For more than half a century, helicopters have been an important component of modern U.S. military operations. These aircraft provide air support and transportation for troops and equipment as well as serving various roles on the battlefield. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the helicopters in service of the U.S. military. (These are the future military helicopters of the world.)
To identify all of the helicopters in active service in the U.S. military, 24/7 Wall St. referenced the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website. The helicopters are ranked by the number of units in active service. We included all variants of each helicopter in the count and excluded all helicopters from the Coast Guard. Supplemental data regarding the type of helicopter, how many are in active service, and how many are on order came from FlightGlobal.
Most of the helicopters that make up this list have been in service for decades. Perhaps, the key example of this is the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. This helicopter has been involved in a number of high-profile military operations over the years, including one with a blockbuster Hollywood movie named after it “Black Hawk Down.” It is even said that a stealth version of the Black Hawk was used in the operation that took out Osama bin Laden.
Some of the other most popular helicopters in service are also the Apache and Chinook. Each of these plays an important role on the battlefield, whether it is as an attack helicopter or a transport. (These are the helicopters of the Vietnam War.)
Here is a look at every helicopter in the U.S. military:
Why Are We Covering This?
Source: curraheeshutter / Shutterstock.com
Military helicopters play an important role in modern military operations. Understanding what the United States has in its arsenal further explains its military capabilities.
18. Airbus H125
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Variants: H125, AS350
- Active in military: 1
- Helicopters on order: 0
17. Mil Mi-24 Hind
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Trainer
- Active in military: 1
- Helicopters on order: 0
16. MH-139 Grey Wolf
Source: Courtesy of Boeing
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in military: 4
- Helicopters on order: 78
15. Bell 407
Source: Mgroessing / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in military: 10
- Helicopters on order: 0
14. Mi-8/17 Hip
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Variants: Mi-8, Mi-17
- Active in military: 10
- Helicopters on order: 0
13. Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in military: 11
- Helicopters on order: 193
12. MH-53E Sea Dragon
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in military: 26
- Helicopters on order: 0
11. MH-6 Little Bird
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Variants: MD500 (AH/MH-6)
- Active in military: 47
- Helicopters on order: 74
10. Leonardo AW119 Koala
- Type: Trainer
- Active in military: 59
- Helicopters on order: 71
9. TH-57 Sea Ranger
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Trainer
- Active in military: 113
- Helicopters on order: 0
8. Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion
Source: Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in military: 135
- Helicopters on order: 0
7. Bell AH-1Z Viper
Source: Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Active in military: 176
- Helicopters on order: 0
6. Bell UH-1
Source: cak757 / Flickr
- Type: Combat helicopter, trainer
- Variants: OH-58 Kiowa, UH-1 Iroquois, UH-1N Twin Huey, UH-1Y Venom
- Active in military: 230
- Helicopters on order: 0
5. Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
Source: viper-zero / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Variants: CV-22, MV-22
- Active in military: 367
- Helicopters on order: 69
4. Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Combat helicopter, trainer
- Variants: H145 (UH-72A/B)
- Active in military: 483
- Helicopters on order: 30
3. Boeing CH-47 Chinook
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Variants: CH-47D/F/MH-47G
- Active in military: 510
- Helicopters on order: 57
2. Boeing AH-64 Apache
- Type: Combat helicopter
- Variants: AH-64D/E
- Active in military: 824
- Helicopters on order: 15
1. S-70 Black Hawk
Source: fikretozk / iStock via Getty Images
- Type: Combat helicopter, trainer
- Variants: HH-60G, U, W, MH-60G, EH, MH, UH-60, MH-60R/S, UH-60A/L
- Active in military: 2853
- Helicopters on order: 455
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