24/7 Wall St. Insights:

• The Black Hawk is one of the most iconic helicopters ever built
• It was introduced to service in 1979, designed by Sikorsky Aircraft
• One infamous exploit of this helicopter was portrayed in the blockbuster film “Black Hawk Down”
• Also: Dividend legends to hold forever

The Black Hawk helicopter is one of the most iconic helicopters ever built, it serves a number of roles in militaries around the world, but no military puts it to use like the US Army. With over 2,000 units currently in service, the Black Hawk is a staple in military operations, both domestically and internationally. (These are the fastest gunship helicopters of the modern era.)

This medium-lift helicopter was designed to perform a variety of missions, including troop transport, medical evacuation, and even assault operations. It was introduced to service in 1979, designed by Sikorsky Aircraft.

It features twin turboshaft engines, a single four-bladed main rotor, and a four-bladed tail rotor, which allow for top speeds over 180 mph. Typically, this helicopter carries a crew of two pilots and two crew chiefs and can transport up to 11 fully equipped soldiers. In total, the Black Hawk can carry a payload of roughly 9,000 pounds.

Black Hawk helicopters have played important roles in conflicts around the globe. One infamous instance was the conflict in Somalia in 1993, particularly the Battle of Mogadishu. The Black Hawk played a significant role in urban combat and casualty evacuation under intense fire. This story would go on to make it as a blockbuster movie famously titled “Black Hawk Down.”

The Black Hawk is just one of the storied helicopters used by the U.S. Army. There are many others like the Apache attack helicopter that hold impeccable reputations as well. (These are the most iconic Black Hawk helicopters ever built.)

24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the U.S. Army’s arsenal of helicopters. To identify every helicopter in the U.S. Army, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ordered these aircraft by how many are currently in active service. We also included supplemental data on the type of helicopter, top speed, and armament.

Here is a closer look at the U.S. Army helicopters currently in service:

Why Are We Covering This?

Understanding the combat aircraft used by the U.S. Army provides insight into joint military capabilities and defense strategies. Also knowing what the U.S. has in its arsenal further explains its military capabilities.

9. H125 Fennec

• Type: Light utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1990
• Manufacturer: Eurocopter / Airbus Helicopters
• Active in the Army: 1
• Top speed: 152 mph
• Armament: 20mm GIAT automatic cannon, 12.7mm machine gun pods, 7.62mm machine gun pods, FZ220 rocket pods, BMD-71 TOW missiles

8. Mil Mi-24 Hind

• Type: Attack helicopter
• Year introduced: 1973
• Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
• Active in the Army: 1
• Top speed: 208 mph
• Armament: 12.7mm heavy machine guns, 23mm cannon, 30mm cannon, anti-tank missiles, rocket pods, machine gun pods, cannon pods, conventional drop bombs

7. Bell 407

• Type: Light utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1996
• Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter
• Active in the Army: 5
• Top speed: 162 mph
• Armament: N/A

6. Mi-8/17 Hip

• Type: Medium-lift transport / gunship helicopter
• Year introduced: 1977
• Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
• Active in the Army: 10
• Top speed: 158 mph
• Armament: 23mm cannon pods, 7.62mm machine guns, rockets, anti-tank missiles

5. AH/MH-6 Little Bird

• Type: Light attack helicopter
• Year introduced: 1980
• Manufacturer: Hughes / McDonnell Douglas / Boeing
• Active in the Army: 47
• Top speed: 175 mph
• Armament: 30mm M230 chaingun, 12.7mm GAU-19 gatling guns, 7.62mm miniguns, M261 rocket pods, Hellfire missiles, TOW anti-tank missiles, Stinger missiles

4. UH-72 Lakota

• Type: Light utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 2007
• Manufacturer: Eurocopter / Airbus Helicopters
• Active in the Army: 478
• Top speed: 167 mph
• Armament: N/A

3. CH-47 Chinook

• Type: Medium-lift, tandem rotor transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1962
• Manufacturer: Boeing
• Active in the Army: 510
• Top speed: 180 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns

2. AH-64 Apache

• Type: Two-seat attack helicopter
• Year introduced: 1986
• Manufacturer: Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Hughes
• Active in the Army: 824
• Top speed: 183 mph
• Armament: 30mm automatic cannon, Hellfire missiles, Hydra rocket pods, Stinger missiles, Sidewinder missiles, Sidearm missiles

1. S-70 Black Hawk

• Type: Medium-lift multi-mission helicopter
• Year introduced: 1979
• Manufacturer: Sikorsky
• Active in the Army: 2,299
• Top speed: 183 mph
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, Hellfire missiles, 12.7mm gatling guns, M134 gatling guns, rocket pods, 30mm chain gun

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