The top 10 most widely used combat helicopters in the world in 2026
May 4, 2026
US-origin military helicopters account for seven of the top ten most common military helicopters used today, while the iconic Mil Mi-8/Mi-24 remains the world’s second most common military helicopter.
Largest fleets of military helicopters
According to data provided by FlightGlobal, the United States has the most military helicopters by a large margin, with a total of 5,567 examples or 28% of the world’s total. It estimates there are a total of 20,000 military helicopters in service globally.
The second largest is listed as Russia with 1,535 military helicopters, then China at 913, India is close behind at 894, with South Korea rounding out the top five list at 786.
Japan is listed with 568 helicopters, Turkey with 481, France with 434, Egypt with 348, Italy with 348, and the rest of the world with 8,275.
The same caveats apply as when counting the number of fighter jets used by countries. The United States provides detailed open-source breakdowns of how many units are in service and how many are stored; countries like Russia and China do not.
Top five countries by number of combat helicopters:
- United States: 5,567
- Russia: 1,535
- China: 913
- India: 894
- South Korea: 786
Russian and Chinese inventories are often counted partially using satellite imagery, and this can lead to defunct old airframes rotting on the tarmac being counted.
The US Black Hawk family
The US Black Hawk family is the most numerous military helicopter in service in the world today. This includes the S-70, UH-60, and SH-60 variants, of which there are around 3,960 units in service, mostly with the US Army.
The US Army operates around 2,280 Black Hawk family helicopters.
Importantly, the Black Hawk family includes the Naval MH-60R Seahawk, which is “the” combat helicopter of the US Navy. FlightGlobal numbers show the Navy has around 500 Seahawks in service, operating from its many warships.
The Seahawk is the “the” de facto naval helicopter of its allies from New Zealand (on order) to Brazil.
The US Navy has only just begun early work to design a replacement for its Seahawk, while the US Army is planning to transition to the new MV-75 (V-280 Valor) tiltrotor.
Mi-8/Mi-17 Hip family
The Mi-8/Mi-17 Hip family is famous for being the most produced helicopter in history, with 17,000+ delivered and more in production.
These are also extensively used by police services around the world and for local airlines accessing remote communities. It is estimated to be the second most common helicopter in military service, with around 2,740 units remaining in service.
The family has fallen on hard times, partly due to sanctions and the war in Ukraine. The biggest issue is not the direct losses, it’s the wear and tear, and the Russian industry is struggling to replace existing fleets. This is particularly acute for Russia’s civil Mi-17 fleets.
Another issue has been the US’s CAASTA act passed in 2017, which sanctions countries purchasing Russian equipment like helicopters.
Countries like the Philippines dropped their orders for the helicopter after CAASTA was passed, while the Bangladeshi police ordered it anyway, but are now unable to receive them.
Boeing AH-64 Apache
The AH-64 Apache has the distinction of being the most common attack helicopter in the world, mostly thanks to the US Army.
The US Army is estimated to have around 838 Apaches in service; it is also the most common attack helicopter in US-allied nations’ service. The French Army is an exception with the Eurocopter EC665 Tiger in service.
Top five military helicopters in service:
- Black Hawk family: Approx. 3,960
- Mi-8/Mi-17 Hip family: Approx. 2,740
- AH-64 Apache: Approx. 1,265
- UH-1 Iroquois (Huey): Approx. 940
- CH-47 Chinook: Approx. 940
The Apache is coming under pressure from the changing nature of war, with some questioning if they remain survivable enough to remain relevant in a future high-end war.
Poland has placed a large order for 96 Apaches, while South Korea cancelled plans to purchase extra Apaches, and Japan is giving up its attack helicopter capability.
Boeing reports having delivered 19 new AH-64 Apaches in 2025, plus another 42 remanufactured Apaches.
UH-1 Iroquis (Huey)
It may come as a surprise that the Huey, the iconic US Army helicopter from the Vietnam War, remains the fourth most common military helicopter.
It is estimated that there are around 940 UH-1 Iroquois utility helicopters remaining in service around the world. This is a declining number.
In January 2026, AGN reported that the US Air Force is preparing to retire its UH-1N Hueys from its Global Strike Command as they are replaced by more modern MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters based on the Italian Leonardo AW139.
Get the latest aerospace defence news here on AGN.
CH-47 Chinook
The CH-47 Chinook is the heavy lift helicopter of the US Army and has been in service since 1962. There are around 940 of them operating today. The type remains in production with Boeing delivering three new and 11 renewed Chinooks in 2025.
The bulk (465) are operated by the US Army, with more operated by the Army Reserve and National Guard. One of the most notable export orders for the Chinook is the German Army, which has ordered 60 examples.
These are found in the Australian, British, Canadian, Japanese, and other armies.
Other top ten military helicopters
The sixth most common helicopter in use today is the Russian/Soviet Mi-24/Mi-35 Hind gunship, with around 892 units.
This has taken a back seat to Russia’s Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter in Ukraine, although that helicopter is only available in low numbers.
In seventh place is the common utility Bell 212/412 series, with around 679 examples in service. In eighth place is the AH-1 Cobra family, a light US attack helicopter with around 600 examples estimated to be in service.
Bottom five top ten military helicopters:
- Mi-24/Mi-35 Hinds attack helicopter: Approx. 890
- Bell 212/412 utility helicopter: Approx. 680
- AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter: Approx. 600
- MD500/MD530 scout helicopter: Approx. 550
- Airbus H145 family: Approx. 500
The ninth most common is the scout/utility MD500/MD530 helicopter with 550 units. The MD500 family is a small helicopter popular with police forces, although it’s also popular with US special forces who don’t want a large chopper.
Finally, rounding out the top ten list of military helicopters is the Airbus H145 light military multirole helicopter family, with around 500 examples in service. Over 1,600 of these have been built, but many are used by civilian and police organizations.
Featured Image: Boeing
