In Europe, helicopter fleets are a key indicator of overall military strength. These aircraft perform a series of necessary duties from troop transport and logistics to close-air support that modern militaries rely upon. Countries like Italy and Germany rank fairly high in this regard, but there is one continental power that overshadows all of these nations in sheer helicopter strength. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the helicopter armies of Europe.
To determine the European 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. Countries with no helicopters were excluded.
Here is a look at the countries with the largest helicopter armies in Europe:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding the military dynamics in Europe is important considering the continent’s deeply rooted geopolitical challenges going forward. Historically, Europe has been marked by wars, shifting alliances, and territorial disputes, and yet it still remains a key player on the global stage. At the same time, alliances like the EU or NATO are some of the most powerful in terms of their influence on the world. Whether it is a question of NATO’s expansion or Russia’s campaign in Eastern Europe, these military forces tilt the region’s balance of power.
35. Moldova
- Total helicopters: 2
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 3
- Military defense budget: $1,710,000,000 – #73 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.2555 – #134 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Moldova has 500 military vehicles which include 11 MLRS units and 76 artillery units. Moldova has 8,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 3.600 million.
34. Estonia
- Total helicopters: 3
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 5
- Military defense budget: $1,463,360,000 – #77 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.2917 – #107 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Estonia has 1,685 military vehicles which include 36 artillery units. Estonia has 7,700 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 1.194 million.
33. Lithuania
- Total helicopters: 4
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 9
- Military defense budget: $2,388,900,000 – #66 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.9075 – #88 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Lithuania has 1,263 military vehicles which include 75 artillery units. Lithuania has 23,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 2.628 million.
32. Latvia
- Total helicopters: 7
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 7
- Military defense budget: $1,138,000,000 – #84 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1246 – #99 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Latvia has 1,848 military vehicles which include 47 artillery units. Latvia has 17,250 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 1.801 million.
31. Ireland
- Total helicopters: 8
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 22
- Military defense budget: $1,500,000,000 – #76 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1103 – #97 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Ireland has 1,712 military vehicles. Ireland has 7,765 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.233 million.
30. North Macedonia
- Total helicopters: 10
- Total attack helicopters: 4
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 20
- Military defense budget: $388,421,700 – #114 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.4042 – #112 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, North Macedonia has 1,108 military vehicles which include 20 tanks, 17 MLRS units, and 150 artillery units. North Macedonia has 9,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 2.136 million.
29. Montenegro
- Total helicopters: 11
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 11
- Military defense budget: $148,100,000 – #136 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.9216 – #127 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Montenegro has 471 military vehicles which include 12 MLRS units and 12 artillery units. Montenegro has 2,350 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 599,849.
28. Slovenia
- Total helicopters: 16
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 39
- Military defense budget: $886,860,000 – #91 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1016 – #96 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Slovenia has 1,428 military vehicles which include 54 tanks and 18 artillery units. Slovenia has 7,300 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 2.098 million.
27. Albania
- Total helicopters: 19
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 19
- Military defense budget: $558,862,420 – #101 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.6815 – #78 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Albania has 1,796 military vehicles which include 46 tanks, 135 MLRS units, and 50 artillery units. Albania has 6,600 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 3.107 million.
26. Belgium
- Total helicopters: 20
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 43
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 108
- Military defense budget: $10,200,000,000 – #31 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2564 – #62 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Belgium has 4,606 military vehicles. Belgium has 25,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 11.98 million.
25. Slovakia
- Total helicopters: 22
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 2
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 41
- Military defense budget: $2,656,000,000 – #64 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.3978 – #71 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Slovakia has 3,074 military vehicles which include 45 tanks, 25 MLRS units, and 44 artillery units. Slovakia has 19,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.564 million.
24. Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Total helicopters: 22
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 22
- Military defense budget: $216,400,000 – #131 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.0799 – #131 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Bosnia and Herzegovina has 720 military vehicles which include 45 tanks, 79 MLRS units, and 457 artillery units. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 12,770 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 3.799 million.
23. Finland
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- Total helicopters: 27
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 54
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 163
- Military defense budget: $6,779,661,000 – #42 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8437 – #48 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Finland has 11,704 military vehicles which include 200 tanks, 76 MLRS units, and 774 artillery units. Finland has 24,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.626 million.
22. Bulgaria
- Total helicopters: 27
- Total attack helicopters: 4
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 10
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 5
- Total military aircraft: 65
- Military defense budget: $1,373,232,000 – #80 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2563 – #61 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Bulgaria has 4,914 military vehicles which include 90 tanks, 24 MLRS units, and 72 artillery units. Bulgaria has 37,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 6.783 million.
21. Portugal
- Total helicopters: 31
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 28
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 115
- Military defense budget: $4,627,000,000 – #52 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6856 – #39 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Portugal has 10,828 military vehicles which include 34 tanks and 139 artillery units. Portugal has 24,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.64 million.
