Doug Peterson was a Dustoff guy. Dustoff crew members, during the Vietnam War, were an invaluable part of medical support. The crew would fly in on helicopters to combat situations, allowing for an easier evacuation of wounded individuals from the battlefield. In one harrowing scenario, Peterson remembers an injured soldier shooting at the helicopter. Not only did Peterson save his crew, but he rescued the man as well. Recently Peterson, alongside other Vietnam War veterans, was honored with the Congressional Medal for his service. While the Dustoff medical helicopter crews did incredibly important work, helicopters were also used in other significant ways throughout the Vietnam War. (Here is every bomber aircraft that fought in the Vietnam War.)
Here, 24/7 Wall St. has put together a list of the iconic helicopters that shaped the Vietnam War. We got our data from a catalog of helicopters from the Military Factory. Our list is ranked chronologically by when the helicopter first entered service. We’ve also included data on the type of helicopter, armament, year introduced, manufacturer, top speed, number of units manufactured, and which side used them. As you will see, the U.S. used helicopters extensively throughout the war — but these aircraft were not used as frequently by the North Vietnamese.
Why We’re Covering This
The deadly and prolonged conflict in Vietnam had lasting consequences on the world today. The war deeply split the American public between anti-war protestors and those who believed the war was an important fight against communism. These helicopters played a key part in fighting the war and providing a stronger vantage point for American troops. Understanding how the war was fought also helps us to better engage with U.S. involvement in the war and how our country has historically, and does today, prioritize defense spending.
Take a look at the helicopters used throughout the Vietnam War:
Bell H-13 Sioux
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Light utility/observation helicopter
- Armament: Usually none, but some were outfitted with air-to-surface anti-tank missiles and .30 caliber medium machine guns.
- Year introduced: 1947
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Total units produced: 2,400
- Top speed: 106 mph
Hiller OH-23 Raven (Model UH-12)
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: light utility helicopter
- Armament: Usually none, but some were outfitted with 7.62mm medium machine guns.
- Year introduced: 1948
- Manufacturer: Hiller Aircraft
- Total units produced: 1,820
- Top speed: 95 mph
Mil Mi-1 (Hare)
- Used during Vietnam War: North Vietnam
- Type: Light utility/liaison helicopter
- Armament: None
- Year introduced: 1950
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Total units produced: 2,600
- Top speed: 115 mph
Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Multi-role transport utility helicopter
- Armament: Usually none, but optional if the mission dictates. Typically, medium/heavy machine guns or rocket pods
- Year introduced: 1950
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Total units produced: 1,728
- Top speed: 101 mph
Mil Mi-4 (Hound)
- Used during Vietnam War: North Vietnam
- Type: Utility helicopter
- Armament: Rocket pods or conventional drop bombs
- Year introduced: 1953
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Total units produced: 4,500
- Top speed: 115 mph
Piasecki H-21 Workhorse
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Cargo/passenger transport tandem-rotor helicopter
- Armament: Optional: 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine guns, rockets fitted to some gunship models
- Year introduced: 1953
- Manufacturer: Piasecki Helicopter/Boeing Vertol
- Total units produced: 500
- Top speed: 127 mph
Sikorsky H-34 / CH-34 Choctaw
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Transport/close-support helicopter
- Armament: 7.62mm general purpose machine guns, 18-tube 2.75″ rocket launchers
- Year introduced: 1954
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Total units produced: 1,800
- Top speed: 173 mph
Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Heavy-lift cargo/transport helicopter
- Armament: None
- Year introduced: 1956
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Total units produced: 154
- Top speed: 130 mph
Kaman HH-43 Huskie
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Light utility/rescue helicopter
- Armament: None
- Year introduced: 1958
- Manufacturer: Kaman Aircraft
- Total units produced: 330
- Top speed: 118 mph
Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey)
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Utility/attack/transport helicopter
- Armament: 7.62mm general purpose machine guns, 12.7mm heavy machine gun, 7.62mm GAU-17/A miniguns, MK 44/46, 2.75″ 7- or 19-tube rocket pods
- Year introduced: 1959
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter
- Total units produced: 16,500
- Top speed: 137 mph
