As the U.S. military shifts focus from the Middle East toward possible conflicts with China or Russia, the Air Force has also been considering the performance of combat search and rescue aircraft in future wars, Defense News reports. Such missions may be carried out in more hostile, complex environments that may not be well-suited for a helicopter. But combat rescue helicopters are but one type the military uses.
To compile a list of every helicopter used by the U.S. armed forces, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft on the different types of helicopters in service as of June 2022 in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. Aircraft are ordered by total count. Helicopters that are on order but not yet delivered are excluded. All data is from the WDMMA.
The Air Force currently has 95 Pave Hawks, a fraction of the 5,753 military helicopters in the U.S. arsenal. These rescue choppers are designed to search and save downed pilots and other personnel, but as noted, the military is rethinking its effectiveness in missions in future possible conflicts with China or Russia. (Not helicopters, this is every plane in Russia’s air force.)
By far, the most common military chopper in the U.S. armed forces is the Black Hawk, manufactured by Sikorsky, which is owned by defense giant Lockheed Martin. About 38% of all U.S. military helicopters currently in service are variants of this simple and robust helicopter, which can be used in special operations, as an armed air support vehicle, a heavy equipment hauler, a medevac, or even a flying fire engine. A testament to the Black Hawk’s popularity: it has been around in numerous variants since the late 1970s and is used by numerous militaries worldwide.
The U.S. also maintains 801 Boeing Apache combat helicopters; 526 Sikorsky Seahawks, the Navy’s version of the Black Hawk that features a folding rotor and hinged tail to reduce the space it takes when it is parked on ships; and 503 Boeing Chinooks, the large dual-rotor heavy-lift choppers that have been around since the early 1960s. (This is America’s first aircraft carrier.)
Here is every helicopter used by the U.S. armed forces.
Source: Ryan Fletcher / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
21. AgustaWestland AW 119
> Total Aircraft: 1 (tied)
> First Flown: 1995
> Category: Trainers
> Role: Helicopter Trainer
> Military Branch: US Navy
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20. AgustaWestland AW 139
> Total Aircraft: 1 (tied)
> First Flown: 2001
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Utility
> Military Branch: US Air Force
Source: 53096923@N02 / Flickr
19. Mil Mi-24
> Total Aircraft: 1 (tied)
> First Flown: 1969
> Category: Trainers
> Role: Helicopter Trainer
> Military Branch: US Army
18. Mil Mi-8/Mi-17
> Total Aircraft: 1 (tied)
> First Flown: 1968
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Medium-Lift
> Military Branch: US Air Force
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17. Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion
> Total Aircraft: 1 (tied)
> First Flown: 2015
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Heavy Lift
> Military Branch: US Marine Corps
Source: Isaac Golding / iStock via Getty Images
16. Bell OH-58 Kiowa
> Total Aircraft: 3
> First Flown: 1983
> Category: Trainers
> Role: Helicopter Trainer
> Military Branch: US Navy
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15. Bell 407
> Total Aircraft: 4
> First Flown: 1995
> Category: Helicopter
> Role: Light Utility
> Military Branch: US Navy
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
14. MD Helicopters MD500
> Total Aircraft: 47
> First Flown: 1963
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Light Scout
> Military Branch: US Army
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
13. Bell AH-1 Cobra / SuperCobra
> Total Aircraft: 59
> First Flown: 1965
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Attack
> Military Branch: US Marine Corps
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Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
12. Bell AH-1Z Viper
> Total Aircraft: 90
> First Flown: 2000
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Attack
> Military Branch: US Marine Corps
11. Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk
> Total Aircraft: 95
> First Flown: 2019
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Multirole
> Military Branch: US Air Force
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Source: viper-zero / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
10. Bell UH-1Y Venom
> Total Aircraft: 140
> First Flown: 2001
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Multi-Mission
> Military Branch: US Marine Corps
24/7 Wall St.
Source: gsmudger / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
9. Bell UH-1 Huey
> Total Aircraft: 141
> First Flown: 1956
> Category: Helicopters, Trainers
> Role: Utility, Multi-Mission, Helicopter Trainer
> Military Branch: US Marine Corps, US Army, US Air Force
Source: volvob12b / Flickr
8. Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion
> Total Aircraft: 168
> First Flown: 1964
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Heavy Lift, Minesweeper
> Military Branch: US Marine Corps, US Navy
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7. Bell 206
> Total Aircraft: 211
> First Flown: 1962
> Category: Trainers
> Role: Helicopter Trainer
> Military Branch: US Army, US Navy
Source: Jeoffrey Maitem / Getty Images
6. Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
> Total Aircraft: 328
> First Flown: 1989
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Transport
> Military Branch: US Air Force, US Marine Corps
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5. Airbus Helicopters H145
> Total Aircraft: 424
> First Flown: 1999
> Category: Helicopters, Trainers
> Role: Utility, Helicopter Trainer
> Military Branch: US Army, US Navy
24/7 Wall St.
4. Boeing Ch-47 Chinook
> Total Aircraft: 503
> First Flown: 1962
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Transport, Multi-Mission
> Military Branch: US Army
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
3. Sikorsky SH-60 / MH-60 Seahawk
> Total Aircraft: 526
> First Flown: 1979
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: ASW/SAR/Utility
> Military Branch: US Navy
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2. Boeing AH-64 Apache
> Total Aircraft: 801
> First Flown: 1975
> Category: Helicopters
> Role: Attack
> Military Branch: US Army
Source: guvendemir / iStock via Getty Images
1. Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
> Total Aircraft: 2208
> First Flown: 1979
> Category: Helicopters, Special-Mission
> Role: Multi-Mission, Electronic Warfare
> Military Branch: US Army
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