Blue Thunders, the mysterious helicopters used by the British Army's SAS

The British Army's Special Air Service (SAS) is one of the world's finest and most prestigious elite forces.

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Founded in 1941, the SAS is a reference group for special operations units around the world. Like other elite forces, the SAS has its own aircraft, which operate within the so-called Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing, which has a single squadron: 658 Squadron AAC, active between 1943 and 1946 and reactivated in 2013, when it was equipped with six Eurocopter AS-365 Dauphin helicopters, which have the peculiarity of sporting a sober dark blue livery, without insignia.

These helicopters were ZJ780, ZJ781, ZJ782, ZJ783, ZJ785 and ZJ787, but ZJ781 was badly damaged beyond repair in an accident on 16 June 2022. The remaining five helicopters operate from Stirling Lines Cantonment in Credenhill, Herefordshire, a quiet rural village about 190 km west of London. Due to the appearance of these aircraft, they are popularly known by the nickname "Blue Thunder", in memory of the 1983 American film that I already told you about here.

The SAS often operates these helicopters on counterterrorism missions, using them as air transport for fast-rope assaults. The mysterious "Blue Thunders" were seen in the British capital following the London Bridge terror attack on June 3, 2017, and also two weeks ago in Manchester following the terrorist attack on a synagogue.

This Thursday, the YouTube channels King's Guard Tours and Royal Guard Chronicles posted a video of a Blue Thunder, the ZJ785, transporting two men to Wellington Barracks in Westminster, very close to Buckingham Palace, a military base for the Foot Guards of the Royal Household Division. Perhaps there is an SAS anti-terrorist operation underway?

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Main image: King's Guard Tours - Royal Guard Chronicles.