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 When
I heard about the helicopter that went down during the raid at the bin Laden compound, my first concern after the
safety of the crew was that now a high technology aircraft would be available to the enemy for inspection. Even
after learning that the craft was "blown in place," I was still worried that unless some high temperature
incendiary material like white phosphorous was used prior to the explosion, the pieces remaining would be intact
enough to glean useful info. My worst fears were confirmed with the release of photos by
Reuters
(always sure to post images that could harm the U.S.) showing not just this large section of the tail boom
and rotor, but also smiling kids walking around with scrounged parts of airframe and electronics gear.
As an engineer who spent many years tearing down other company's designs to figure out how they designed and
implemented leading edge circuits (and also checking for patent infringements), I can tell you that a circuit or
system does not have to be in full functioning order to yield critical information. Material samples are now
available for the stealth skin composition,
 lamination
and attachment methods, and facet angles. Super quiet airfoil and blade shape data is available. Metallurgical
studies will no doubt be carried out in Russia and China on the transmission and bearing assemblies. Even fuel and
lubrication samples will get a thorough examination. Have you seen the photos of how the FAA reassembles aircraft
in a hangar when an accident occurs? Some of our best communications gear is also being reassembled like a jigsaw
puzzle. Über top secret circuits will be studied and replicated using information from multi-layer substrate
construction, component attachment, and special microelectronics devices formulated and built in über top secret
facilities to provide our elite fighters with the world's best equipment (some of which,
reportedly, mysteriously
blacked out for 25 minutes during the actual raid). Samples of proprietary software and firmware will
be reverse engineered as well. Imagine the delight on the faces of Red Army engineers sitting in their labs when
they inspect the flight controller system and see all those microcontrollers with "Made in China" stamped on
them!.
Posted May 5, 2011
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