Military
These Global Military Powers Are Investing Billions in Their Helicopter Fleets
Published:
Helicopters are some of the most versatile military assets, they play a number of roles on and off the battlefield that ultimately improve the effectiveness of any military force. (These Economic Powers Have the Largest Standing Armies in the World, and America Is Not #1)
From the beginning, helicopters were used to transport troops but were quickly upgraded and outfitted to carry machine guns, missiles, and other explosive ordnance. As time has progressed, helicopters have grown more sophisticated in all regards.
One of the most widely purchased military helicopters in the world is the Black Hawk. It serves in multiple roles, not just exclusively in combat, transport, or as a utility helicopter. Manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, these helicopters typically go for around $21 million per unit but the price may vary for what features it has. These are some of the most prolific military helicopters in use around the world. (These Are the World’s 30 Strongest Military Powers – Which Nations Are Gaining on America?)
These are some of the most widely purchased military assets because of their flexibility and utility for any military force. The countries that possess the most helicopters tend to be the largest and most significant military players in the world. Countries like Russia, the United States, and India, which maintain some of the world’s largest helicopter fleets, occupy these top spots. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the countries and military powers with the largest helicopter fleets.
To determine the countries with the most military helicopters in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 military strength report from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. We ranked these countries according to which countries have the most helicopters. We included supplemental information regarding each country’s current air force, overall military strength ranking, and defense budget.
Here is a look at the countries with the largest helicopter armies in the world:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding global military dynamics is incredibly important due to the interconnected nature of international relations and conflicts. As long as civilization has existed, the world has witnessed shifting power balances and alliances which have ultimately shaped the current geopolitical landscape. While key players like the United States, China, and Russia are considered the strongest military powers in the world, there are a number of other nations with their own spheres of influence and strengths that impact global relations from a military perspective.
30. Canada
- Total helicopters: 145
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 66
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 351
- Military defense budget: $41,000,000,000 – #15 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5179 – #28 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Canada has 21,704 military vehicles (including 74 tanks). Canada has 68,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 38.8 million.
29. Israel
- Total helicopters: 147
- Total attack helicopters: 48
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 240
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 38
- Total military aircraft: 611
- Military defense budget: $30,500,000,000 – #17 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2661 – #15 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Israel has 35,985 military vehicles (including 1,300 tanks, 523 artillery units, and 183 MLRS units). Israel has 170,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 9.4 million.
28. Spain
- Total helicopters: 153
- Total attack helicopters: 17
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 137
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 12
- Total military aircraft: 461
- Military defense budget: $23,397,000,000 – #22 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3242 – #17 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Spain has 17,626 military vehicles (including 317 tanks and 382 artillery units). Spain has 133,282 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 47.3 million.
27. Jordan
- Total helicopters: 155
- Total attack helicopters: 44
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 44
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 6
- Total military aircraft: 274
- Military defense budget: $2,500,000,000 – #65 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.6139 – #76 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Jordan has 16,624 military vehicles (including 1,458 tanks, 438 artillery units, and 56 MLRS units). Jordan has 100,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 11.2 million.
26. Mexico
- Total helicopters: 178
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 3
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 33
- Total military aircraft: 433
- Military defense budget: $7,600,000,000 – #39 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5965 – #32 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Mexico has 19,658 military vehicles (including 90 artillery units). Mexico has 412,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 130.7 million.
25. Brazil
- Total helicopters: 191
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 43
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 38
- Total military aircraft: 513
- Military defense budget: $26,157,300,000 – #19 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2415 – #11 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Brazil has 22,464 military vehicles (including 294 tanks, 521 artillery units, and 38 MLRS units). Brazil has 360,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 220.1 million.
24. Iraq
- Total helicopters: 197
- Total attack helicopters: 39
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 26
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 36
- Total military aircraft: 391
- Military defense budget: $7,923,000,000 – #37 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7738 – #43 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Iraq has 37,288 military vehicles (including 1,025 tanks, 1044 artillery units, and 572 MLRS units). Iraq has 193,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 42.1 million.
23. North Korea
- Total helicopters: 205
- Total attack helicopters: 20
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 368
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 114
- Total military aircraft: 861
- Military defense budget: $4,736,000,000 – #51 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6016 – #34 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, North Korea has 18,288 military vehicles (including 4,344 tanks, 2,000 artillery units, and 1,500 MLRS units). North Korea has 1,320,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 26.3 million.
