The modern attack helicopter has become a symbol of military strength all around the world. There already exists a strong correlation between the number of attack helicopters in any given country’s air force and its overall military strength. So it comes as no surprise that individual countries are innovating and designing their own attack helicopters to gain prominence on the world stage. At the forefront of this is Beijing and Washington.
Both China and the United States are investing heavily in next-generation attack helicopters capable of striking with speed, precision, and stealth. Platforms like China’s Z-10 and the U.S. Army’s AH-64 Apache embody this high-tech rivalry with each pushing their limits as both nations vie for control of the skies just above the battlefield. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the newest attack helicopters in use around the world.
To identify the newest attack helicopters in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of military helicopters from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles, and aircraft used by militaries worldwide. We ranked these helicopters chronologically and included supplemental information from Military Factory regarding the type of helicopter, country of origin, manufacturer, top speed, and armament.
Here is a look at the fastest attack helicopters in the world:
Why Are We Covering This?
Attack helicopters are important due to their ability to deliver direct and immediate firepower, provide close air support to ground troops, and execute anti-armor operations. Their ability to hover, maneuver in tight spaces, and deliver precise attacks makes them uniquely effective in modern warfare. Their development and deployment reflect an ongoing evolution in tactical military engagements where speed, agility, and accuracy are paramount. These helicopters continue to play critical roles in conflict zones worldwide, underscoring their importance in contemporary military strategy.
28. OH-6 Cayuse (Loach)
- Type: Light observation / attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1966
- Country of origin: United States
- Top speed: 175 mph
- Manufacturer: Hughes Tool Company
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm M2 Browning machine gun, Hydra rocket pods, TOW anti-tank missiles, Hellfire anti-tank missiles
27. AH-1 HueyCobra / Cobra
- Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1967
- Country of origin: United States
- Top speed: 172 mph
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Armament: M28 turret, 40mm grenade launcher, rocket pods, minigun pods, TOW anti-tank missiles
26. OH-58 Kiowa
- Type: Armed scout and reconnaissance / light attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1969
- Country of origin: United States
- Top speed: 131 mph
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Armament: 7.62mm machine gun pods, 12.7mm machine gun pods, Hydra rocket pods, Hellfire missiles, Stinger missiles
25. AH-1J SeaCobra
- Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1970
- Country of origin: United States
- Top speed: 175 mph
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Armament: 20mm M197 Gatling gun, Hydra rocket pods, Zuni rocket pods, TOW anti-tank missiles, Sidewinder missiles
24. AH-1 SuperCobra
- Type: Attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1971
- Country of origin: United States
- Top speed: 173 mph
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Armament: 20mm Gatling gun, TOW anti-tank missiles, Hellfire missiles, Sidearm missiles, rocket pods
23. Mil Mi-24 (Hind)
- Type: Attack / assault gunship helicopter
- Year introduced: 1973
- Country of origin: Russia
- Top speed: 208 mph
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Armament: 12.7mm machine guns, 30mm cannons, anti-tank missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods, gun pods
22. AH-6 / MH-6 Little Bird
- Type: Light attack / observation / transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1980
- Country of origin: United States
- Top speed: 175 mph
- Manufacturer: Hughes / McDonnell Douglas / Boeing / MD Helicopters
- Armament: 30mm M230 Chaingun, 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns, Hydra rocket pods, Hellfire missiles, TOW anti-tank missiles, Stinger missiles
21. AH-64 Apache
- Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1986
- Country of origin: United States
- Top speed: 183 mph
- Manufacturer: Hughes / McDonnell Douglas / Boeing
- Armament: 30mm chain gun, Hellfire missiles, rocket pods, Stinger missiles
20. A129 Mangusta (Mongoose)
- Type: Dedicated attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1990
- Country of origin: Italy
- Top speed: 174 mph
- Manufacturer: Leonardo-Finmeccanica
- Armament: 20mm M197 Gatling gun, TOW-2 anti-tank missiles, Hellfire missiles, rocket pods, Stinger missiles, 12.7mm machine gun pods
19. Ka-50 Black Shark (Hokum)
- Type: Dedicated single-seat attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1995
- Country of origin: Russia
- Top speed: 193 mph
- Manufacturer: Kamov
- Armament: 30mm Shipunov cannon, Vikhr anti-tank missiles, Kegler missiles, Archer missiles, rocket pods, gun pods
18. Z-11
- Type: Multirole light utility / attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1998
- Country of origin: China
- Top speed: 173 mph
- Manufacturer: Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation
- Armament: 40mm automatic grenade launcher, 12.7mm machine gun pods, 7.62mm machine gun pods, rocket pods
17. PANHA 2091 (Toufan)
- Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1998
