{"id":39035,"date":"2020-01-29T14:10:54","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T14:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:08:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:08:37","slug":"afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/","title":{"rendered":"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. is planning to deliver an undisclosed number of CH-47 Chinook helicopters to an elite special operations unit of the Afghan military, according to a Defense Department report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The December 2019 report titled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/media.defense.gov\/2020\/Jan\/23\/2002238296\/-1\/-1\/1\/1225-REPORT-DECEMBER-2019.PDF\" target=_blank>Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan<\/a>&#8221; announced that the U.S. military would provide CH-47s to Afghanistan\u2019s Special Mission Wing to replace the units aging Russian Mi-17 helicopters by 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were no other details in the report regarding the plan to provide the Chinook\u2019s to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/01\/27\/us-army-investigating-plane-crash-in-taliban-held-area\/\" target=\"_blank\">Afghan military<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs a matter of policy, the Defense Department does not comment on or confirm potential or pending arms sales or transfers before the U.S. Congress has been formally notified,&#8221; Lt. Col. Thomas Campbell, a Pentagon spokesman, told Military Times in an emailed statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/28\/us-cuts-number-of-black-hawks-to-afghanistan-by-two-thirds\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4995687.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US cuts number of Black Hawks to Afghanistan by two-thirds<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Success of the Afghan Air Force will be a key metric for Pentagon planners seeking to draw down U.S. troops in the country. The U.S. is still bearing most of the burden of air support for Afghan troops.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Special Mission Wing supports Afghan Special Security Forces, or ASSF, and other Afghan forces with night time raids, casualty evacuations and reconnaissance operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DoD says the SMW is the only unit under Afghan security forces with \u201cnight-vision and rotary-wing air assault capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DoD hinted it was planning to replace the SMWs aging Mi-17 transport helicopters with U.S. rotary wing assets in its fiscal year 2020 <a href=\"https:\/\/comptroller.defense.gov\/Portals\/45\/Documents\/defbudget\/fy2020\/fy2020_ASFF_Justification_Book.pdf\" target=_blank>budget request <\/a>for training and building Afghan forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CH-47s will provide Afghan forces with a heavy lift helicopter and troop transport to ferry Afghan commandos and special operators on daring night time raids and counterterrorism missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s unknown what variant of the CH-47 Afghan forces will receive. The U.S. Army has been known to operate the MH-47, a special operations variant of the CH-47, to carry American commandos and partner forces on raids against<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/12\/04\/isis-is-taking-a-beating-in-afghanistan-setting-the-stage-for-us-troop-withdrawal\/\" target=\"_blank\"> ISIS <\/a>and Taliban targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DoD has described Afghanistan\u2019s ASSF force as the most competent force within Afghan security forces. The unit carries out the majority of offensive operations in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Afghanistan Special Security Forces (ASSF) remain the most capable force in the ANDSF [Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces] and continue to grow in their effectiveness,\u201d the DoD report reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pushed a roadmap in 2016 to double the size of the ASSF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the SMW is receiving new U.S. Chinooks, the DoD also announced it was cutting its UH-60 Black Hawk program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. military intended to provide Afghanistan with 159 Black Hawks, and has since capped the number at 53, according to the DoD report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. military also cut the number of armed fixed-wing AC-208 attack and reconnaissance aircraft it originally planned to deliver from 32 to 10. AC-208 Eliminator gunships \u2014 which made its debut in Kabul in February 2019 \u2014 provides ground and precision attack armed with the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese reductions were made on the basis of a review of future operational requirements,\u201d the report reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Black Hawk helicopters are intended to replace the Afghan Air Force\u2019s Mi-17 helicopter fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SMW is also slated to receive a number of UH-60s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are roughly 13,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but the White House and Pentagon are considering drawing down the U.S. footprint to 8,600.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Peace negotiations between the Taliban and U.S. are ongoing to end the 18-year long war.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The CH-47s will provide Afghan forces with a heavy lift helicopter and troop transport to ferry Afghan commandos and special operators on daring night time raids and counterterrorism missions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":14266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,12,26],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3399],"class_list":["post-39035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-news","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"RSVOUKVRIJG4BM7F32DE7ZP6K4","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The CH-47s will provide Afghan forces with a heavy lift helicopter and troop transport to ferry Afghan commandos and special operators on daring night time raids and counterterrorism missions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The CH-47s will provide Afghan forces with a heavy lift helicopter and troop transport to ferry Afghan commandos and special operators on daring night time raids and counterterrorism missions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-29T14:10:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T03:08:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shawn Snow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shawn Snow\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-01-29T14:10:54+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T03:08:37+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 539,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/6012686.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Flashpoints\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/6012686.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-01-29T14:10:54+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T03:08:37+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The CH-47s will provide Afghan forces with a heavy lift helicopter and troop transport to ferry Afghan commandos and special operators on daring night time raids and counterterrorism missions.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/6012686.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/6012686.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/29\\\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Flashpoints\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"flashpoints\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters - Navy Times","description":"The CH-47s will provide Afghan forces with a heavy lift helicopter and troop transport to ferry Afghan commandos and special operators on daring night time raids and counterterrorism missions.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters","og_description":"The CH-47s will provide Afghan forces with a heavy lift helicopter and troop transport to ferry Afghan commandos and special operators on daring night time raids and counterterrorism missions.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2020-01-29T14:10:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T03:08:37+00:00","author":"Shawn Snow","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shawn Snow","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters","datePublished":"2020-01-29T14:10:54+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T03:08:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/"},"wordCount":539,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6012686.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Flashpoints","News","Newsletters"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/","name":"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6012686.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2020-01-29T14:10:54+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T03:08:37+00:00","description":"The CH-47s will provide Afghan forces with a heavy lift helicopter and troop transport to ferry Afghan commandos and special operators on daring night time raids and counterterrorism missions.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6012686.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6012686.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/29\/afghanistans-elite-special-operations-unit-to-get-ch-47-helicopters\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Flashpoints","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/","ad_zone":"flashpoints"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Afghanistan\u2019s elite special operations unit to get CH-47 helicopters"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6012686.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39035"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39035\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39037,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39035\/revisions\/39037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39035"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=39035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}