Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction System (FRIES) is a specialized rappelling and extraction technique and associated equipment used by military special operations forces to rapidly insert or extract personnel from helicopters in environments where landing is impractical or too dangerous (e.g., urban areas, dense terrain, rooftops, or hostile zones).
Key features and components include:
- Fast ropes — Thick, heavy, braided nylon or polyester ropes (typically 40–60 mm diameter, 40–90 feet long) with a non-slip surface for hand-over-hand descent or ascent. Multiple personnel can slide down simultaneously at high speed (faster than traditional rappelling).
- Helicopter modifications — Attachment points (e.g., cargo hooks, extended bars, or reinforced frames) on the aircraft (such as MH-6M Little Bird, MH-60M Black Hawk, or MH-47G Chinook) allow ropes to be deployed quickly from hovering positions.
- Insertion — Troops exit the helicopter by sliding down the rope(s) while it maintains a low hover, enabling rapid deployment of small teams (e.g., up to 6–8 operators per rope on a Little Bird).
- Extraction — Personnel ascend the rope using mechanical ascenders, hand-over-hand climbing, or helicopter winch assistance to re-board the hovering aircraft.
- Advantages — Extremely fast (insertion in seconds), low signature (no ground contact needed), minimal helicopter exposure time, and effective in confined spaces where landing or winch hoisting would be slower or riskier.
FRIES is a core capability of the 160th SOAR (Night Stalkers), particularly on the MH-6M Little Bird (with side benches and fast-rope bars) and MH-60M Black Hawk, enabling precise, stealthy insertions/extractions during night operations in denied areas, as famously depicted in the Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down). The system requires extensive training due to the physical demands and risks involved in high-speed, low-level maneuvers.