to scrap the program or scale it back while upgrading the existing F-15 and F-18 aircraft, a troubling prospect for lawmakers from the states that benefit from F-35 production.
In the military world, however, reducing the number could make it more costly.
“The problem when you cut back in numbers is you increase the number for one, you increase the cost for one,” said Laicie Olson, a senior policy analyst with Council for a Livable World and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “Sometimes it’s almost better to buy more.”
Boeing, in a statement, said it has been “anticipating flattening defense budgets for some time.” Company spokesman Daniel C. Beck said that while Boeing is trying to improve production and efficiency, it’s moving into new markets such as cybersecurity and energy management.
-yoursun.net
Aug 12
TynibelleAir Force, News aircraft models, airplane models, custom models, helicopter models, HTV-2, Hypersonic Test Vehicle, Military Plaques & Seals, Minotaur IV vehicle, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, Other Nautical/Aviation and Decor, plane models, READY TO SHIP ITEMS, SALE + FREE U.S. SHIPPING!, Space Craft and NASA Models, warplanes, wooden airplane models
The U.S. Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency are setting up an engineering review board to investigate the loss of the second, and final, Hypersonic Test Vehicle (HTV-2) shortly after launch from Vandenberg AFB, California, on Aug 11.
Contact with the vehicle was lost around nine minutes into the flight. In accordance with loss-of-signal precautions the HTV-2 destroyed itself before completing a third of its planned 30-min Mach 20 gliding flight towards a target area near the Kwajalein Atoll.
In its first statement on the failed test, Darpa says “the Minotaur IV vehicle successfully inserted the aircraft into the desired trajectory. Separation of the vehicle was confirmed by rocket cam and the aircraft transitioned to Mach 20 aerodynamic flight. This transition represents a critical knowledge and control point in maneuvering atmospheric hypersonic flight. More than nine minutes of data was collected before an anomaly caused loss of signal. Initial indications are that the aircraft impacted the Pacific Ocean along the planned flight path.”
Darpa HTV-2 program manager Air Force Maj. Chris Schulz says “we know how to boost the aircraft to near space. We know how to insert the aircraft into atmospheric hypersonic flight. We do not yet know how to achieve the desired control during the aerodynamic phase of flight. It’s vexing; I’m confident there is a solution. We have to find it.”
HTV-2 was designed to demonstrate the high lift-to-drag aerodynamics and high-temperature materials needed for sustained hypersonic flight, with the goal of validating technology for a vehicle able to reach anywhere in the world in 60 min.
The Aug. 11 test was a repeat of the first HTV-2 flight last April which ended when a control anomaly developed at around the same point in the flight. The second vehicle was modified with a sturdier flight control system as a result of investigations into the loss of the first HTV-2, though it is not yet known if these changes had any impact on controllability or if the second loss was due to unrelated causes.
Data from the review board will “inform policy, acquisition and operational decisions for future Conventional Prompt Global Strike programs—the goal of which, ultimately, is to have the capability to reach anywhere in the world in less than one hour,” says Darpa in the statement.
-aviationweek.com
Aug 11
TynibelleBlog Articles aircraft models, airplane models, helicopter models, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, plane models, warplanes, wooden airplane models
Soar in glory with a magnificent B-52 Stratofortress Big Ugly Fat Fellow Model Airplane from Warplanes. Built by Boeing, the long-range subsonic B-52 Stratofortress has been in service since it was first introduced. This jet-powered strategic bomber is primarily used by the United States Air Force and by NASA. It has been referred to as “BUFF” or “Big Ugly Fat/Flying Fellow” since “Stratofortress” is rarely used outside of official contexts. 56 years has passed since it has been introduced and many B-52 planes have retired yet other B-52 airplanes are still in service.
Aviation glory is best served with a B 52 model airplane from a notable producer of wood plane models. Just like the B-52 Stratofortress, Warplanes has been in service of providing exquisite military scale model aircraft for a long time. Not determined to quit, Warplanes continues to reach incredible heights in offering handcrafted wooden model airplanes.
A custom B 52 model airplane can also be availed by just providing us with the details you would want to be customized. A change in paint scheme, accessories, base… you tell us and we’ll happily comply.
Aug 10
TynibelleBlog Articles, Custom Model Airplanes aircraft models, airplane models, custom aircraft models, custom model airplane, helicopter models, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, plane models, warplanes, wooden airplane models
Toss out the usual gift ideas of shirts, mugs, and other cliche presents. Someone special deserves something special. Nothing says special than a customized cool gift. So what’s customized and cool at the same time? A custom model airplane is the answer! Anyone will be in awe to see a finely crafted wood plane model. And surely anyone will be in greater awe to have a unique and personalized one. Let your individuality shine with Warplanes’s wooden custom model plane.
Like any other Warplanes model, custom aircraft models are also carved from quality mahogany wood. It is then tediously sanded for a smoother finish. Putty is placed in order to provide a smoother canvas for the detailed painting. After drying, it is polished and shipped to customers. But custom aircraft models are more special since the paint scheme, detailing, base, accessories, or just about anything can be changed according to the specifications of the customer.
