This Is What The Night Stalkers’ MH-60M Direct Action Penetrator Brought To The Venezuelan Op
The hard-hitting attack version of the special operations MH-60 was clearly among the critical assets used in Operation Absolute Resolve.
Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway
Published Jan 5, 2026 6:02 PM EST
In the aftermath of the high-profile capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro by the United States, the participation by the Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) version of the U.S. Army’s MH-60M Black Hawk has thrust one of the most intriguing Special Operations Command (SOCOM) assets into the spotlight. These aircraft are the heavier-hitting gunships of the U.S. Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), better known as the Night Stalkers, and Venezuela was exactly the kind of mission for which they are intended to fly, in support of a direct action mission and assault team.
TWZ readers can otherwise get up to speed on the details that are known so far about the operation in our initial reporting here and here.
Heavily armed attack versions of the H-60 Black Hawk family have been used by a variety of nations through the years. However, the specially adapted DAPs flown by the 160th SOAR are undoubtedly the best equipped, even in comparison to the regiment’s standard MH-60s, which are used primarily as transports, and are extremely capable in their own right.
A UH-60L Direct Action Penetrator after its induction into the U.S. Army Aviation Museum collection in late 2013. This aircraft was assigned throughout its entire service life to the 160th SOAR, having undergone many upgrades over the years. It was one of the first aircraft in the regiment to undergo the conversion to a DAP in the mid-1990s. U.S. Army
The 160th SOAR has been operating the tricked-out DAP versions of the Black Hawk since at least 1990, with a primary mission of armed escort and fire support. Currently, the unit only operates the MH-60M version. These are flown alongside the M/AH-6M Little Bird, which also have a gunship configuration, and the MH-47G Chinook; the latter type was also employed in Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela.
https://www.twz.com/air/this-is-what-the-night-stalkers-mh-60m-direct-action-penetrator-brought-to-the-venezuelan-op
