The Story:
US intelligence agencies locate the “Most Wanted” terrorists after years of intelligence gathering and surveillance. US Navy SEALS board Black Hawk helicopters in the dead of night from an undisclosed base in Afghanistan. The helicopters creep into Pakistan undetected by radars and remain undetected till reaching Abbottabad -only 50 kilometers to the NE of Islamabad.
In a forty minute operation the SEALS kill their target & take the body away in the helicopters. The helicopters fly across the length of Pakistan to the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson cruising in the North Arabian Sea beyond Pakistan territorial waters.
Some facts:
US intelligence agencies locate the “Most Wanted” terrorists after years of intelligence gathering and surveillance. US Navy SEALS board Black Hawk helicopters in the dead of night from an undisclosed base in Afghanistan. The helicopters creep into Pakistan undetected by radars and remain undetected till reaching Abbottabad -only 50 kilometers to the NE of Islamabad.
In a forty minute operation the SEALS kill their target & take the body away in the helicopters. The helicopters fly across the length of Pakistan to the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson cruising in the North Arabian Sea beyond Pakistan territorial waters.
Some facts:
- Black Hawk Range with external fuel tanks is about 1800 Kms. Abbottabad is 250 kms from the Afghan border and only about a 100 kms from the Indian border. Carl Vinson was cruising at least 1200 kms away from Abbottabad in the Arabian Sea. No aircraft goes into action with external fuel tanks (ESSS) if hostile fire is expected.
- Black Hawk air speed is less than 300 kms /hr. The helicopters must have been in Pakistani airspace for at least 5 hours.
- As per Abbottabad residents’ power was switched off to the area just before the SEALS commenced action.
- Abbottabad has multiple military installations that includes the Pakistani Military Academy, Brigade HQ of Northern Light Infantry and should be protected by a robust anti-aircraft defense system.
Unanswered questions:
- Is it possible that the raid commenced from a PAF airbase (Tarbela Ghazi ?) – The SEALS actually came in earlier in the day and the flight plan had been made known to Pakistan. Explains the Black Hawks’ ability to creep under air surveillance radar and ability to sustain a long range mission (beyond Black Hawk normal operational range).
- The firefight at Abbottabad (forty minutes) should have at least woken up PAF. They still had another 4 hours to catch the fleeing helicopters. Was the PAF asked to stand down?
- Who switched OFF the power supply when the action commenced? Why did the air defense system not react – India is closer and this could have been an Indian raid? The elite Quaid-e-Azam own battalions are located at Abbottabad – they must be having a quick reaction team (QRT), specifically when their own military establishments are under terrorist threat?
- Was the target complacent because he knew that the Pakistani Army was there to protect him and he was beyond the range of drone attacks?
- Did Pakistan give away the man once exposed and once he was expedient? Is it possible that domestic compulsions prevented them from proceeding themselves and US was invited to come in and finish the job?
- Americans do not like body bags coming in. How were they confident that with 40 SEALS and RANGERS they will be able to do the job after deep penetration into apparent hostile territory with no feasible getaway plan if exposed? After all it does not take much technology to down a low flying helicopter. Were they sure that their man was unguarded and there will be no resistance?
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