Tracking Conspiracy Theories — Old, New, Emerging, Evolving
A conspiracy theory emerging in the 1960s claiming that a United Nations force would arrive in black helicopters to bring the US under UN control, promoted by the John Birch Society and later associated with anti-government militia groups.
The "Black helicopters" conspiracy theory posits that unmarked, dark-colored helicopters are secretly being used by various clandestine organizations to exert control, conduct surveillance, and prepare for a totalitarian takeover of the United States. This theory often links these alleged black helicopters to the "New World Order," a supposed secretive power elite with a globalist agenda aiming to establish an authoritarian one-world government. The general scope of the theory suggests these unmarked aircraft are tools for implementing martial law, enforcing unpopular policies, or even orchestrating events to further the conspirators' goals.
The "Black helicopters" conspiracy theory has had a tangible impact, particularly within the American militia movement and associated political groups. Media attention to the theory surged in February 1995 when Republican Representative Helen Chenoweth publicly charged that armed federal agents were using black helicopters to land on Idaho ranchers' property to enforce the Endangered Species Act, despite her admitting she had never seen them herself. This claim resonated strongly with the militia movement's belief in an impending UN invasion of the United States. There have also been instances where believers in the theory have acted on their suspicions, such as the Montana division of the North American Volunteer Militia reportedly attempting to shoot down a National Guard helicopter they believed was a "black helicopter" while it was on a training mission. The term "black helicopter" has also been used pejoratively by politicians and commentators to ridicule other conspiracy theories or their proponents.
Stories of black helicopters first emerged in the 1970s, often initially linked to reports of cattle mutilation. It is suggested that the idea may have originated from Hal Lindsey's 1970 book The Late, Great Planet Earth, which theorized that the locust-like creatures described in the Book of Revelation were actually helicopters. The theory gained significant traction and became widely popular within the United States militia movement and associated political groups in the 1990s as a symbol of an alleged conspiratorial military takeover. Over time, it has evolved to incorporate claims of United Nations involvement, federal overreach, and connections to broader "New World Order" conspiracies, suggesting that these unmarked aircraft are part of a larger plot to establish a totalitarian world government.
From a mainstream perspective, the "Black helicopters" theory is widely regarded as a conspiracy theory lacking credible evidence. Experts, fact-checkers, and official institutions view it as a modern myth, representing a fear of government and its technology. Explanations for sightings of dark-colored helicopters often point to the legitimate use of such aircraft by various government agencies and military branches for unclassified purposes. For example, U.S. Customs and Border Protection operates black-and-gold UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment primarily uses black helicopters. Many military helicopters are painted in dark colors (like matte black or olive drab) and may appear black, especially in low-light conditions. Additionally, agencies like the DEA use unmarked black helicopters for drug interdiction. The idea has been used to mock other conspiracy theories, and Vice President Joe Biden notably used the term in 2013 to refer to those vehemently opposing stricter gun control measures.
