Operation Credible Sport: C-130s modified with rockets for hostage rescue

[Jon]

This post discusses the details of an abandoned hostage rescue plan, called Operation Credible Sport, to extract the Americans held during the Iran Hostage crisis. The plan involved modifying a C-130 Hercules airplane with the addition of numerous rockets, to create the largest short takeoff and landing plane in existence, which would then land inside a soccer stadium near the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Delta Force operators would then extract the hostages, and the plane would take off from inside the stadium and land on a nearby aircraft carrier.

First, the good stuff - a GIF of the modified plane in action:



The backstory:

On November 4th, 1979, a group of Iranians took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days during the Iran Hostage Crisis. This was, and still is, the longest known hostage crisis in history.

Iranians storm the gates at the US Embassy in Tehran, brandishing a giant photo of Ayatollah Khomeini:


America had two secret plans to rescue the hostages. The first one, Operation Eagle Claw, failed terribly. The second one, Operation Credible Sport, was one of the most daring rescue plans in history.



Operation Eagle Claw involved 120 Delta Force soldiers, 12 Army Rangers, and 15 translators. Critical to the mission was the use of eight RH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters. During the mission, some of the helicopters were damaged after flying into a rare type of sandstorm called a haboob. Then another one of the helicopters crashed into a transport aircraft, causing a fire that killed eight servicemen. Operation Eagle Claw was a total failure. In Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini credited divine intervention on the behalf of Islam, claiming that God "threw sand" at the helicopters. Jimmy Carter blamed his loss in the 1980 US Presidential election mainly on the failure of the mission.

The famous Sea Stallions, in sand camouflage aboard USS Nimitz:


After Operation Eagle Claw failed, the US made a second and lesser-known plan to rescue the hostages in Iran: Operation Credible Sport. The idea was to overcome the flaws of Operation Eagle Claw, namely the heavy lift helicopters, by creating a "Super STOL" (Short Takeoff and Landing) fixed-wing aircraft to extract the hostages along with the military operators.

The plan was to take three C-130 Hercules cargo planes, and heavily modify them, specifically by adding 30 rockets mounted in various spots all over the fuselage, wings, and tail. This modification was an enhanced version of something called RATO (Rocket-Assisted Take Off), and it would enable them to take off and land the enormous planes near-vertically. The plan was to land inside Amjadiyeh Stadium across the street from the US Embassy in Iran, storm the embassy with Delta Force operators, extract the hostages, and then take off from within the stadium. From there, the modified C-130 would land on an aircraft carrier.

The planes were carefully tested out, and performed surprisingly well, immediately breaking various aviation records for short takeoffs and landings. One of them suffered a catastrophic fire during testing, preserved for history in the following GIF:



The failed plane was dismantled and buried for security reasons, but the mission was almost ready to go when a diplomatic solution succeeded. Per the provisions of the Algiers Accords, the hostages were released on January 20, 1981, as President Reagan was sworn in to office.

The hostages return:






Related:
Airplane short takeoff/langing records
James Bond in Octo***** flies world's smallest jet through a hangar

[Toolmaker51]

This post discusses the details of an abandoned hostage rescue plan, called Operation Credible Sport, to extract the Americans held during the Iran Hostage crisis.
The backstory:
On November 4th, 1979, a group of Iranians took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days during the Iran Hostage Crisis. This was, and still is, the longest known hostage crisis in history.
Jimmy Carter blamed his loss in the 1980 US Presidential election mainly on the failure of the (Eagle Claw) mission. Per the provisions of the Algiers Accords, the hostages were released on January 20, 1981, as President Reagan was sworn in to office.
The hostages return:

Cue Ted Nugent's "Bound and Gagged" https://www.lyrics007.com/lyrics/ ted-nugent-bound-and-gagged Link offered but intentionally not fully active.
At the risk of censure for politically charged replies, cannot bad theatrical performances be laid by a director on performers? What previous years wrought had nothing to do with it?
Algiers Accords were just window dressing. A figurative reincarnation of Theodore Roosevelt was bound for the podium Jan 20. Potential carbonization of Iran was not far behind. Whether actuality or mere implied threat, a prime example of effect by strategic presence.

