The first widespread use of helicopters was during the Vietnam War, and these aircraft have played critical roles in every major conflict since. These rotary aircraft shaped the U.S. doctrine of air mobility, fulfilling a variety of roles such as combat, reconnaissance, or transport. The continued evolution of helicopters furthers their capabilities and necessity in the modern battlefield. (These are the 25 helicopters of the Vietnam War.)
From their onset, helicopters were initially used to transport troops but were quickly upgraded and outfitted to carry machine guns, missiles, and other explosive ordnance. As time has progressed, helicopters have grown more sophisticated in all regards, and the next generation will change the battlefield once again.
To identify the future military helicopters of 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. The helicopters we have included are either in development or in the first stages of introduction to service. We ordered these helicopters alphabetically and included supplemental information regarding type of helicopter, country of origin, manufacturer, top speed, and armament.
The Bell Model 360, or Invictus, is one example of the next generation of attack helicopters, expected to enter service in 2027. Bell Helicopters currently has this model in development. Invictus is expected to fulfill a few roles, including close air support and reconnaissance, among others. As such, the helicopter is expected to be outfitted with a 20mm three-barreled automatic cannon and Hellfire missiles; however, this could change as it is still in development.
The design of Invictus features stealth qualities and an overall sleek appearance. It will house two General Electric Aviation XT901 turboshaft engines capable of generating 3,000 horsepower each, which should allow for a top speed of 207 mph. These features, among many others, provide a foundation for this helicopter to be truly effective in the battlefield. (This is every helicopter in the U.S. military.)
Here is a look at the future military helicopters of the world:
AC332
Source: N509FZ / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Heavy-lift / high-altitude transport helicopter
- Country of origin: China
- Manufacturer: AVICopter / Russian Helicopters
- Top Speed: 186 mph
- Armament: None
ARES (MH-125 / AH-125)
Source: Matti Blume / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Light multimission / attack helicopter
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Airbus Helicopters
- Top Speed: 177 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm heavy machine gun, unguided rocket pods, Hellfire missiles
AW249
Source: cooke1 / Flickr
- Type: Dedicated attack helicopter
- Country of origin: Italy
- Manufacturer: Leonardo / PGZ Group
- Top Speed: 174 mph
- Armament: 20mm OTO-Melara TM197B rotary cannon, guided missiles, rocket pods
AW609 Tiltrotor
Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr
- Type: Multirole tiltrotor transport
- Country of origin: Italy
- Manufacturer: Leonardo-Finmeccanica
- Top Speed: 317 mph
- Armament: None
Bell Model 360 (Invictus)
Source: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Type: Attack reconnaissance helicopter
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopters
- Top Speed: 207 mph
- Armament: 20mm automatic cannon, Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles
Bell Model 525 Relentless
Source: Zane Adams / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Medium-lift passenger helicopter
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopters
- Top Speed: 162 mph
- Armament: None
Boeing FARA
Source: sanfel / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Attack reconnaissance helicopter
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Boeing Phantom Works / AvioniX / Aurora Flight Sciences
- Top Speed: 202 mph
- Armament: 20mm gatling-style cannon, Hellfire anti-tank missiles
FCX-001
Source: Chris.w.braun / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Advanced medium-utility helicopter
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopters
- Top Speed: 249 mph
- Armament: None
H160 (X4)
- Type: Medium-lift multirole transport helicopter
- Country of origin: France
- Manufacturer: Airbus Helicopters
- Top Speed: 202 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm medium machine guns
HAL IMRH
Source: Sanalmalhotra / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Medium-lift transport helicopter
- Country of origin: India
- Manufacturer: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
- Top Speed: 171 mph
- Armament: None
HX50
Source: BellPhotography423 / iStock via Getty Images