22. Indonesia
- Total helicopters: 214
- Total attack helicopters: 15
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 41
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 34
- Total military aircraft: 459
- Military defense budget: $10,600,000,000 – #29 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2557 – #13 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Indonesia has 20,440 military vehicles (including 331 tanks, 549 artillery units, and 63 MLRS units). Indonesia has 400,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 281.6 million.
21. Poland
- Total helicopters: 216
- Total attack helicopters: 29
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 59
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 44
- Total military aircraft: 479
- Military defense budget: $48,700,000,000 – #12 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3776 – #22 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Poland has 23,138 military vehicles (including 614 tanks, 677 artillery units, and 196 MLRS units). Poland has 202,100 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 38.7 million.
20. Taiwan
- Total helicopters: 236
- Total attack helicopters: 91
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 285
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 761
- Military defense budget: $19,740,000,000 – #23 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3988 – #23 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Taiwan has 19,921 military vehicles (including 888 tanks, 1,848 artillery units, and 234 MLRS units). Taiwan has 215,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 23.6 million.
19. United Arab Emirates
- Total helicopters: 247
- Total attack helicopters: 30
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 99
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 16
- Total military aircraft: 551
- Military defense budget: $2,212,360,382 – #70 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.0186 – #54 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, the United Arab Emirates has 8,707 military vehicles (including 354 tanks, 264 artillery units, and 49 MLRS units). The United Arab Emirates has 65,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.0 million.
18. Colombia
_of_the_Colombian_National_Police.jpg "Colombia helicopter by Policu00eda Nacional de los colombianos")
- Total helicopters: 257
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 16
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 24
- Total military aircraft: 436
- Military defense budget: $10,541,500,000 – #30 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8353 – #46 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Colombia has 3,460 military vehicles (including 116 artillery units). Colombia has 293,200 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 49.6 million.
17. Thailand
- Total helicopters: 258
- Total attack helicopters: 7
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 72
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 20
- Total military aircraft: 493
- Military defense budget: $5,887,883,500 – #45 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4536 – #26 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Thailand has 16,935 military vehicles (including 635 tanks, 639 artillery units, and 26 MLRS units). Thailand has 360,850 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 69.9 million.
16. Saudi Arabia
- Total helicopters: 264
- Total attack helicopters: 34
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 283
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 81
- Total military aircraft: 917
- Military defense budget: $74,760,000,000 – #5 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4201 – #25 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Saudi Arabia has 19,040 military vehicles (including 840 tanks, 799 artillery units, and 321 MLRS units). Saudi Arabia has 257,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 36.5 million.
15. United Kingdom
- Total helicopters: 266
- Total attack helicopters: 37
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 113
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 31
- Total military aircraft: 631
- Military defense budget: $71,500,540,000 – #6 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1785 – #6 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, the United Kingdom has 38,200 military vehicles (including 227 tanks, 197 artillery units, and 29 MLRS units). The United Kingdom has 184,860 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 68.5 million.
14. Greece
- Total helicopters: 293
- Total attack helicopters: 29
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 178
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 558
- Military defense budget: $6,500,000,000 – #44 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5337 – #30 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Greece has 61,888 military vehicles (including 1,344 tanks, 1287 artillery units, and 152 MLRS units). Greece has 142,700 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.5 million.
13. Algeria
.jpg "Mi-24 Algeria by Alan Wilson")
- Total helicopters: 299
- Total attack helicopters: 74
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 102
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 42
- Total military aircraft: 608
- Military defense budget: $25,000,000,000 – #21 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3589 – #20 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Algeria has 26,000 military vehicles (including 1,485 tanks, 707 artillery units, and 266 MLRS units). Algeria has 325,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 47.0 million.
12. Germany
- Total helicopters: 309
- Total attack helicopters: 54
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 129
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 63
- Total military aircraft: 584
- Military defense budget: $50,000,000,000 – #11 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2601 – #14 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Germany has 83,260 military vehicles (including 296 tanks, 134 artillery units, and 33 MLRS units). Germany has 181,600 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 84.1 million.
11. Egypt
- Total helicopters: 348
- Total attack helicopters: 100
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 238
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 90
- Total military aircraft: 1,093
- Military defense budget: $5,879,500,000 – #46 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3427 – #19 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Egypt has 41,012 military vehicles (including 3,620 tanks, 2,018 artillery units, and 528 MLRS units). Egypt has 440,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 111.2 million.
