Mission preparation was obsessive and meticulous. For weeks, intelligence officers and Rangers studied topographic maps and high-resolution imagery. The challenges were formidable. The base perched above a sheer thousand-foot drop, accessible only through narrow canyon choke points defended by automated turrets and thermal-imaging watchtowers. Helicopter insertion near the site risked radar detection. The plan relied on a stealth approach—an under-cover nighttime insertion, coordinated with specialized gear and synchronized strikes on multiple entry points.