Junk the usual gift ideas and aim for custom aircraft models instead. Wooden ship models, plaque models, spacecraft models, and such can also be customized.
Aug 09
TynibelleBlog Articles aircraft models, airplane models, Custom Grumman G-164 Ag Cat Model Plane, G-164 Ag Cat, Grumman AG Cat models, Grumman G-164, Grumman G-164 Ag Cat, helicopter models, model aircraft, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, plane models, Propeller Airplanes, warplanes, wood plane models, wooden airplane models
Celebrate agriculture through a Custom Grumman G-164 Ag Cat Model Plane crafted by Warplanes. The Grumman single-engine biplane was first brought forth in the 1950s specifically designed for agricultural aviation. The crop dusting aircraft got its name from the naming tradition of using the suffix “-Cat” in Grumman plane names. Thus, the agricultural biplane was christened “Ag-Cat.”
The Grumman G-164 basic airframe possesses a number of safety innovations like a pressurized cockpit to keep pesticides out, air conditioning, and a fuselage structure designed to progressively collapse in the event of a collision. Many variants have been developed to further enhance agricultural aviation.
Warplanes’ Grumman ag cat models are renowned for their very accurate details and evident pristine craftsmanship. Like other wood plane models from Warplanes, Grumman AG Cat models are created from quality mahogany wood which undergoes careful carving, rigorous sanding, and detailed painting. Every military wooden scale model aircraft from Warplanes is a sight to behold.
Aug 08
TynibelleAir Force, Navy, News aircraft models, airplane models, Army Ranger, Chinook helicopter, helicopter crash, helicopter models, model airplanes, model helicopters, model planes, Navy SEAL, plane crash, plane models, Rangers, SEALs, warplanes, wooden airplane models
Two U.S. officials said yesterday, Sunday, that the 30 American service members — most of them elite Navy SEALs — who died when their helicopter was shot down had rushed to help Army Rangers who had come under fire.
The heavy loss shows that clandestine tactics carry huge risks despite the huge success of the SEAL mission that killed Osama bin Laden more than three months ago. Most of the SEALs who died Saturday were from the same unit that killed bin Laden, although none of the men took part in that mission.
The U.S.-led coalition plans to rely more on special operations missions as it reduces the overall number of combat troops by the end of 2014.
There were conflicting accounts late Sunday as to whether the SEAL team had subdued the attackers who had pinned down the Rangers and were departing, or whether they were hit as they tried to land. One official said they had accomplished their mission, but another said the aircraft, a Chinook helicopter, was hit as it approached.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still ongoing.
Thirty Americans and eight Afghans — seven commandos and a civilian translator — were killed in the crash, making it the deadliest single loss for U.S. forces in the decade-long war in Afghanistan. The Rangers, special operations forces who work regularly with the SEALs, secured the crash site in the Tangi Joy Zarin area of Wardak province, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Kabul, the other official said.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the event, as the investigation is still ongoing. The SEAL mission was first reported by CNN.
NATO was recovering the remains of the twin rotor Chinook helicopter. A current and a former U.S. official said the Americans included 22 SEALs, three Air Force members and a dog handler and his dog. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because military officials were still notifying the families of the dead.
All but two of the SEALs were from SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed bin Laden, U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
Eight Taliban fighters were also killed in the battle, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement.
Afghanistan has more U.S. special operations troops, about 10,000, than any other theater of war. The forces, often joined by Afghan troops, are among the most effective weapons in the coalition’s arsenal, conducting surveillance, infiltration and capture missions and night raids.
From April to July this year, 2,832 special operations raids captured 2,941 insurgents and killed 834, twice as many as during the same time period last year, according to NATO.
SEALs, Rangers, and other special operations troops are expected to be the vanguard of the American military effort in Afghanistan as international military forces start pulling out. By the time combat troops plan to have left the country, the coalition will have handed control of security to the Afghan forces they have spent tens of billions of dollars arming and training.
Special operations troops are expected to remain in the country after 2014 for counterterrorism missions and advisory support. Just how many will remain has not yet been negotiated with the Afghan government, but the United States is considering from 5,000 to 20,000, far fewer than the 100,000 U.S. troops there now.
Special operations forces are frequently used to target insurgent commanders as part of an effort to force the Taliban’s leadership to agree to a negotiated peace. The operations, mostly in the form of night raids, are often carried out by Afghan and coalition special operations forces.
Night raids have drawn criticism from human rights activists and infuriated Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who says they anger and alienate the Afghan population.
But NATO commanders have said the raids are safer for civilians than relatively imprecise airstrikes.
As U.S. forces removed the wreckage Sunday, nearby Afghan and NATO forces battled insurgents as they carried out clearing operations in the areas around the crash site, a region that is just a stone’s throw from the capital. The province, which borders Kabul, has increasingly come under Taliban control in recent months — even as the U.S.-led coalition has begun handing over security for parts of Afghanistan over to the government of President Hamid Karzai.
“There have been a small number of limited engagements in the same district” as Saturday’s helicopter crash, NATO said in a statement. “However those clashes have not been in the direct vicinity of the crash site. As of now, we have no reporting to indicate any coalition casualties resulting from these engagements.”
-news.yahoo.com
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