Helicopters, specifically designed for military operations, first emerged during World War II. These played a series of roles but were primarily for reconnaissance and rescue missions. However, by the time of the Vietnam War, helicopters were being extensively used in combat missions by the U.S. military. From there, the roles and capabilities of combat helicopters have rapidly evolved to the modern-day attack helicopters. (These are the future combat aircraft of world air forces.)
Some of the attack helicopters first introduced during the Vietnam War era are still in service today, albeit with significant technological upgrades from their first iterations. As one of the first militaries to employ combat helicopters, the United States has amassed the largest fleet of combat helicopters in the world.
To identify every combat helicopter of the U.S. military, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ordered these helicopters by how many are currently in service and we excluded transport or special mission helicopters. We also included supplemental data on how many of these helicopters are on order and which military branch they fall under.
The AH-64 Apache is one of the most prolific attack helicopters in the U.S. military. It was introduced to service in 1986 and has seen extensive use throughout the Middle East in Operation Desert Storm and even into the Global War on Terror. The Apache can be outfitted with a series of anti-tank or anti-air missiles, as well as a series of machine guns for whatever operational needs may be.
Like many other combat helicopters, the Apache is highly versatile in terms of its combat abilities. It has an effective operational range of roughly 300 miles and a maximum speed of 183 mph. Some of these combat helicopters can reach speeds well over 200 mph, making them highly effective at quickly engaging enemy forces and supporting troops on the ground. (These are the most widely flown military aircraft on Earth.)
Here is a look at every combat helicopter in the U.S. military:
15. H125/AS350
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Active aircraft: 1
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: United States Army
14. Mi-171
Source: slezo / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 1
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: United States Air Force
13. AW139 (MH-139)
- Active aircraft: 4
- Aircraft on order: 78
- Military branches: United States Air Force
12. Bell 407
Source: Mgroessing / Wikimedia Commons
- Active aircraft: 10
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: United States Army, United States Navy
11. Mi-8/17
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Active aircraft: 10
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: United States Army
10. MH-53E
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 26
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: United States Navy
9. MD500 (AH/MH-6)
- Active aircraft: 47
- Aircraft on order: 74
- Military branches: United States Army
8. CH-53
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Active aircraft: 146
- Aircraft on order: 193
- Military branches: United States Marine Corps
7. AH-1Z
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 176
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: United States Marine Corps
6. UH-1 N/Y
- Active aircraft: 191
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps
5. CV/MV-22
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 367
- Aircraft on order: 69
- Military branches: United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy
4. H145 (UH-72 A/B)
Source: thenationalguard / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 391
- Aircraft on order: 30
- Military branches: United States Army
3. CH-47 D/F/MH-47G
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Active aircraft: 510
- Aircraft on order: 57
- Military branches: United States Army
2. AH-64 D/E
- Active aircraft: 824
- Aircraft on order: 15
- Military branches: United States Army
1. S-70
Source: andrew_arch / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 2,849
- Aircraft on order: 455
- Military branches: United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy
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