The first multi-engine helicopter, the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 designed by Russian emigree Igor Sikorsky, made its debut in the United States in Connecticut in late 1939. This became known as the first successful helicopter for the U.S. and became the model for all future single-model helicopters. By the end of the Second World War, these flying machines began to make their debut when the U.S. military produced the more advanced Sikorsky R-4.
Although helicopters saw use during World War II, it was only on a small-scale level and they didn’t see mass production until after the war. It was during the Korean War that they began to see more widespread use, becoming the first major conflict where these machines filled the skies. But it wasn’t until the Vietnam War that they saw a full-scale operation, involved in nearly all aspects of the conflict.
Often called America’s “Helicopter War,” the Vietnam War saw the addition of helicopters on a larger scale and changed much of how the war was handled. These helicopters had many roles, ranging from scouting, transport, equipment hauling, search and rescue, utility, and most significantly, for attack. Some of these helicopters are still in use today.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of helicopters from Military Factory to identify the helicopters used in the Vietnam War. We ordered the helicopters chronologically by when they entered service. We included supplemental information from Military Factory regarding the type of helicopter, armament, year introduced, manufacturer, top speed, number of units manufactured, and which side used them.
Making its debut in 1959, the Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey), which is still in use today is perhaps the most famous helicopter of the Vietnam War. A particularly adaptable helicopter, its use spanned roles such as transport, medevac, search and rescue, and in some cases an attack helicopter. More than 5,000 Hueys were introduced to the war and it is estimated that more than 2,5000 were lost in the conflict. (These are the most widely used combat helicopters in the world.)
The UH-1 Iroquois was supplanted by the Bell AH-1 Cobra in August 1967, with the AH-1 acting as a dedicated attack helicopter. The AH-1 primarily acted as an escort for air cavalry birds or close-air support during the Vietnam War, in addition to its attack helicopter role, and is still in use today with an expanded series of roles. The Iroquois has 7.62mm miniguns or 40mm M129 grenade launchers as its standard armament, with the optional capabilities for more grenade launchers, miniguns, or rocket pods. It is estimated that about 300 Cobras were lost throughout the war out of the 1,000 or so that had been built at that time.
Although helicopters were used extensively by the United States throughout the war, they weren’t used as frequently by the North Vietnamese. One of the few to see action was the Mi-8 Hip, which acted as a transport helicopter and as fire support but it entered the conflict too late to be used in many battles in South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese would later put it to use in subsequent campaigns against Cambodia, Laos, and China. (These are the 27 warplanes in Russia’s Air Force.)
Here are the helicopters used in the Vietnam War.
Bell H-13 Sioux
- Used by 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)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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 by during Vietnam War: United States
- Type: Multi-role transport utility helicopter
- Armament: Usually none but optional if 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 by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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 by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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 by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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 by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Used by 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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