The Chinese military could soon get its hands on the wreckage of a secret U.S. 'stealth' helicopter that crash landed in the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound, Pakistani officials have said. The previously unseen helicopter crashed in the daring dawn raid in Abbottabad earlier this month, with Navy SEALs managing to destroy all but a tail section of the secret aircraft. The U.S. has since demanded the Pakistanis return the destroyed helicopter.
But according to ABC news, Pakistani officials have said the Chinese were also 'very interested' in seeing the tail section, with one unnamed official adding: 'We might let [the Chinese] take a look.' Pictures of the heavily damaged tail section circulated on the internet shortly after the May 2 raid, with the remaining tail bearing a striking resemblance to the smooth angular design of other stealth aircraft such as the B2 bomber.
Speaking to the news network, an unnamed U.S. official added that he would be 'shocked' if the Chinese had not already had a look at the classified helicopter. In the days following the crash, children from the surrounding neighbourhood were seen playing with fragments of a mysterious cloth like material said to come from the stealth helicopter wreckage. Images of the severed tail section left aviation experts scratching their heads, with several concluding it must be a new, as yet unknown helicopter design. Bill Sweetman, editor of Aviation Week said the pictures show a 'stealth-configuration' on the wrecked rotor housing.
