A source within US Special Operations Command confirms that four of the Boeing rotorcraft were destroyed in Iran during a US mission to rescue a downed F-15E weapons officer.
The capability demonstration at the annual SOF Week special operations conference was noticeably lacking one of its most recognisable aircraft.
Held on 20 May in Tampa, Florida, which is the home of US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), the 2026 edition of SOF Week did not feature any Boeing A/MH-6 Little Bird helicopters. The militarised MD 530Fs are typically a mainstay of the much-watched event.
Troop-carrying MH-6s from the US Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment were used during previous SOF Week demonstrations to insert snipers onto rooftops surrounding the downtown Tampa riverfront to support a simulated hostage rescue.
While various US commando units, supported by Sikorsky MH-60M special mission Black Hawks, did once again “rescue” Tampa’s abducted Mayor Jane Castor, who has been repeatedly taken hostage during SOF Week throughout her seven years in office, Little Birds played no part in this year’s operation.
SOCOM acknowledged the lack of MH-6 presence but declined to provide a specific explanation for their absence.
However, a source within the command that outfits all of Washington’s special mission units confirms to FlightGlobal that four MH-6s were destroyed in Iran earlier this year.
Although at least one Little Bird was already known to have been lost in Iran, the exact figure had not previously been disclosed. A recent Congressional Research Service report on US aircraft losses during the Iran campaign notably made no mention of Little Birds.
At the start of 2026, the US Army inventory included 47 Little Birds, according to fleets data from aviation analytics company Cirium. That figure includes both the troop-carrying MH-6 and the AH-6 light attack variant.
The MH-6s lost in Iran were participating in a combat search and rescue mission to recover an air force weapon systems officer whose Boeing F-15E fighter was shot down inside Iranian airspace.
The F-15E’s pilot had been separately retrieved shortly after ejecting via a Sikorsky HH-60W rescue helicopter.
The MH-6s were inserted into Iran inside two Lockheed Martin MC-130J transports, which landed in Isfahan province deep inside Iran to deliver commando troops and support aircraft. The MC-130Js, loaded with MH-6s, became mired in soft sand while attempting to take off and withdraw after securing the American aviator.
The rescue task force made the decision to abandon the aircraft, including the MH-6s, and destroy them on the ground. The team was then evacuated by two Airbus C295W transports, whose lighter weight allowed them to avoid becoming stuck.
In total, more than 155 aircraft participated in the recovery mission.
The exact number of MH-6s lost in the operation had not previously been definitively confirmed. In the immediate aftermath of the rescue mission, US President Donald Trump said that three “small” helicopters had been ferried into Iran.
Photos released by Iranian media made clear that at least one Little Bird rotorcraft had been destroyed alongside the MC-130Js.
SOCOM is in the process of upgrading the Little Bird fleet to the latest A/MH-6R standard, which includes an updated cockpit and a new-build fuselage that resets the airframe to a zero-hour fatigue level.
The post Little Birds noticeably absent from SOF Week demonstration after Iran combat losses first appeared on FlightGlobal.