Helicopters have been instrumental on the battlefield for decades now, providing a tactical aerial advantage whether for transport or close air support. The Vietnam War was the first major conflict to see widespread use of the helicopter and its impact for that conflict cannot be understated. Helicopters are now widely used by militaries around the world for a number of different roles, many focused on expedient infiltrations or exfiltrations and tactical strikes. (These are the 25 helicopters of the Vietnam War.)
While these rotary based aircraft are not as fast as their fixed wing counterparts that tend to stay far above the battlefield, helicopters have an outsized impact because they are closer to the action and capable of transporting troops and assets quickly as well as providing supporting fire in the form of missiles and rockets. The fastest helicopters can execute these maneuvers with precision and speed, ultimately tipping the scales of any battle or conflict.
To determine the fastest military helicopters ever, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of military helicopters from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles and aircraft. We ranked helicopters according to their top speed. We excluded helicopters with top speeds under 180 mph as well as prototypes and experimental helicopters. Supplemental information regarding year introduced, type, manufacturer, number produced, and armament came from Military Factory.
The AH-1Z Viper is one of the fastest helicopters within the arsenal of the U.S. military. It is the most recent iteration of the Vietnam-era AH-1 HueyCobra, capable of hitting a top speed of over 250 mph. The AH-1Z Viper is used primarily as an attack helicopter and is outfitted with a variety of missiles for air-to-air as well as air-to-surface combat. (This is the most widely used combat helicopter in the world.)
The helicopters mentioned on this list typically fill combat or transport roles, and a vast majority can be equipped with machine guns for support fire. Many others are outfitted with hardpoints, where missiles or rocket pods can be affixed or interchanged.
Here is a look at the fastest military helicopters ever:
37. H135
- Top speed: 180 mph
- Type: Light utility helicopter
- Year introduced: 1996
- Manufacturer: Airbus Helicopters
- Units produced: 1,000
- Armament: None
36. 429 GlobalRanger
- Top speed: 180 mph
- Type: Light utility helicopter
- Year introduced: 2009
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter
- Units produced: 550
- Armament: None
35. CH-47 Chinook
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Top speed: 180 mph
- Type: Tandem rotor transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1962
- Manufacturer: Boeing
- Units produced: 1,200
- Armament: 7.62mm general purpose machine guns
34. HAL Rudra (ALH-WSI)
- Top speed: 180 mph
- Type: Multirole gunship helicopter
- Year introduced: 2012
- Manufacturer: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
- Units produced: 30
- Armament: 20mm M621 cannon, Helina anti-tank missiles, MBDA air-to-air missiles, rocket pods, torpedoes
33. S-76
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Top speed: 180 mph
- Type: Medium-lift multirole helicopter
- Year introduced: 1977
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Units produced: 1,090
- Armament: None
32. AH-64 Apache
- Top speed: 183 mph
- Type: Dedicated attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1986
- Manufacturer: Hughes / Boeing / McDonnell Douglas
- Units produced: 2,268
- Armament: 30mm Hughes chain gun, Hellfire missiles, Hydra rocket pods, Stinger missiles, Sidewinder missiles
31. Mil Mi-26 (Halo)
- Top speed: 183 mph
- Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1983
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant / Russian Helicopters
- Units produced: 316
- Armament: None
30. UH-60 Black Hawk
- Top speed: 183 mph
- Type: Medium-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1979
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Units produced: 5,000
- Armament: 7.62mm general purpose machine guns, Hellfire missiles, GAU-19 gatling guns
29. HH-60 Pave Hawk
- Top speed: 183 mph
- Type: Search & rescue helicopter
- Year introduced: 1991
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Units produced: 105
- Armament: 12.7mm GAU-18/A miniguns, 7.62mm M134 miniguns
28. Leonardo AW159 Wildcat
- Top speed: 184 mph
- Type: Search & rescue / utility helicopter
- Year introduced: 2014
- Manufacturer: Leonardo-Finmeccanica
- Units produced: 100
- Armament: 12.7mm heavy machine guns, rocket pods, machine gun pods, anti-ship missiles, Hellfire anti-tank missiles
27. H130 (EC130)
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Type: Light utility helicopter
- Year introduced: 2001
- Manufacturer: Airbus Helicopters
- Units produced: 700
- Armament: None
26. NH90
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Type: Medium-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 2007
- Manufacturer: Airbus Helicopters
- Units produced: 425
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, anti-ship missiles, air-to-surface missiles
25. Z-10 (Fierce Thunderbolt)
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Type: Dedicated attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2012
- Manufacturer: Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation
- Units produced: 305
- Armament: 40mm grenade launcher, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods
24. Ka-52 Alligator (Hokum-B)
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Type: Attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2010
- Manufacturer: Kamov / Russian Helicopters
- Units produced: 84
- Armament: 30mm 2A42-1 automatic cannon, air-to-surface missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods
23. Mil Mi-6 (Hook)
Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr
- Top speed: 186 mph
- Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1962
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Units produced: 934
- Armament: Typically none, but sometimes torpedoes and air-to-surface missiles
22. AS565 Panther
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Top speed: 190 mph
- Type: Multirole helicopter
- Year introduced: 1985
- Manufacturer: Eurocopter
- Units produced: 550
- Armament: GIAT M621 20mm automatic cannon, rocket pods, AS-15-TT anti-ship missiles, HOT anti-tank missiles, Mk 46 torpedoes
