Watch a US Chinook helicopter take an RPG and keep on trucking

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Philip Hammond Unveils New Chinook Helicopters
Philip Hammond Unveils New Chinook Helicopters

The Chinook helicopter has been a mainstay of U.S. military operations since the Vietnam era, and combat footage from a 2012 night raid in Afghanistan shows how it's earned its keep.

In the following video, the helicopter is seen hovering just a few feet above ground when struck by an rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), an antitank shoulder-launched weapon.

Fortunately, the RPG hit squarely on the heavily armored ramp of the Chinook, causing minimal damage to the chopper and only minor injuries to the crew.

Though there is cross talk and limited audio on the video, it's still clear that the Chinook pilot kept his cool. "We're hit, we took an RPG blast to the ramp," the pilot radios in.

Luckily, the pilot and crew all returned safely.

Watch the jarring clip below:

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