[Frank S]

If the sands of Iran had been turned to glass one ot the options which had been on the table at the time the whole world might have been saved several decades of turmoil and strife
Rocket assist for Military aircraft has been around a long time
smokeless Aerojet 15-KS-1000 Jet-Assisted-Take-Off (JATO) unit used to boost military and commercial aircraft. The motor produced 1,000 pounds of thrust for 15 seconds. Multiple units were used to lift bombers during the Korean War. Approximately 256,000 of these motors were produced.

[Jon]

Fat Albert, a C-130T Hercules used by the Blue Angels for flight demonstrations, here doing a RATO - Rocket Assisted Take Off:

[Frank S]

Fat Albert, a C-130T Hercules used by the Blue Angels for flight demonstrations, here doing a RATO - Rocket Assisted Take Off:

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And if you were inside one of them used as a troop carrier you hopped they could clear the banana, coffee or rubber trees depending on which incursion you were in at the time

[marksbug]

dads black bird had the biggest engines they ever put on the 130,they also had the big jato's on it. he trained most of the guys that died in the iran desert mess.that hit him hard.I think he was in malta or madrid at the time.(He was special opps.) it was infact partly the haboob witch is common, but mainly it was ego assholes....brass assholes..and very close to zero comunication between the forces. once the 1 chopper went down it was doomed because there qas no communication or knowing what or where the other guys were and who was taking up the slack.... pure stupidity. a lot of things started changing between the forces after that.

[Duke_of_URL]

Thank you for posting this interesting military plan, and the facts behind the modified C-130. Dropping out of the sky is exactly what happens when you stop an aircraft in flight. It was a fools gambit and it's sad Test Pilots died proving the point.

During the mission, some of the helicopters were damaged after flying into a rare type of sandstorm called a haboob. Then another one of the helicopters crashed into a transport aircraft, causing a fire that killed eight servicemen.

A very good understanding of what exactly happened on Operation Eagle Claw can be found in the book written by the Mission's Commander himself, who also was creator of SFOD-D, aka "Delta Force". The book, "Inside Delta Force", was written by Colonel "Charging Charley" Beckworth, shortly after his retirement. When the mission was being planned, the Pentagon was awash with 4-Stars who felt their utmost duty was in providing "Public Relations" for their respective Service Branches. In their minds "mission success" was secondary to "mission representation." It's also important to understand that today's U.S. Air Force originated within the U.S. Army, as the Army Air Corps from World Wars I and II. The result being that the Army and Air Force always work well together. For that Mission, it had been demanded that the Marine Corps and Navy participate. Also, due to our U.S. President at the time fearing the "appearance of aggression," the number of helicopters requested for "contingency planning" in the event of any losses, was cut in half; such a failure, did in fact happen well before Desert One was reached. It seems the Navy and Marine Helicopters had not been not fitted with the mandatory special Dust Protection Filters prior to that mission, meaning they couldn't make it through a sandstorm. Dipping below the minimum mission critical Helos meant a "scrubbed" mission, which Col. Beckwith had announced. He had also informed the White House by Satcom. It was while the Helos were being refueled for the return flight that the accident occurred. One of the Marine Corps Helos, had finished refueling next to a C-130 with palletized fuel-bladders, when it lifted up, banked right, and with its rotors slicing into the C-130's fuselage, it crashed into it, igniting fuel and whatever else was on board. The Mission was already over when this occurred. Because of the many critical mistakes made during the ingress phase, the decision was made to create the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, aka SOAR, aka the Night Stalkers, who are without a doubt the very best Helicopter Pilots in the world today (all males). Not only that, but the 160th also has the very best of Mechanics also.