The Most Common Helicopter in Iran’s Military Is American-Made — and Over 60 Years Old

In May 2024, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was flying in a US-made Bell 212 helicopter above the mountains when it crashed, killing everyone on board. Like many of the helicopters servicing Iran, this aircraft was thought to be decades old. The following list of Iran’s military helicopters has aircraft that were first introduced in the 1960s and 70s, with one from 1981. International sanctions placed on Iran make it difficult for the country to maintain, repair, or build new helicopters for its military. (See here for which Middle East countries have the largest standing armies.)

24/7 Wall St. identified all of the helicopters in active service in the Iranian military by referencing 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 on 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 helps us understand how Iran projects power regionally and globally. Plus, 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 tandem-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