China syndromePakistan likely let China examine U.S. stealth helo

Remains of crashed helo at bin Laden compound // Source: defenceforumindia.com

U.S. intelligence officials believe that Pakistan’s intelligence service allowed Chinese military engineers to examine the wreckage of a new stealth helicopter used in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

The helicopter was damaged in the assault on bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May and Navy SEALs were forced to leave it behind. The SEALs destroyed much of the air craft, but in photos the tail section is visibly still intact. Officials believe Chinese engineers likely got a good look at the latest U.S. stealth helicopter thanks to Pakistan’s intelligence service.

U.S. officials were careful to note that they did not have conclusive evidence that China did in fact examine the wreckage and Pakistani officials have denied showing the helicopter to any foreign governments.

One military official speaking anonymously to the New York Times, who has knowledge of the intelligence assessments, said that the U.S. understanding of the situation is largely based on intercepted conversations in which Pakistani officials discussed inviting the Chinese to the crash site. The official said that U.S. spy agencies were “certain” that Chinese engineers were able to photograph the helicopter and even walk away with samples of the wreckage.

Defense analysts say that based on the photographs that surfaced following the bin Laden raid, the downed helicopter had several unique characteristics that made it distinct from standard Black Hawk helicopters. They said the air craft had a special coating designed to elude air defenses, curvier edges to further confuse radar systems, and a unique tail rotor to reduce noise.

Pakistani officials have returned the stealth helicopter’s tail piece to the United States, but relations between the two countries remain fraught. Immediately following the clandestine operation to kill Osama bin Laden, Pakistani officials were so upset about the raid that they publicly hinted that they might allow the Chinese military to view the helicopter wreckage.

It is unclear if Pakistan followed through on such claims, but Pakistani officials did make a high-profile trip to Beijing following the Abbottabad raid to show the United States its close relationship with China.

Pakistan and China maintain a close military relationship and many Chinese engineers work on military bases in Pakistan. Officials have even suggested allowing the Chinese Navy to establish its own base on Pakistan’s coast.