What Helicopters Does the US Military Have? Apache, Black Hawk, Chinook

The US military operates more than 5,000 helicopters and tiltrotors, more than any other armed force. The core types are the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the UH-60 Black Hawk, the CH-47 Chinook, the Navy’s MH-60 Seahawk and the Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Viper, CH-53 and MV-22 Osprey. Most belong to the Army.

That fleet is being cut and reshaped faster than at any time since the 1990s. This guide sets out who flies what in 2026, what is being retired and what the new MV-75 tiltrotor is meant to do.

What helicopters does the US military have?

Each service buys helicopters for its own needs. The Army uses them to move and protect soldiers. The Navy hunts submarines and supplies ships. The Marine Corps needs aircraft that live on amphibious ships. The Air Force rescues downed aircrew and guards its missile fields. Russia’s fleet, by comparison, is covered in what helicopters Russia has.

Army helicopters: Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook

Three designs from the 1960s and 1970s still do nearly all the Army’s flying. The AH-64 Apache is the attack helicopter, armed with a 30 mm cannon, Hellfire and JAGM missiles and rockets. During the 2026 war it found a new job shooting down Iranian drones, described in our article on the Apache’s proximity-fused ammunition.

The Black Hawk carries 11 soldiers and has been in service since 1979. More than 5,000 have been built for 36 countries, and the Army signed a new open-ended order in October 2026, reported in Sikorsky’s flexible Black Hawk contract. The twin-rotor CH-47F Chinook lifts artillery, vehicles and up to 33 troops.

Why the Army is cutting its helicopter fleet

The Army Transformation Initiative, announced in May 2025, treats crewed helicopters as too exposed to cheap air defenses and drones, a lesson drawn from Ukraine. It retires every AH-64D, disbands 11 air cavalry squadrons and two reserve aviation brigades, and passes scouting to uncrewed aircraft.

By April 2026 about 60% of the D-model Apaches had gone, seven squadrons had been deactivated and some 1,100 aircraft had changed units, according to Col. Tim Jaeger, the Army’s director of aviation. Apache procurement falls from $361.7 million in fiscal 2026 to $1.5 million in 2027. The planned scout helicopter, FARA, was cancelled in 2024. How the Apache ranks against its peers is covered in our top 10 attack helicopters.

MV-75: the tiltrotor that follows the Black Hawk

The money saved goes largely to one aircraft. The MV-75, based on Bell’s V-280 Valor and chosen in December 2022, is a tiltrotor that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like an aeroplane. The Army’s requirement is a speed of 230 to 280 knots, about 430 to 520 km/h, roughly twice as fast and twice as far as a Black Hawk.

That matters most in the Pacific, where distances between islands defeat ordinary helicopters. The Army expects the first airframe for testing in late 2026 or early 2027 and wants units flying it from 2028, two years earlier than first planned. The 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is to receive it first. The programme is estimated at about $70 billion. The MV-75 will fly alongside the Black Hawk for decades, not replace it outright.

Navy and Marine Corps helicopters

The Navy has standardised on the Seahawk. The MH-60R carries sonar, torpedoes and Hellfire missiles and flies from destroyers, cruisers and carriers to hunt submarines. The MH-60S moves cargo and people and sweeps for mines.

The Marine Corps flies the AH-1Z Viper and the UH-1Y Venom, two aircraft that share most of their parts. For heavy lift it is replacing the CH-53E with the CH-53K King Stallion, which can carry more than 16 tonnes on its hook and is the most powerful helicopter the United States has built. The MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor is the Marines’ main assault transport. It has been grounded several times after fatal accidents.

Air Force and special operations helicopters

The Air Force has the smallest rotary fleet. The HH-60W Jolly Green II is a Black Hawk variant built to recover aircrew from hostile territory. The MH-139A Grey Wolf is replacing Vietnam-era UH-1N Hueys that patrol the Minuteman missile fields. The CV-22B Osprey carries special forces over long distances.

The Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the Night Stalkers, flies modified MH-60M Black Hawks, MH-47G Chinooks with refuelling probes, and the small AH-6 and MH-6 Little Birds.

Frequently asked questions

How many helicopters does the US military have?

More than 5,000 across all services, counting tiltrotors. The Army operates the majority.

What is the main US attack helicopter?

The AH-64E Apache in the Army and the AH-1Z Viper in the Marine Corps.

What will replace the Black Hawk?

The MV-75 tiltrotor will take over long-range air assault from about 2028, but the Black Hawk remains in production and will serve alongside it for decades.

What is the fastest US military rotorcraft?

The tiltrotors. The V-22 Osprey can reach about 500 km/h and the MV-75 is required to fly at up to 520 km/h, roughly twice the speed of a Black Hawk.

Does the US Air Force have attack helicopters?

No. Attack helicopters are flown by the Army and the Marine Corps. Air Force helicopters are used for rescue, security and special operations.