Was killing OBL worth exposing secret tech to China?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
GTaudiophile

GTaudiophile

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
29,767
33
81
It has all been but confirmed that the US used at least one stealth helicopter in the OBL raid. They managed to destroy all but the tail rotor. It is safe to assume that the Chinese are inspecting this as we speak.

Was killing OBL worth giving the Chinese information on this technology?

ABC News Article & Video Here.
 
wuliheron

wuliheron

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2011
3,536
0
0
The real question is whether the Chinese now have their hands on Britney Spear's underwear. The biological weapons research they could develop from that is unimaginable.
 
Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
Nothing really new there that China didn't already know about. Most aviation buffs already knew the helicopter existed , they just don't know the official designation. If you look on defense and aviation sites since 2009 there are lots of pictures and postings about the various parts.
 
I

ichy

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2006
6,940
8
81
Uh, it's a modified Blackhawk. Hardly some brand-new "stealth helicopter."
 
rudder

rudder

Lifer
Nov 9, 2000
19,441
86
91
The Chinese are the new Russians... they likely bought all the information from some disloyal contractor already.
 
hal2kilo

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
24,579
11,198
136
wuliheron said:
The real question is whether the Chinese now have their hands on Britney Spear's underwear. The biological weapons research they could develop from that is unimaginable.
Click to expand...

Now I got coffee coming out of my nose damnit.
 
Texashiker

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
197
106
GTaudiophile said:
It has all been but confirmed that the US used at least one stealth helicopter in the OBL raid. They managed to destroy all but the tail rotor. It is safe to assume that the Chinese are inspecting this as we speak.
Click to expand...

Ok? It broke down on a mission, maybe its a good thing that the Chinese copy it?

What use is a piece of equipment if it can not even complete a mission.
 
I

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
crashtestdummy

crashtestdummy

Platinum Member
Feb 18, 2010
2,893
0
0
The design of stealth aircraft are really not a secret anymore. I don't think they were worried about that. The only things that you do worry about are the materials and the avionics. The avionics were probably blown to bits. The surface materials, on the other hand, are something that could be salvaged and reverse engineered.

As someone else said, though, they're no good if you're not willing to risk losing them.
 
L

LegendKiller

Lifer
Mar 5, 2001
18,256
68
86
crashtestdummy said:
The design of stealth aircraft are really not a secret anymore. I don't think they were worried about that. The only things that you do worry about are the materials and the avionics. The avionics were probably blown to bits. The surface materials, on the other hand, are something that could be salvaged and reverse engineered.

As someone else said, though, they're no good if you're not willing to risk losing them.
Click to expand...

The materials aren't that big of a deal. China barely has the technology to design rudimentary jet engines, theirs keep blowing up or wearing down quickly, that's why they keep importing them from Russia. Reverse engineering won't be very easy. The F-117 probably provided better intel since it was in larger pieces.

Their "stealth fighter" is a joke, it's not very stealthy and doesn't have the RAM.
 
Capt Caveman

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
LegendKiller said:
The materials aren't that big of a deal. China barely has the technology to design rudimentary jet engines, theirs keep blowing up or wearing down quickly, that's why they keep importing them from Russia. Reverse engineering won't be very easy. The F-117 probably provided better intel since it was in larger pieces.

Their "stealth fighter" is a joke, it's not very stealthy and doesn't have the RAM.
Click to expand...

And ten years from now, we may not be joking anymore. Time to stop pretending that other countries will never catch up to the grand olde USA.
 
I

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
LegendKiller said:
The materials aren't that big of a deal. China barely has the technology to design rudimentary jet engines, theirs keep blowing up or wearing down quickly, that's why they keep importing them from Russia. Reverse engineering won't be very easy. The F-117 probably provided better intel since it was in larger pieces.

Their "stealth fighter" is a joke, it's not very stealthy and doesn't have the RAM.
Click to expand...