21. UH-1Y Venom (Super Huey)
Source: viper-zero / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Top speed: 190 mph
- Type: Medium-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 2009
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter
- Units produced: 92
- Armament: Hydra rocket pods, 7.62mm M240D general purpose machine guns, 12.7mm GAU-16/A gatling guns
20. Harbin Z-9 (Haitun)
Source: viper-zero / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Top speed: 190 mph
- Type: Medium-lift transport / gunship helicopter
- Year introduced: 1994
- Manufacturer: Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation
- Units produced: 200
- Armament: Air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, cannon pods, rocket pods, machine gun pods
19. Leonardo AW169
- Top speed: 190 mph
- Type: Medium-lift multirole helicopter
- Year introduced: 2015
- Manufacturer: Leonardo
- Units produced: 75
- Armament: Typically none
18. S-92 (Superhawk)
- Top speed: 190 mph
- Type: Medium-lift multirole helicopter
- Year introduced: 2004
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Units produced: 300
- Armament: None
17. AW101 Merlin (EH101)
- Top speed: 192 mph
- Type: Medium-lift multirole helicopter
- Year introduced: 1999
- Manufacturer: Leonardo
- Units produced: 225
- Armament: 7.62mm general purpose machine guns, torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, rocket pods, depth charges
16. Ka-50 Black Shark (Hokum)
- Top speed: 193 mph
- Type: Dedicated attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1995
- Manufacturer: Kamov
- Units produced: 32
- Armament: 30mm Shipunov 2A42 cannon, Vikhr-M missiles, Kegler missiles, Vympel missiles, rocket pods, drop bombs
15. Leonardo AW139
- Top speed: 193 mph
- Type: Medium-lift utility helicopter
- Year introduced: 2003
- Manufacturer: Leonardo-Finmeccanica
- Units produced: 720
- Armament: Typically none, but sometimes 7.62mm general purpose machine gun
14. Mil Mi-35 (Hind-E)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Top speed: 193 mph
- Type: Attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2005
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant / Russian Helicopters
- Units produced: 750
- Armament: 23mm twin-barreled cannons, air-to-surface missiles, air-to-air missiles, rocket pods, cannon pods
13. Tiger (EC665)
Source: clemensv / Flickr
- Top speed: 196 mph
- Type: Twin-engine attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2003
- Manufacturer: Airbus Helicopters
- Units produced: 348
- Armament: 30mm GIAT cannon, SNEB rockets, Hydra rockets, Stinger missiles, Hellfire missiles, Hot3 missiles, Spike-ER missiles
12. MH-47 Chinook
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Top speed: 196 mph
- Type: Special forces tandem-rotor military helicopter
- Year introduced: 1980
- Manufacturer: Boeing
- Units produced: 45
- Armament: 7.62mm M135 miniguns, 7.62mm M240 general purpose machine guns
11. CH-53 Sea Stallion
- Top speed: 196 mph
- Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1966
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Units produced: 417
- Armament: 12.7mm BMG XM218 machine guns, 12.7mm BMG GAU-21 machine guns, 7.62mm MG3 machine guns
10. CH-53E Super Stallion
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Top speed: 196 mph
- Type: Super heavy-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1981
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Units produced: 234
- Armament: 12.7mm BMG XM218 heavy machine gun, GAU-21 (M3M) heavy machine gun
9. Mil Mi-28 (Havoc)
- Top speed: 199 mph
- Type: Twin-engine attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2009
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant / Russian Helicopters
- Units produced: 126
- Armament: 30mm Shipunov 2A42 cannon, rocket pods, Spiral anti-armor missiles, cannon pods
8. H160 (X4)
- Top speed: 202 mph
- Type: Medium-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 2020
- Manufacturer: Airbus Helicopters
- Units produced: 12
- Armament: 7.62mm medium machine guns
7. SH-60 Seahawk
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Top speed: 205 mph
- Type: Multi-mission naval helicopter
- Year introduced: 1984
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Units produced: 715
- Armament: 7.62mm M60D or M240 or GAU-17/A machine gun, Hellfire missiles, Penguin missiles, Mk 46 or Mk 54 torpedoes
6. HH-60 / MH-60T Jayhawk
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Top speed: 207 mph
- Type: Search & rescue / interdiction helicopter
- Year introduced: 1990
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Units produced: 42
- Armament: 7.62mm M240B general purpose machine gun
5. MH-60 Knighthawk
- Top speed: 207 mph
- Type: Multi-mission naval helicopter
- Year introduced: 2002
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
- Units produced: 239
- Armament: 7.62mm M60D or M240 or GAU-17/A machine gun, Hellfire missiles, Penguin missiles, cannon pods
4. Changhe Z-8G (Gaoyuan)
- Top speed: 208 mph
- Type: Multi-mission transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 2020
- Manufacturer: Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation
- Units produced: 100
- Armament: Typically none, but sometimes 12.7mm heavy machine gun
3. Mil Mi-24 (Hind)
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Top speed: 208 mph
- Type: Armed assault gunship / attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1973
- Manufacturer: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Units produced: 3,650
- Armament: 12.7mm heavy machine guns, 23mm GSh-23L cannon, 30mm GSh-30K cannon, anti-tank missiles, rocket pods, drop bombs
2. AH-1Z Viper
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Top speed: 255 mph
- Type: Twin-engine attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 2010
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter
- Units produced: 230
- Armament: 20mm M196 gatling-style cannon, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, Hydra 70 rocket pods
1. V-22 Osprey
Source: viper-zero / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Top speed: 316 mph
- Type: Tilt rotor VTOL transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 2007
- Manufacturer: Bell / Boeing
- Units produced: 215
- Armament: 12.7mm Browning M2 heavy machine gun, or 7.62mm M240 general purpose machine gun
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