- Type: VIP transport helicopter
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Manufacturer: Hill Helicopters
- Top Speed: 162 mph
- Armament: None
KA-65 Minoga
Source: Philippe Chagniot / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Anti-submarine warfare helicopter
- Country of origin: Russia
- Manufacturer: Kamov
- Top Speed: 227 mph
- Armament: Torpedoes, depth charges, naval mines
KAI LAH
Source: Flyblackarrow / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Gunship / medium-lift transport helicopter
- Country of origin: South Korea
- Manufacturer: Korean Aerospace Industries / Airbus Helicopters
- Top Speed: 202 mph
- Armament: 20mm cannon, rocket pods, gun pods
KUS-VJ
Source: dooyeol Choi Music travel 음악 듣기용 / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Unmanned attack helicopter gunship
- Country of origin: South Korea
- Manufacturer: Korean Aerospace Industries / Boeing
- Top Speed: 162 mph
- Armament: TOW anti-tank guided missiles, 7.62mm M134 miniguns, Stinger missiles, rocket pods
MH-139 Grey Wolf
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Multimission medium-lift helicopter
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Leonardo / Boeing
- Top Speed: 202 mph
- Armament: Pintle-mounted machine guns
Prachanda
Source: Ashwin Kumar / Flickr
- Type: Light attack helicopter
- Country of origin: India
- Manufacturer: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
- Top Speed: 174 mph
- Armament: 20mm M621 cannon, air-to-air missiles, anti-tank guided missiles, anti-radiation missiles, rocket pods, gun pods, cannon pods, conventional drop bombs
SB-1 (Defiant)
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Type: Compound helicopter
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky / Boeing
- Top Speed: 295 mph
- Armament: None
SKYe SH09
Source: kecko / Flickr
- Type: Light utility helicopter
- Country of origin: Switzerland
- Manufacturer: Kopter Group (Marenco SwissHelicopter) / Leonardo
- Top Speed: 162 mph
- Armament: None
Surena (Sorena)
Source: Mehr News Agency / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Light utility helicopter
- Country of origin: Iran
- Manufacturer: Iran Helicopter Support and Renewal Company / PANHA
- Top Speed: 149 mph
- Armament: None
T-625 (Gokbey)
Source: Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Medium-lift transport helicopter
- Country of origin: Turkey
- Manufacturer: Turkish Aerospace Industries
- Top Speed: 171 mph
- Armament: None
T-925
Source: President.az / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Heavy-lift multirole helicopter
- Country of origin: Turkey
- Manufacturer: Turkish Aerospace Industries
- Top Speed: 184 mph
- Armament: None
UH-2 (UH-X / Bell 412EPI)
Source: Ministry of Defense (Japan) / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Transport / support gunship
- Country of origin: Japan
- Manufacturer: Fuji Heavy Industries / Bell Helicopters
- Top Speed: 162 mph
- Armament: Mounted machine guns, rocket pods, gun pods
V-150
Source: Duch.seb / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Rotary-wing unmanned aircraft system
- Country of origin: Switzerland
- Manufacturer: UMS Skeldar
- Top Speed: 81 mph
- Armament: None
V-247 Vigilant
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Type: Tiltrotor unmanned aerial system
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopters
- Top Speed: 345 mph
- Armament: Hellfire missiles, Mk-50 torpedoes, joint air-to-ground missiles
V-280 Valor
Source: williamhc / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Type: Tiltrotor helicopter
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Bell Helicopters
- Top Speed: 265 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns, laser-guided drop bombs, rocket pods, cannon pods, 20mm cannon
Velvet Wasp
Source: Mztourist / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Close-support unmanned aerial vehicle
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Manufacturer: SteelRock
- Top Speed: 60 mph
- Armament: Fury guided missiles, precision bombs, rocket propelled munitions
VH-92
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: VIP transport helicopter
- Country of origin: United States
- Manufacturer: Sikorsky / Lockheed Martin
- Top Speed: 190 mph
- Armament: None
Z-8G (Gaoyuan)
Source: Government of Japan / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Multimission transport helicopter
- Country of origin: China
- Manufacturer: Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation
- Top Speed: 208 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm heavy machine guns
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