RAM is so cheap now though
 
D

dmw16

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2000
7,608
0
0
LegendKiller said:
The materials aren't that big of a deal. China barely has the technology to design rudimentary jet engines, theirs keep blowing up or wearing down quickly, that's why they keep importing them from Russia. Reverse engineering won't be very easy. The F-117 probably provided better intel since it was in larger pieces.

Their "stealth fighter" is a joke, it's not very stealthy and doesn't have the RAM.
Click to expand...

Their stealth fighter is not a joke and is also well ahead of original DoD estimates as far as its development. It's electronics aren't as advanced as those in the F-22, but to dismiss it as a joke is the kind of thinking that will put us behind the curve if we ever had to square off with a fully equipped military in a future conflict.

The notion that countries like China and Russia can't produce capable aircraft is an inaccurate one and China's stealth fighter is a perfect example.
 
L

LegendKiller

Lifer
Mar 5, 2001
18,256
68
86
dmw16 said:
Their stealth fighter is not a joke and is also well ahead of original DoD estimates as far as its development. It's electronics aren't as advanced as those in the F-22, but to dismiss it as a joke is the kind of thinking that will put us behind the curve if we ever had to square off with a fully equipped military in a future conflict.

The notion that countries like China and Russia can't produce capable aircraft is an inaccurate one and China's stealth fighter is a perfect example.
Click to expand...

Two words: Missile Gap

People screamed about this for the better part of 2 decades, saying their technology is so far advanced and there are so many more missiles. There were more missiles but they weren't all that advanced.

China's "stealth fighter" seems to be one of those things used to beat the drum for the military complex to pick up speed/money. From what I've read from various sources, it has an RCS that's hardly "stealthy" and doesn't have advanced RAM. Much like the PAK-FA, it hasn't even been seriously tested nor deployed. Even worse, China can't even design engines with long hours of use because their metallurgy is so far behind even Russia.
 
Last edited:
D

DCal430

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2011
6,020
9
81
Stealth technology has been known to all countries for over a decade. The F-117 whose stealth isn't the most advance has been broken down and the full workings of its stealth technology has been revealed. This was over 10 years ago too. So China should have stealth technology as advance as the F-117 plus at least 10 more years of development.
 
Schadenfroh

Schadenfroh

Elite Member
Mar 8, 2003
38,416
4
0
China (mainland and Taiwan) own and operate Black Hawk helicopters, albeit export versions.

If there was something of value that might not have been destroyed by the scuttling, might be time to accidentally drop a daisy cutter on wherever it was moved to?

That being said, I doubt what is left of the helicopter contains anything that they did not already know of. The avionics would be the thing to get and that was likely melted via thermite.

Plus, we can outbid the Chinese, if we so desired, using money they loaned to us via some corrupt Pakistani official. Heck, one of our operatives killed some of their equivalent of CIA operatives and still let him go.
 
Lemon law

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
20,984
3
0
Texashiker said:
Ok? It broke down on a mission, maybe its a good thing that the Chinese copy it?

What use is a piece of equipment if it can not even complete a mission.
Click to expand...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The question is did it break down or get shot down by a rpg when hoovering over the target.
Since that is not known and maybe never will be known, why state it one way or the other.

But its still hard to believe OSB did not have some guards defending his safehouse on duty 24 hours a day. Such guards may not have lasted long given seal fire reining down, but all it takes is close from a rpg to disable a helicopter. And its also hard to believe a helicopter could make a long flight all the way to target, and pick the mere seconds after arriving over target to pick that moment for mechanical failure.

The last thing to point out is that will never be a true stealth helicopter, they make a lot of noise, may have a limited radar signature, but are clearly visible to human eyes. A radar stealthy Jet has the speed to take advantage, by the time the human eye sees it its already gone, but that is not true of a slow and lumbering helicopter, especially when it hoovers mere feet above the ground. Making it a sitting duck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom