LITTLE BIRD THE FUTURE OF SOCOM'S 'KILLER EGG'.

• Author: Tadjdeh, Yasmin

Special Operations Command's A/MH-6 Little Bird--affectionally known as the "Killer Egg"--made its debut into the American psyche following the release of the classic book and movie "Black Hawk Down." In it, Little Birds ferry commandos in the besieged city of Mogadishu, Somalia, and sealed the helicopter's place in pop culture history.

Hollywood aside, the now iconic aircraft--originally manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and now Boeing--has been a mainstay in Special Operations Command's inventory for decades, offering commandos a niche capability not found in other air platforms. The helicopter's small size, agility and speed make it an ideal rotorcraft for getting in and out of hairy situations, experts say.

The exclusive user of the aircraft is the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment--also known as the Night Stalkers--out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The mission set for the A/MH-6 are light attack and light assault, respectively.

"The aircraft provides a unique and highlycapable platform for employing extremely lethal and accurate fires as well as inserting small numbers of special operations forces into a variety of combat environments and special mission situations," said Army Maj. Jeffrey Slinker, a public affairs officer at Army Special Operations Aviation Command.

The platform offers special operations forces two hours of flight time, has a maximum cruise speed of 126 knots, a range of 179 nautical miles, and a maximum service ceiling of 20,000 feet, according to Boeing, which declined to be interviewed for this story and referred questions to SOCOM.

Despite the platform's success, the Little Bird--which was introduced in the 1960s--continues to age. So what is in store for the future of the Killer Egg?

For one, Slinker says the platform isn't going anywhere. So far, no requirements have been put forward to replace it.

"There is no definitive plan to end the service life of the Little Bird," he said. "The H-6 platform was officially introduced in 1966. While the majority of these aircraft were eventually phased out of service, ARSOA identified a significant utility in keeping the airframe in service. With continued maintenance and upgrades, there is currently no service life end in sight."

These upgrades consist of a "zerotime" aircraft primary structure, he noted.

"Zero-time refers to the amount of time on the aircraft at upgrade," Slinker said. "As with many military vehicles, 'new' doesn't always mean new. For example...