- Country of origin: Iran
- Top speed: 147 mph
- Manufacturer: Iran Helicopter Support and Renewal Company
- Armament: 20mm M197 3-barreled autocannon, Hydra rocket pods, Zuni rocket pods, sidewinder missiles, anti-tank guided missiles
16. OH-1 Ninja
- Type: Reconnaissance / observation helicopter
- Year introduced: 2000
- Country of origin: Japan
- Top speed: 173 mph
- Manufacturer: Kawasaki
- Armament: Air-to-surface missiles, rocket pods, gun pods, cannon pods
15. Tiger (EC665)
- Type: Twin-seat, twin-engine dedicated attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2003
- Country of origin: France
- Top speed: 196 mph
- Manufacturer: Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter)
- Armament: 30mm GIAT cannon, SNEB rocket pods, Hydra rocket pods, Stinger missiles, Mistral missiles, Hellfire missiles, HOT3 missiles, Spike-ER missiles
14. RAH-66 Comanche
- Type: Reconnaissance / light attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2004
- Country of origin: United States
- Top speed: 201 mph
- Manufacturer: Boeing Helicopters / Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
- Armament: 20mm XM301 three-barrel cannon, Hellfire anti-tank missiles, Stinger air-to-air missiles, Hydra rockets
13. Mil Mi-35 (Hind-E)
- Type: Heavy assault gunship / attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2005
- Country of origin: Russia
- Top speed: 193 mph
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Armament: 23mm twin-barreled cannons, anti-tank missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods
12. Mil Mi-28 (Havoc)
- Type: Dedicated two-seat, twin-engine attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2009
- Country of origin: Russia
- Top speed: 199 mph
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Armament: 30mm Shipunov cannon, rocket pods, Spril missiles, cannon pods
11. AH-1Z Viper
- Type: Twin-seat, twin-engine dedicated attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2010
- Country of origin: United States
- Top speed: 255 mph
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
- Armament: 20mm M196 Gatling gun, Hellfire missiles, Sidewinder missiles, Hydra rocket pods
10. Ka-52 Alligator (Hokum-B)
- Type: Two-seat armed reconnaissance / attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2010
- Country of origin: Russia
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Manufacturer: Kamov
- Armament: 30mm 2A42 automatic cannon, anti-tank missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods
9. Mil AH-2 Sabre (Mi-35M)
- Type: Attack / assault gunship helicopter
- Year introduced: 2010
- Country of origin: Brazil
- Top speed: 193 mph
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Armament: 23mm twin-barreled bun, anti-tank missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods, machine gun pods
8. Denel AH-2 Rooivalk (Kestrel)
- Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2011
- Country of origin: South Africa
- Top speed: 173 mph
- Manufacturer: Denel (Atlas)
- Armament: 20mm Armscore F2 cannon, ZT6 Mokopa anti-tank missiles, rocket pods, Mistral missiles
7. Z-10 (Fierce Thunderbolt)
- Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2012
- Country of origin: China
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Manufacturer: Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation
- Armament: 30mm cannon, 40mm grenade launcher, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, rocket pods
6. Z-19 (Black Whirlwind)
- Type: Reconnaissance / light attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2012
- Country of origin: China
- Top speed: 152 mph
- Manufacturer: Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation
- Armament: Blue Arrow anti-tank missiles, TY-90 missiles, HJ-8 missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods, gun pods
5. HESA Shahed 285 / AH-85 (Witness)
- Type: Light attack / reconnaissance helicopter
- Year introduced: 2014
- Country of origin: Iran
- Top speed: 140 mph
- Manufacturer: Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, rocket pods, anti-tank guided missiles, Kowsar anti-ship missiles, Sadid anti-ship missiles
4. TAI T-129 (ATAK)
- Type: Dedicated two-seat, twin-engine attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2015
- Country of origin: Turkey
- Top speed: 171 mph
- Manufacturer: Turkish Aerospace Industries
- Armament: 20mm Gatling gun, Hellfire missiles, TOW anti-tank missiles, Stinger missiles, Sidewinder missiles, rocket pods, 12.7mm heavy machine guns
3. HAL Prachanda
- Type: Light attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2022
- Country of origin: India
- Top speed: 174 mph
- Manufacturer: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
- Armament: 20mm M621 cannon, gun pods, rocket pods, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles
2. AW249 (Fenice / Phoenix)
- Type: Dedicated twin-seat, twin-engine attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2025
- Country of origin: Italy
- Top speed: 174 mph
- Manufacturer: Leonardo SpA / PGZ Group
- Armament: 20mm OTO-Melara TM197B rotary cannon, guided-missiles, precision-guided/unguided rockets, gun pods
1. TAI T-929 (ATAK-2)
- Type: Twin-seat, twin-engine dedicated attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2026
- Country of origin: Turkey
- Top speed: 199 mph
- Manufacturer: Turkish Aerospace Industries
- Armament: 30mm automatic cannon, rocket pods, gun pods, anti-tank guided missiles, air-to-surface missiles, short-range air-to-air missiles
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks