Project Insight

"This is Project Insight. Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites." "Launched from the Lemurian Star." "Once we get them in the air they never need to come down."

- Nick Fury to Captain America

Project Insight was a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. operation made in direct response to the growing supernatural forces that began plaguing the Earth after the Battle of New York. Agents required a Clearance Level over Level 8 to access the Helicarrier Bay in the Triskelion. It is presumed that only S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 9 and Level 10 agents know about Project Insight, as well as most likely most HYDRA agents undercover, posing as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

History
Project Insight involved three heavily armed, satellite-linked Helicarriers designed to proactively strike out against potential threats before they actually happened. In 2014, the project was to be put into effect, but through the actions of a HYDRA infiltration, the operation was turned against S.H.I.E.L.D.. HYDRA planned on using Arnim Zola's algorithm to root out individuals that would oppose or threaten HYDRA's goals.

The three Helicarriers were launched from an underground launch facility next to the Triskelion on the Potomac River. Once they reached a certain altitude, their guns would fire on all potential targets HYDRA deemed a threat to their plans. Thanks to the actions of Captain America, the Black Widow, Falcon, Nick Fury and Maria Hill, the three Helicarriers had their targeting systems changed to fire on each other. All three Helicarriers were destroyed, plunging into the Potomac River. One also crashed into the Triskelion, destroying it.

Trivia

 * One of the targets of Project Insight, James Anderson, shares his name with a character from the comics, James Anderson, an operative of the Medusa Web under the codename Skybreaker.