10. Pakistan
- Total helicopters: 373
- Total attack helicopters: 57
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 328
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 90
- Total military aircraft: 1,399
- Military defense budget: $7,640,000,000 – #38 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2513 – #12 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Pakistan has 17,516 military vehicles (including 2,627 tanks, 3,291 artillery units, and 600 MLRS units). Pakistan has 654,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 252.4 million.
9. Italy
- Total helicopters: 392
- Total attack helicopters: 37
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 89
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 67
- Total military aircraft: 729
- Military defense budget: $30,890,000,000 – #16 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2164 – #10 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Italy has 73,480 military vehicles (including 200 tanks, 172 artillery units, and 21 MLRS units). Italy has 165,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 61.0 million.
8. France
- Total helicopters: 448
- Total attack helicopters: 68
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 226
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 976
- Military defense budget: $55,000,000,000 – #9 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1878 – #8 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, France has 110,932 military vehicles (including 215 tanks, 96 artillery units, and 9 MLRS units). France has 200,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 68.4 million.
7. Turkey
- Total helicopters: 508
- Total attack helicopters: 111
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 201
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 1,083
- Military defense budget: $47,000,000,000 – #13 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1902 – #9 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Turkey has 61,173 military vehicles (including 2,238 tanks, 2,745 artillery units, and 296 MLRS units). Turkey has 355,200 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 84.1 million.
6. Japan
- Total helicopters: 596
- Total attack helicopters: 119
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 217
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 38
- Total military aircraft: 1,443
- Military defense budget: $57,000,000,000 – #7 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1839 – #7 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Japan has 31,964 military vehicles (including 521 tanks, 629 artillery units, and 54 MLRS units). Japan has 247,150 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 123.2 million.
5. South Korea
- Total helicopters: 807
- Total attack helicopters: 111
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 315
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 98
- Total military aircraft: 1,592
- Military defense budget: $46,300,000,000 – #14 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1656 – #5 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, South Korea has 58,880 military vehicles (including 2,236 tanks, 7,670 artillery units, and 426 MLRS units). South Korea has 600,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 52.1 million.
4. India
- Total helicopters: 899
- Total attack helicopters: 80
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 513
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 130
- Total military aircraft: 2,229
- Military defense budget: $75,000,000,000 – #4 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1184 – #4 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, India has 148,594 military vehicles (including 4,201 tanks, 4,075 artillery units, and 264 MLRS units). India has 1,455,550 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 1.41 billion.
3. China
- Total helicopters: 913
- Total attack helicopters: 281
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 1,212
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 371
- Total military aircraft: 3,309
- Military defense budget: $266,850,000,000 – #2 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0788 – #3 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, China has 144,017 military vehicles (including 6,800 tanks, 4,490 artillery units, and 2,750 MLRS units). China has 2,035,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 1.42 billion.
2. Russia
- Total helicopters: 1,651
- Total attack helicopters: 557
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 833
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 689
- Total military aircraft: 4,292
- Military defense budget: $126,000,000,000 – #3 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0788 – #2 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Russia has 131,527 military vehicles (including 5,750 tanks, 13,673 artillery units, and 3,005 MLRS units). Russia has 1,320,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 140.8 million.
1. United States
- Total helicopters: 5,843
- Total attack helicopters: 1,002
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 1,790
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 889
- Total military aircraft: 13,043
- Military defense budget: $895,000,000,000 – #1 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0744 – #1 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, the United States has 391,963 military vehicles (including 4,640 tanks, 1,883 artillery units, and 641 MLRS units). The United States has 1,328,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 342.0 million.
Take Charge of Your Retirement In Just A Few Minutes (Sponsor)
Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance—and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor.
Here’s how it works:
- Answer a Few Simple Questions. Tell us a bit about your goals and preferences—it only takes a few minutes!
- Get Matched with Vetted Advisors Our smart tool matches you with up to three pre-screened, vetted advisors who serve your area and are held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Click here to begin
- Choose Your Fit Review their profiles, schedule an introductory call (or meet in person), and select the advisor who feel is right for you.
Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of. Click here to get started today!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
Our expert who first called NVIDIA in 2009 is predicting 2025 will see a historic AI breakthrough.
You can follow him investing $500,000 of his own money on our top AI stocks for free.