Inside Iran’s Air Power — A Look at Its Active Helicopter Fleet

Iran’s active helicopter fleet is aged. Some of the aircraft date back to the 1960s with the newest, a Mil Mi-171 Hip, first introduced in 1981. However, the majority of Iran’s helicopter fleet comes from American-made helicopters which Iran acquired before the arms embargo the US imposed on the country in 1979. (Also see every Iranian combat aircraft currently in service.)

24/7 Wall St. took a close look at one of the fleets that make up Iran’s air power arsenal: helicopters. To identify all of the helicopters in active service in the Iranian military, we referenced the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website. We ranked helicopters by the number of units in active service and added supplemental data regarding the type of aircraft, armament, and military branch.

Here is a look at every helicopter in Iran’s military:

Why Are We Covering This?

Iran’s military capabilities play a significant role in Middle Eastern politics. Understanding the eight helicopters used by Iran’s military shows how Iran projects power regionally and globally. In addition, seeing where Iran is investing its military resources moving forward gives insight into its potential military strategy.

8. Bell 206 (JetRanger / Long Ranger)

• Type: Light utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1967
• Active in Military: 6
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Islamic Republic of Iran Army

7. Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion

• Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1966
• Active in Military: 6
• Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 7.62mm machine guns
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Navy

6. Sikorsky S-61 (SH-3 Sea King)

• Type: Ship-based anti-submarine warfare helicopter
• Year introduced: 1961
• Active in Military: 8
• Armament: Mark 44/46 torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, naval depth charges, 7.62mm machine guns
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Navy

5. Bell 212

• Type: Medium-lift utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1968
• Active in Military: 10
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy

4. Bell AH-1J SeaCobra

• Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
• Year introduced: 1970
• Active in Military: 13
• Armament: 20mm M197 triple-barrel gatling gun, Mk 40 Hydra rocket pods, Zuni rocket pods, BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles, Sidewinder missiles
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Army

3. Mil Mi-171 Hip

735 Bangladesh Air Force Mil Mi-171 Hip. (41836905645) (BY-SA 2.0) by Shadman Samee from Dhaka, Bangladesh

• Type: Medium-lift gunship helicopter
• Year introduced: 1981
• Active in Military: 22
• Armament: Shturm-V missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods, 7.62mm machine guns
• Military branch: Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy

2. Bell 214

• Type: Medium-lift utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1972
• Active in Military: 24
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Army

1. Boeing CH-47 Chinook

• Type: Medium-lift trandem-rotor transport helicopter
• Year introduced: 1962
• Active in Military: 40
• Armament: 7.62mm machine guns
• Military branch: Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force