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In the shadowy world of Cold War espionage, intelligence wasn’t just gathered from intercepted messages or defectors—it was sometimes taken straight from the enemy’s arsenal. One of the most daring examples of this came in 1988, when the United States carried out a secretive, high-stakes mission to steal a Soviet-built Mi-25 Hind-D attack helicopter right out from under the noses of its Libyan owners. The mission, known as Operation Mount Hope III, was a bold demonstration of American military cunning, executed with precision, speed, and just the right amount of audacity.
The target was no ordinary helicopter. The Mi-25—a Soviet export version of the Mi-24 Hind—was one of the most feared gunships of its time. A heavily armed flying tank, the Hind was both an attack helicopter and a troop transport, combining raw firepower with speed and durability. The U.S. military had long been eager to get its hands on one, and when an opportunity presented itself in the remote deserts of Chad, they seized it.
Libya, under Muammar Gaddafi, had been embroiled in a long-running conflict with Chad, supplying weapons and aircraft to support its territorial ambitions. In 1987, Chadian forces, equipped with light vehicles and anti-tank missiles, shocked the world by decisively defeating the Libyans in what became known as the Toyota War. During their advance, they captured a Libyan airbase at Ouadi Doum, where they discovered an abandoned Mi-25 Hind-D. It was a golden opportunity for the United States, and they wasted no time planning its extraction.
The mission was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)—the legendary Night Stalkers. Their task was simple in theory but incredibly risky in execution: fly into a hostile desert, retrieve the helicopter, and get out before anyone could react. The plan called for a massive CH-47 Chinook to fly over 500 miles into Chad, land in enemy territory under the cover of darkness, and lift the 17,000-pound Hind out using a sling-load system.
Timing was everything. The operation had to be executed at night to avoid detection, and the Chinook had to move fast—any delays could mean running out of fuel or getting intercepted by Libyan forces. The Chinook, escorted by an MC-130 for navigation and refueling, flew in low, skimming over the desert floor to avoid radar detection. As it reached the Ouadi Doum airfield, the crew quickly rigged the captured Hind for transport, securing it beneath the CH-47.
Then came the most nerve-wracking part—getting back out. With a massive enemy helicopter dangling beneath it, the Chinook began the long flight back. The added weight made maneuvering difficult, and any enemy aircraft spotting them could have turned the mission into a disaster. But luck was on their side. The Night Stalkers pulled off the daring heist without incident, flying the stolen Hind to a safe location where American analysts could finally get their hands on one of the Soviet Union’s deadliest aircraft.
Operation Mount Hope III was a triumph of planning, execution, and sheer boldness. The captured Hind provided invaluable intelligence on Soviet aviation technology, helping the U.S. better understand the aircraft's capabilities, weaknesses, and potential countermeasures. It was a rare and stunning victory in the ongoing battle of wits between the world’s superpowers—a moment when the U.S. quite literally stole a piece of the Soviet arsenal right out from under their allies' noses.