Military Helicopters Or rotary-wing aircraft to be precise.
1
Aerospatiale / Eurocopter AS 332 Super Puma / AS 532 Cougar The Super Puma was developed by French-based Aerospatiale (formerly Sud Aviation) form the successful AS 330 Puma series of medium-lift utility helicopters. The newer Super Puma design was essentially a base Puma with an impr...
1982
2
Aerospatiale / Eurocopter AS350 / AS355 / Astar The AS350 was originally designed to replace the aging Sud Aviation / Aerospatiale Alouette II light utility helicopter series. The AS350 appeared first under the Aerospatiale brand label but is now known under the Eurocopter...
1975
3
Aerospatiale / Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin The HH-65 Dolphin replaced the Sikorsky HH-52A Sea Guards then in service with the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The HH-65 is based on the French-made Eurocopter Dauphin (AS 365N) and carries the same - albeit translated ...
Aerospatiale SA 316 / SA 319 Alouette III The Aérospatiale Alouette III, is French for Skylark having a single-engine and to be used as a light utility helicopter and was developed by Sud Aviation and manufactured by Aérospatiale of France. The first version of the A...
1960
6
Aerospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon (Super Hornet) The SA 321 Super Frelon is a French-produced multirole helicopter falling under the Aerospatiale brand. The mammoth design became the largest production helicopter designed and built in Europe in any number when it went into ...
1964
7
Aerospatiale SA 341 / SA 342 Gazelle A popular light reconnaissance and attack helicopter for export order, the Aerospatiale Gazelle systems are a common site all over the world. Operating in the multirole mode, the system has the capabilities to undergo duties ...
1971
8
AgustaWestland A 129 Mangusta (Mongoose) The A 129 Mangusta ("Mongoose") was developed as a variant of the A 109 series of helicopters. The newly design aircraft proved to be larger and so different than its predecessor that the system was designated as the A 129 an...
Bell 206 JetRanger The Bell 206 was derived from the unsuccessful OH-4 bid by the Bell company to fulfill a US Army need for a light-weight, turbine-powered, four-seat observation helicopter in 1960. It would not be until 1967 when delays in th...
1967
12
Bell AH-1 HueyCobra / Cobra (Bell 209) Based on the private venture Bell 209 helicopter, the AH-1 Cobra series of helicopters is many a military's primary light attack helicopter. As early as the 1950's Bell corporation was experimenting with armed versions in the...
1967
13
Bell AH-1 SuperCobra The AH-1W and AH-1J SuperCobra series of helicopters are an updated and slightly modified version of the AH-1 HueyCobra (or simply "Cobra") detailed elsewhere on this website.
Much like the base Cobra, the SuperCobra is a...
Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey The tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey helicopter was designed form the Bell-produced XV-15 demonstrator, a design looking to produce the next generation in helicopter design. The system is unique in the use of the tilt-rotor assemblies,...
2007
16
Bell OH-58 Kiowa The Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior was a further development of the successful Bell OH-58 Kiowa. Intended to be fielded alongside the Apache Longbow and provide scouting and observation capabilities in an offensive support capacit...
1969
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Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) The UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" became an important part of American military actions beginning in 1960 and expanding throughout the latter part of the Cold War years. The ubiquitous system became synonymous with the American effort...
1959
18
Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Hughes AH-64 Apache / Apache Longbow Originally a Hughes-based design, the YAH-64 faced off against a Bell YAH-63 system in the United States Army's search for an advanced attack helicopter. The system was to field the latest in technology, maneuverability and b...
1984
19
Boeing / Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche The RAH-66 Comanche helicopter was to be the next generation answer for the United States Army in replacing its aging series of UH-1, AH-1 Cobra, OH-6 and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters in full. The RAH-66 was designed as the world'...
2004
20
Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight The CH-46 Sea Knight is similar in design and role to the CH-47 Chinook series of transport helicopters. Both offer up unobstructed access to the aircraft by keeping engine components mounted above the design. Both also utili...
1964
21
Boeing CH-47 Chinook The Chinook series of medium-lift helicopters has been a mainstay utility service system for the US Army (among others) for decades since its design and inception. The series featured the highly identifiable twin-tandem rotor...
1962
22
CAIC WZ-10 The CAIC WZ-10 (Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation / Wuzhuang Zhisheng) is a new addition to the global family of attack helicopters, with this particular model being produced for use by the People’s Republic of China. T...
2008
23
Denel AH-2 Rooivalk (Kestrel) The Denel (then Atlas) AH-2 Rooivalk (translating to "Kestrel") was an ambitious and indigenous undertaking by the nation of South Africa. At the time of its development, the Rooivalk was heralded as one of the top performing...
Eurocopter BO 105 The Bo 105 is a light utility helicopter system recognized around the globe for its versatility, performance and safety record. The system has served (and continues to do so) in a military and civilian capacity in nations thr...
1970
26
Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota The UH-72 Lakota was accepted into service with US forces in late 2006 and will form a major portion of the United States Army National Guard's air arm, replacing the aging family of UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. The Lakota ca...
