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160th SOAR (A) (160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne))
is a US Army helicopter unit for special operations. It is responsible for providing air support to special forces, both for objective reconnaissance, transport of transport or assault, and fire support for these units. Its missions are usually carried out at night at low altitude and high speed, on short notice and its operations are usually classified (considered secret). It is based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The 160th SOAR (A) is nicknamed Night Stalkers and its motto is Night Stalkers Don't Quit.

History

Creation of the unit

The creation of the 160th SOAR (A) is one of the consequences of the failure of Operation Eagle Claw (the attempt to release American hostages detained in the Tehran embassy) in April 1980. The investigation conducted by admiral James L. Holloway III following this operation concludes that one of the main reasons for the failure was the lack of a unit of helicopters trained for special operations, as Delta Force commandos were transported to Iran by US Navy transport helicopters unsuitable for the mission.

The US Army decided to bring together the 101st Aviation Battalion, the most experienced helicopter unit, and elements of 158th Aviation Battalion, 159th Aviation Battalion and 229th Aviation Battalion. The selected pilots immediately began intensive night flying training. The unit, known as TF 160 (Task Force 160), was quickly recognized as the first night-capacity unit in the US Army and its only air force for special operations.

The first pilots were trained in the fall of 1980 and prepared for another attempt to release the hostages from Iran. Called Operation Honey Badger, it was cancelled following the release of the hostages on the day of the transfer of power between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

The 1980s

The TF 160 was not dissolved because it was the only special operations unit in the US Army. On the other hand, it could not perform clandestine operations, which according to a presidential order was the sole responsibility of the CIA, which will lead to the creation of another unit called Seaspray creates it and whose existence was secret, unlike that of the TF 160. The TF 160 was officially established on the 16th and designated 160th Aviation Battalion, and fought for the first time two years later, during the Invasion of Grenada on the 18th. During the hijacking of flight TWA 847 the 160th and Seaspray carried the Delta Force men to Sicily and Cyprus for a possible operation to release the hostages, but that never happened.

In 1986, the unit was renamed 160th Aviation Group (Airborne), with the title Airborne being in fact honorary. In 1987 and 1988, the unit participated in Operation Earnest Will (the