20. Norway
- Total helicopters: 33
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 32
- Total military aircraft: 97
- Military defense budget: $9,710,000,000 – #32 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6811 – #38 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Norway has 6,552 military vehicles which include 44 tanks and 42 artillery units. Norway has 23,250 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.510 million.
19. Denmark
- Total helicopters: 34
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 31
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 4
- Total military aircraft: 117
- Military defense budget: $7,225,466,250 – #40 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8109 – #45 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Denmark has 3,856 military vehicles which include 44 tanks, 8 MLRS units, and 19 artillery units. Denmark has 20,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.973 million.
18. Croatia
- Total helicopters: 37
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 10
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 67
- Military defense budget: $1,176,000,000 – #83 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.5074 – #75 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Croatia has 2,848 military vehicles which include 45 tanks, 42 MLRS units, and 67 artillery units. Croatia has 14,325 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 4.150 million.
17. Switzerland
- Total helicopters: 40
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 43
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 146
- Military defense budget: $25,039,000,000 – #20 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7869 – #44 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Switzerland has 6,996 military vehicles which include 205 tanks and 133 artillery units. Switzerland has 101,584 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 8.861 million.
16. Austria
- Total helicopters: 41
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 15
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 85
- Military defense budget: $5,475,750,000 – #47 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.3704 – #68 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Austria has 7,322 military vehicles which include 56 tanks and 30 artillery units. Austria has 16,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 8.968 million.
15. Czechia
- Total helicopters: 42
- Total attack helicopters: 4
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 12
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 16
- Total military aircraft: 99
- Military defense budget: $6,750,000,000 – #43 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.9994 – #53 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Czechia has 6,340 military vehicles which include 43 tanks, 16 MLRS units, and 50 artillery units. Czechia has 28,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.84 million.
14. Hungary
- Total helicopters: 44
- Total attack helicopters: 8
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 12
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 69
- Military defense budget: $4,576,000,000 – #53 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.0259 – #55 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Hungary has 7,797 military vehicles which include 209 tanks and 319 artillery units. Hungary has 41,600 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 9.856 million.
13. Serbia
- Total helicopters: 46
- Total attack helicopters: 4
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 11
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 17
- Total military aircraft: 110
- Military defense budget: $2,287,461,000 – #68 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2576 – #63 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Serbia has 3,683 military vehicles which include 262 tanks, 98 MLRS units, and 240 artillery units. Serbia has 25,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 6.652 million.
12. Sweden
- Total helicopters: 53
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 71
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 169
- Military defense budget: $13,000,000,000 – #28 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4835 – #27 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Sweden has 6,795 military vehicles which include 110 tanks and 26 artillery units. Sweden has 24,400 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.59 million.
11. Netherlands
- Total helicopters: 63
- Total attack helicopters: 12
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 32
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 120
- Military defense budget: $27,000,000,000 – #18 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6412 – #36 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, the Netherlands has 2,755 military vehicles which include 18 tanks, 2 MLRS units, and 46 artillery units. The Netherlands has 41,380 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 17.77 million.
10. Romania
- Total helicopters: 65
- Total attack helicopters: 0
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 21
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
- Total military aircraft: 140
- Military defense budget: $9,700,000,000 – #33 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8984 – #51 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Romania has 10,774 military vehicles which include 328 tanks, 243 MLRS units, and 720 artillery units. Romania has 81,300 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 18.15 million.
9. Belarus
- Total helicopters: 68
- Total attack helicopters: 29
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 36
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 50
- Total military aircraft: 185
- Military defense budget: $1,077,900,000 – #87 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.3954 – #70 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Belarus has 6,916 military vehicles which include 507 tanks, 206 MLRS units, and 572 artillery units. Belarus has 63,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 9.501 million.
8. Ukraine
- Total helicopters: 136
- Total attack helicopters: 39
- Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 70
- Total strike and attack aircraft: 36
- Total military aircraft: 324
- Military defense budget: $53,700,000,000 – #10 out of 145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3755 – #21 out of 145
Outside of these helicopters, Ukraine has 18,920 military vehicles which include 1,114 tanks, 279 MLRS units, and 1273 artillery units. Ukraine has 900,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 35.66 million.
7. 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 which include 317 tanks and 382 artillery units. Spain has 133,282 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 47.28 million.
6. 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 which include 614 tanks, 196 MLRS units, and 677 artillery units. Poland has 202,100 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 38.75 million.
5. 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 which include 227 tanks, 29 MLRS units, and 197 artillery units. The United Kingdom has 184,860 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 68.46 million.
4. 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 which include 1,344 tanks, 152 MLRS units, and 1287 artillery units. Greece has 142,700 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 10.46 million.
3. 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 which include 296 tanks, 33 MLRS units, and 134 artillery units. Germany has 181,600 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 84.12 million.
2. 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 which include 200 tanks, 21 MLRS units, and 172 artillery units. Italy has 165,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 60.96 million.
1. 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 which include 215 tanks, 9 MLRS units, and 96 artillery units. France has 200,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 68.37 million.
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