2007
27
Hughes / MD Helicopters AH-6 / MH-6 Little Bird The AH-6/MH-6 "Little Bird" forms an oft-overlook yet wholly vital part of American Special Operations services. This highly maneuverable and diminutive machine has taken part in both major and minor military operations the w...
Kamov Ka-25 (Hormone) The Kamov Ka-25 (NATO codename of "Hormone") was developed from the Ka-20, which itself was a response to a Soviet Navy requirement for a ship-borne helicopter to replace the aging Mil Mi-4 platforms. The Ka-25 became a mains...
1966
31
Kamov Ka-27 (Helix) The Ka-27 Helix was designed and built as a replacement for the aging Soviet-era Ka-25 navy helicopter - also built by Kamov.
The Ka-27 is designated as an anti-ship helicopter for the Russian Navy but fulfills a variety o...
1975
32
Kamov Ka-50 (Black Shark) / (Hokum) The Kamov Ka-50 Chernaya Akula (or "Black Shark" and Codenamed "Hokum" by NATO) series of attack helicopter was developed in the latter years of the Cold War and did not enter operational service with Russian military forces ...
1995
33
Kamov Ka-60 (Orca) / (Killer Whale) The Kamov Ka-60 series of medium transport multi-role helicopters is intended to replace the aged Mil Mi-8 series. The Ka-60 (Kasatka or "Orca") was designed with multi-role capabilities in mind as well as survivability and a...
2004
34
Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne The AH-56 Cheyenne was Lockheed's first and only foray into development of a production helicopter. In many respects, however, the Cheyenne was neither a true helicopter nor was it a true airplane - in many ways that today's...
1967
35
Mil Mi-14 (Haze) The Mil Mi-14 (NATO codename "Haze") was a dedicated naval anti-submarine helicopter appearing in limited production numbers throughout the Cold War beginning in 1975. The system was a further development of the Mil Mi-8 seri...
1975
36
Mil Mi-24 / Mi-25 / Mi-35 (Hind) The Mil-produced series of "Hind" helicopters was a favorite Cold War-relic and continues (albeit modernized) in many of today's armies including Russias. The heavy helicopter is capable of commanding various battlefield role...
1973
37
Mil Mi-26 (Halo) At the time of its inception, the Cold War-era Mi-26 (codenamed "Halo" by NATO) was - and still remains - the most powerful operational helicopter in the world. Intended to replace the aging Mil Mi-6 series, the Mi-26 accompl...
1983
38
Mil Mi-28 (Havoc) The Mi-28 (NATO reporting name of "Havoc") was a product of the Cold War designed as an anti-tank attack platform similar in nature to the American-produced AH-64 Apache series. Like the Apache, the Mi-28 featured an armored ...
1983
39
Mil Mi-4 (Hound) The broad-reaching Mil Mi-4 series of helicopter (known to NATO as "Hound") first appeared in 1952 and was designed within the Soviet Union as a direct response to the American H-19 Chickasaw helicopter debuting in the Korean...
Mil Mi-8 (Hip) Numbering well over 12,000 production examples, the Mil Mi-8 (NATO reporting name of "Hip") can be viewed as one of the most successful helicopter designs of all time. It has seen use as a passenger transport, troop transport...
Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw was an excellent multipurpose transport helicopter that saw use in various roles on a global scale. The system proved to be a tremendous replacement for the US Army H-5 Dragonfly series and went on...
1950
47
Sikorsky H-34 / CH-34 Choctaw The H-34 Choctaw was a multi-purpose, turbine-powered utility helicopter produced by Sikorsky in the United States. It was developed as a replacement for the similar Korean War-era UH-19 Chickasaw series of helicopters and de...
1954
48
Sikorsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant The HH-3E series is no longer in service with the United States Air Force but gained considerable fame in the Vietnam War for its many rescues of downed aircrews in the conflict. The system featured a stretched fuselage and w...
Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk The HH-60 Pave Hawk series of all-weather day/night transport helicopters is an Air Force version of the successful UH-60 Black Hawk series. The HH-60 in Air Force service is charged - though not limited to - with the rescue ...
Sikorsky MH-53 (Pave Low) The MH-53 was a series of large transport helicopters operated by the United States Air Force in the special operations role. The MH-53 designation breaks down as "M" standing for Multi-Mission and "H" standing for helicopter...
1981
53
Sikorsky MH-60 (Knighthawk) The MH-60S Knighthawk is the United States Navy's newest multi-mission helicopter. Originally designated as the CH-60S to signify its primary vertical replenishment role, the Knighthawk has since had its designation revised t...
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk has become a workhorse for the United States and other military forces the world over. Its capabilities have increased her roles to include Special Operations assignments, assault, MedEvac, Comma...
Sud Aviation / Aerospatiale SA 330 Puma The Puma began life as a product of Sud Aviation designed to meet an French Army requirement for an all-weather, medium-lift, multi-purpose utility helicopter to replace the aging set of Sikorsky S-58 systems in French servic...
1969
58
Westland / AgustaWestland Lynx The Westland Lynx (AgustaWestland since 2000) was designed to a British Army requirement and initially consisted of four planned projects that included an army, navy, 2-seat attack and civilian passenger versions. The main id...
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