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Ship-based anti-submarine warfare helicopter
- Armament: Mark 44/46 torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, naval depth charges, 7.62mm machine guns
- Year introduced: 1961
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Total units produced: 1,100
- Top speed: 166 mph
Bell UH-1B/C Huey Cobra/Frog
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Gunship helicopter
- Armament: 2.75″ seven-shot rocket pods, 24-shot tube “box” kits, 40mm automatic grenade launcher, .30 caliber machine guns
- Year introduced: 1962
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Total units produced: 1,000
- Top speed: 95 mph
Boeing CH-47 Chinook
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Medium-lift, tandem rotor transport helicopter
- Armament: 7.62mm general purpose machine guns, some models outfitted with napalm or other drop ordnance
- Year introduced: 1962
- Manufacturer: Boeing
- Total units produced: 1,200
- Top speed: 180 mph
Kaman SH-2 Seasprite / Super Seasprite
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Ship-based anti-submarine warfare helicopter
- Armament: MK 46 torpedoes, MK 50 torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile, minigun in powered chin mount
- Year introduced: 1962
- Manufacturer: Kaman Aircraft
- Total units produced: 200
- Top speed: 159 mph
Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe / Erickson S-64 Skycrane
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Heavy-lift cargo/firefighting helicopter
- Armament: None
- Year introduced: 1962
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Total units produced: 215
- Top speed: 149 mph
Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Drone anti-submarine helicopter
- Armament: MK 44/46 series torpedoes
- Year introduced: 1963
- Manufacturer: Gyrodyne
- Total units produced: 755
- Top speed: 92 mph
Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Medium-lift, tandem rotor transport helicopter
- Armament: None
- Year introduced: 1964
- Manufacturer: Boeing Vertol
- Total units produced: 524
- Top speed: 166 mph
Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach)
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Light observation/attack helicopter
- Armament: 7.62mm M60 general purpose machine gun, 7.62mm M134 minigun pod, 12.7mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun pod, 2.75″ Hydra 70 rocket pod, TOW anti-tank guided missile pod, AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missile pod
- Year introduced: 1966
- Manufacturer: Hughes Tool Company
- Total units produced: 1,434
- Top speed: 175 mph
Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
- Armament: 12.7mm BMG XM218 machine guns, 12.7mm BMG GAU-21 machine guns
- Year introduced: 1966
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Total units produced: 417
- Top speed: 196 mph
Bell AH-1 HueyCobra / Cobra
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
- Armament: 7.62mm miniguns, 40mm M129 grenade launcher, 2.75″ rocket pods
- Year introduced: 1967
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Total units produced: 1,116
- Top speed: 172 mph
Bell Model 206 (JetRanger / LongRanger)
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: light utility helicopter
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns
- Year introduced: 1967
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Total units produced: 7,300
- Top speed: 122 mph
Mil Mi-8 (Hip)
- Used during Vietnam War: North Vietnam
- Type: Medium-lift helicopter
- Armament: UV-16-57 rocket pods, UV-32-57 rocket pods, AT-2 “Swatter” anti-tank missiles, AT-3 “Sagger” anti-tank missiles, 9M17 Phalanga anti-tank missiles, KV-4 12.7mm machine gun, mine dispensers, drop bombs, PK machine guns
- Year introduced: 1967
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Total units produced: 12,500
- Top speed: 162 mph
Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Search and rescue helicopter
- Armament: 2 x 7.62mm M60 general purpose machine guns
- Year introduced: 1967
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Total units produced: 50
- Top speed: 153 mph
Bell OH-58 Kiowa
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Armed scout and reconnaissance / light attack helicopter
- Armament: 7.62mm machine gun pods, 7.62mm minigun pods, 12.7mm machine gun pods, seven-round Hydra 70 rocket pods, AGM-114C Hellfire anti-tank missiles, Stinger AAMs
- Year introduced: 1969
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Total units produced: 2,200
- Top speed: 131 mph
Bell AH-1J SeaCobra
- Used during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
- Armament: 20mm M197 triple-barrel Gatling-style gun, 2.75″ MK 40 / Hydra rocket pods, Hughes BGM-71A TOW anti-tank missiles, AIM-9M Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, Zuni rocket pods
- Year introduced: 1970
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Total units produced: 251
- Top speed: 175 mph
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