Since its introduction in 1962, the American CH-47 Chinook heavylift helicopter has been a critical backbone of combat support – carrying troops, supplies, tanks, and even other aircraft into warzones.

Its capabilities as a military transport are nearly unmatched and are well-known, but its surprising versatility has also seen it deployed in secret missions around the world.

The Chinook has played a role in a number of classified operations, including in the daring theft of a state-of-the-art Soviet helicopter during the Cold War and in the raid to capture Osama bin Laden.

It is rumored that a classified stealth version of the helicopter may have been used in the Bin Laden raid, giving a tantalizing glimpse at potential black project upgrades that could keep the Chinook flying well into the future…


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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.