Black Hawk with unknow Pod Over my house today

Was drawn outside earlier by a large helicopter, it was a Black Hawk but on the side was a very large pod of some sort. Not seen one of these before, its about 3 foot across at the top with a round bottom. Some sort of radar I assume but it been in and around Bodmin, Cornwall on and off quite a lot lately,

Any ideas guys ??

Could get pics today as all my gear was on charge but will be ready next time

Here's a quick sketch of what the pod on the side looked like:



Please excuse my Adobe skills with a mouse, my grfx tablet decided to go awol this afternnoon.

[edit on 23-9-2008 by StarTraveller]

Maybe a covering for a FLIR? It sounds like a PAVE LOW modded blackhawk.

Originally posted by HERACAT
Maybe a covering for a FLIR? It sounds like a PAVE LOW modded blackhawk.

That was my first thought mate but this was a lot bigger than any F.L.I.R. I had seen. I have just gone through about 150 pages on google and couldn't find anything like it. The Pod thing was about where the side door is (Starboard side).

Where was it exactly on the aircraft?

Hey, I saw something just like that too, a black helicopter flying low above my house extremely loudly. We get helicopters all the time here being near a military base but I've never seen anything like this type. It reminded me of a modified Sea-king or maybe a Black Hawk as you said.

I've heard of them having those pod's on the side before, they're long range radars, a Navy helicopter once landed in our school with one on the side.

What worried me was that after this black chopper passed over the whole street smelt of gas for a while and there was a white smoke drifting down the road a few feet above the ground that got blown away after a few minutes. I thought we might be being poisoned!!

Quite weird, but can't really say anything for sure.

Originally posted by DeltaNine
Where was it exactly on the aircraft?

Hi Mate,
As far as I could see it was here:



GrooveCat

What was this mate ?

[edit on 23-9-2008 by StarTraveller]

Yeah that pic looks something like it. I guess their could have been a nationwide exercise of some kind for the crew of these type of helicopters.

I think the pod you saw was probably this:



They're radar equipment.

Hey Mate,

Similar but the one I saw was slightly smaller and jet Black. MM will have too see if it comes over gain. Will get some pictures

The picture you have post is for sonar/submarine detection I think. Strange that all this is going on and the Russians are starting the exercise too

[edit on 23-9-2008 by StarTraveller]

Yeah I'll be keeping a look out for any others. I get loads of things going over where I am so I'm always watching out anyway.

Yeah I think they may be for SONAR, which I why I thought only the Navy used them normally. You may have a point with the Russia thing, there could be a worry with all the Russian subs sneaking around down there.

I wouldn't be surprised if lots of people started seeing more and more military craft around. I've definitely seen an increase in the number here. Keeps me up every night doing their training exercises in their massive C-130J's over-head!

I live near a base for these things and can confirm that it is a radar, Possibly the American Orchidee (I think that's how you spell it) Battle Radar. The position is right and Black hawks have the capabilities to use them as do our British Merlins.
Hope this clears it up.

Originally posted by GrooveCat
Yeah I think they may be for SONAR, which I why I thought only the Navy used them normally. You may have a point with the Russia thing, there could be a worry with all the Russian subs sneaking around down there.

The USN and other naval forces fly the SH-60 (now MH-60) Seahawk/Oceanhawk. It looks almost identical to a UH-60, but it has a double tail wheel that drops down on a strut under the back of the passenger cabin.

reply to post by StarTraveller


Cool, thanks for that. Was it kind of bolted to the side, like 90deg to the vertical, or was it on some kind of an arm?

In the US the NEST teams have been getting blackhawk's like that.
the pod contains radiation detection equipment.

But the are also supposed to look like navy blackhawks with sonar units so that they don't scare the public.

Yes a navy blackhawk flying around a city miles from the ocean with a weird pod on it will not cause questions.

Customs and border protection service also has blackhawks with high power radars rigged like that for tracking aircraft fly at low levels.(ie drug planes)

Originally posted by StarTraveller
Hey Mate,

Similar but the one I saw was slightly smaller and jet Black. MM will have too see if it comes over gain. Will get some pictures

The picture you have post is for sonar/submarine detection I think. Strange that all this is going on and the Russians are starting the exercise too

[edit on 23-9-2008 by StarTraveller]

If it can fly out - atmo, it can fly in the sea ...

If the pod was black and round and filling the forepart of the underside of the fuselage it was a merlin with the new kestrel pod I think....

Ahh edit..found a pic..www.airforce-technology.com...


[edit on 15-7-2010 by gambon]

Im in sigs & have been told aswell as this radar & sonar tracking source , we also have pods or maybe inbuilt with it now that jam radio transmissions & are very effective in the electronic warfare side of things, I ve been warned that as a signaller we will probably be using alot of this in the future

reply to post by rabbi


As a signaller they will wait till you qualified to then tell you , your unit vehicles give out the biggest signature on the battlefield and if shtf to get as much distance between you and it ...lol before the missiles hit lol,