For years, helicopters have played an important role in modern warfare due to their versatility and firepower. They fill a variety of roles outside of combat including transport, reconnaissance as well as search and rescue. Speed is an important factor in how these helicopters are able to perform their missions effectively, and the United States has some of the fastest choppers on the planet.

The United States, recognized as one of the world’s most powerful military nations, boasts the largest fleet of military helicopters. To a degree, this is a reflection of its superior military infrastructure and technological prowess. (These are the future military helicopters of the world.)

Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at America’s fastest helicopters. To identify the fastest combat helicopters currently in the U.S. military, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked these helicopters according to their top speed. We included supplemental information regarding type, year introduced, and armament.

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. (These are the helicopters that were used in the Vietnam War.)

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.

Here is a look at the fastest helicopters in the U.S. military:

Why Are We Covering This?

Military helicopters play an important role in modern military operations. Understanding what the United States has in its arsenal further explains its military capabilities.

15. Bell UH-1

• Type: Multirole attack helicopter
• Year introduced: 1959
• Top speed: 137 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns, rocket pods, Sea Killer missiles, drop bombs, torpedoes, TOW missiles, miniguns, automatic cannons
• Variants: OH-58 Kiowa, UH-1 Iroquois, UH-1N Twin Huey, UH-1Y Venom
• Active in military: 230

14. Airbus H125

• Type: Light utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1990
• Top speed: 152 mph
• Armament: 20mm automatic cannon, 7.62mm machine gun pods, 12.7mm machine gun pods, 70mm rocket pods, 68mm rocket pods, BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles
• Variants: H125, AS350
• Active in military: 1

13. Bell 407

• Type: Light utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1996
• Top speed: 162 mph
• Armament: Machine gun pods, rocket pods
• Active in military: 10

12. Mi-8/17 Hip

• Type: Multirole medium-lift helicopter
• Year introduced: 1967
• Top speed: 162 mph
• Armament: Rocket pods, Swatter missiles, Sagger missiles, Phalanga missiles, 12.7mm machine gun, drop bombs, gun pods, cannon pods
• Variants: Mi-8, Mi-17
• Active in military: 10

11. Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota

• Type: Light utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 2007
• Top speed: 167 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns
• Variants: H145 (UH-72A/B)
• Active in military: 483

10. MH-6 Little Bird

• Type: Light attack helicopter
• Year introduced: 1980
• Top speed: 175 mph
• Armament: 30mm automatic cannon, 12.7mm gatling guns, 7.62mm miniguns, rocket pods, Hellfire missiles, TOW missiles, Stinger missiles
• Variants: MD500 (AH/MH-6)
• Active in military: 47

9. Boeing CH-47 Chinook

• Type: Medium-lift tandem rotor helicopter
• Year introduced: 1962
• Top speed: 180 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, miniguns
• Variants: CH-47D/F/MH-47G
• Active in military: 510

8. Boeing AH-64 Apache

• Type: Two-seat attack helicopter
• Year introduced: 1986
• Top speed: 183 mph
• Armament: 30mm automatic cannon, Hellfire missiles, Hydra rocket pods, Stinger missiles, Sidewinder missiles, Sidearm missiles
• Variants: AH-64D/E
• Active in military: 824

7. S-70 Black Hawk

• Type: Medium-lift multi-mission helicopter
• Year introduced: 1979
• Top speed: 183 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, Hellfire missiles, 12.7mm gatling guns, M134 gatling guns, rocket pods, 30mm chain gun
• Variants: HH-60G, U, W, MH-60G, EH, MH, UH-60, MH-60R/S, UH-60A/L
• Active in military: 2853

6. Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion

• Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 2018
• Top speed: 196 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm heavy machine guns, 12.7mm GAU-21 miniguns
• Active in military: 11

5. MH-53E Sea Dragon

• Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1966
• Top speed: 196 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 7.62mm machine guns
• Active in military: 26

4. Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion

• Type: Super heavy-lift transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1981
• Top speed: 196 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm heavy machine guns, 12.7mm GAU-21 miniguns
• Active in military: 135

3. MH-139 Grey Wolf

• Type: Multi-mission medium-lift helicopter
• Year introduced: 2021
• Top speed: 202 mph
• Armament: Pintle-mounted machine guns of various calibers
• Active in military: 4

2. Bell AH-1Z Viper

• Type: Twin-engine attack helicopter
• Year introduced: 2010
• Top speed: 255 mph
• Armament: 20mm gatling-style cannon, Hellfire missiles, Sidewinder missiles, Hydra rocket pods
• Active in military: 176

1. Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey

• Type: Tilt rotor VTOL aircraft
• Year introduced: 2007
• Top speed: 316 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns
• Variants: CV-22, MV-22
• Active in military: 367

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.