{"id":61242,"date":"2025-10-16T21:29:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T19:29:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=61242"},"modified":"2025-10-23T22:06:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:06:30","slug":"blue-thunders-the-mysterious-helicopters-used-by-the-british-armys-sas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/10\/16\/blue-thunders-the-mysterious-helicopters-used-by-the-british-armys-sas\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Thunders, the mysterious helicopters used by the British Army's SAS"},"content":{"rendered":"

The British Army's Special Air Service (SAS) is one of the world's finest and most prestigious elite forces.<\/p>\n

The special operations helicopters of the United States Army's 'Night Stalkers'<\/a><\/rel>
\nThe AFSOC 524th SOS: the 'airline' of the United States special operations military<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

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<\/strong>, which operate within the so-called Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing, which has a single squadron: 658 Squadron AAC<\/strong>, active between 1943 and 1946 and reactivated in 2013, when it was equipped with six Eurocopter AS-365 Dauphin helicopters<\/strong>, which have the peculiarity of sporting a sober dark blue livery, without insignia.<\/p>\n

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AS-365 Dauphin ZJ780 of 658 Squadron AAC at Glasgow on 19 February 2013 (Photo: Mark Harkin<\/a>).<\/div>\n

These helicopters were ZJ780, ZJ781, ZJ782, ZJ783, ZJ785 and ZJ787<\/strong>, but ZJ781 was badly damaged beyond repair in an accident on 16 June 2022. The remaining five helicopters operate from Stirling Lines Cantonment<\/strong> 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\"<\/strong>, in memory of the 1983 American film that I already told you about here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Blue Thunder ZJ781 at Gloucestershire Airport on June 27, 2017. This helicopter was lost in a crash five years later (Photo: James<\/a>).<\/div>\n

The SAS often operates these helicopters on counterterrorism missions<\/strong>, 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<\/a> on June 3, 2017, and also two weeks ago in Manchester following the terrorist attack on a synagogue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Blue Thunder ZJ780 in Glasgow on February 19, 2013 (Photo: Mark Harkin<\/a>).<\/div>\n

This Thursday, the YouTube channels King's Guard Tours<\/a> and Royal Guard Chronicles<\/a> posted a video of a Blue Thunder, the ZJ785, transporting two men to Wellington Barracks<\/strong> 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n