Key Facts
- SEAL team size
- 4 Navy SEALs inserted for reconnaissance
- QRF helicopter losses
- 16 killed (8 SEALs, 8 Army aviators)
- Total U.S. deaths
- 19 (including 3 SEALs from initial team)
- Sole survivor
- Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell
- Target militant
- Ahmad Shah, killed April 2008 in Pakistan
- Location
- Slopes of Sawtalo Sar, ~20 miles west of Asadabad
Strategic Narrative Overview
A four-man SEAL reconnaissance team fast-roped onto Sawtalo Sar but was ambushed by Shah's fighters within hours of insertion. Three SEALs were killed in the ensuing firefight. When a quick reaction force MH-47 Chinook arrived, it was struck by an RPG-7, killing all 16 personnel aboard. Sole survivor Marcus Luttrell evaded capture for days before being sheltered by local villagers. Operation Red Wings II then commenced to recover remains and rescue Luttrell over the following three weeks.
01 / The Origins
In mid-2005, Taliban-aligned anti-coalition militias were active in Kunar Province, threatening stability ahead of Afghanistan's September parliamentary elections. A local commander from Nangarhar Province, Ahmad Shah, led the dominant insurgent group in the area. The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines conceived Operation Red Wings to disrupt Shah's network, employing Navy SEALs and 160th SOAR aviation assets to conduct covert surveillance and reconnaissance on structures used by Shah's fighters.
03 / The Outcome
Luttrell was rescued and the bodies of fallen personnel were recovered, partially fulfilling the operation's objectives. Shah, however, regrouped in Pakistan and returned with reinforced strength. He was severely wounded and his group destroyed during Operation Whalers in August 2005. Shah was ultimately killed by Pakistani security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in April 2008. The operation produced no lasting territorial change but degraded Shah's network and informed future special operations doctrine.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Marcus Luttrell.
Side B
1 belligerent
Ahmad Shah.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.