The Most Heavily Armed US Combat Helicopters

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Modern warfare has been defined in large part by helicopters due to their versatility and firepower. They fill a variety of roles outside of combat including transport, reconnaissance as well as search and rescue. However, on the battlefield, many of these helicopters are meant for combat in varying capacities.

Some helicopters are meant to directly engage with enemy forces and take out targets, while others need to supply covering fire while transporting troops. As such the design and function of these helicopters vary, where some might be able to carry Hellfire anti-tank missiles and others just heavy machine guns.

One of the most iconic attack helicopters in service of the U.S. military is the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. The AH-64 is outfitted with a 30mm Hughes cannon standard in a traversing chin-mounted position. It can be equipped with a series of missiles including anti-tank Hellfire missiles, air-to-air Sidewinder missiles, or Stinger anti-air missiles. ( These countries have the most Apache attack helicopters. )

Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look combat helicopters in the U.S. military. To identify the most heavily armed combat helicopters currently in service, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked these helicopters according to their armament. We included supplemental information regarding type, year introduced, and top speed.

The United States, recognized as one of the world's most powerful military nations, boasts the largest fleet of military helicopters, attack helicopters in particular. To a degree, this is a reflection of its superior military infrastructure and technological prowess. (These are the future military helicopters of the world. )

Here is a look at the most heavily armed combat helicopters in the U.S. military: Why Are We Covering This?

Military helicopters play an important role in modern military operations. Understanding what the United States has in its arsenal further explains its military capabilities.

• Type: Multi-mission medium-lift helicopter
• Year introduced: 2021
• Top speed: 202 mph
• Armament: Pintle-mounted machine guns of various calibers
• Variants:
• Active in military: 4

• Type: Light utility helicopter
• Year introduced: 1996
• Top speed: 162 mph
• Armament: Machine gun pods, rocket pods
• Variants:
• Active in military: 10

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