United States military aircraft
  • Airships
  • Airborne early warning aircraft
  • Anti-submarine aircraft
  • Bomber aircraft
  • Attack aircraft
  • Command and control aircraft
  • Electronic warfare aircraft
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  • Patrol aircraft
  • Reconnaissance
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  • Utility aircraft
  • Military helicopters
  • UAVs
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    This is a list of United States military helicopters

    Helicopters

    US military helicopters
    Name Role Manufacturer Notes Year of
    first flight     		Introduction Number built
    Sikorsky R-4 Helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation First US military helicopter. 1942 ? 131
    Sikorsky H-5 Helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation 1943 1945 300
    Sikorsky R-6 Helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation World War II 1943 1945 225
    Kellett R-8 Experimental helicopter Kellett Autogiro Corporation Prototype. Program canceled 1946. 1944 never 2
    Bell H-13 Sioux Light observation helicopter Bell Aircraft Corporation Bell 47 variant. 1945 1946 2407
    Kellett XR-10 Military transport helicopter Kellett Autogiro Corporation Prototype. Program canceled 1949. 1947 never 2
    Sikorsky S-52 Utility helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation 1947 1951 93
    Kaman HH-43 Huskie Firefighting/rescue Kaman Aircraft 1953 1958[1] 193
    Piasecki HUP Utility helicopter Piasecki Helicopter The « Army Mule ». 1948 1949 339
    Hiller OH-23 Raven Multipurpose light helicopter Hiller Aircraft 1948 1950 2000
    Sikorsky H-19 Utility helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation 1949 1950 1102
    Vertol H-21 Cargo helicopter Piasecki Helicopter 1952 1954 707
    Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave Assault Transport Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Large heavy lift helicopter used by the Army designated "Mojave" and Marines nicknamed "Deuce" 1953 1956 153
    De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle Experimental rotorcraft de Lackner Helicopters Prototype. Program canceled. 1954 never 12
    Sikorsky H-34 Anti-submarine warfare helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation 1954 1954 2108
    Bell UH-1 Iroquois Utility helicopter Bell Aircraft Corporation The UH-1 was in the service of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Nicknamed the "Huey" because the original Army designation was HU-1. 1956 1959 16000
    Sikorsky S-62 SAR/utility helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation It was used by the United States Coast Guard. 1958 1961 175
    Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King ASW/SAR/utility helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation used as the official helicopters of the President of the United States Marine One 1959 1961 1500
    Sikorsky S-61R Medium-lift transport/SAR helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation The S-61R served in the United States Air Force and in the United States Coast Guard. 1959 1961 ?
    Kaman SH-2 Seasprite Anti-submarine warfare helicopter Kaman Aircraft 1959 1962 184
    Boeing CH-47 Chinook Transport helicopter Boeing 1961 1962 1180
    Sikorsky CH-54 Heavy-lift cargo helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation 1962 1964 105
    Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight Cargo helicopter Boeing From 2004, Used only by the United States Marine Corps until 2015 retirement. 1962 1964 524
    Hughes OH-6 Cayuse Light Observation Helicopter / Utility Hughes Helicopters Won a prototype run off between Bell, Hiller and Hughes. The Bell prototype went on to become the OH-58. The OH-6 itself is the parent of the MD 500 and MH-6 variants. 1963 1966 1420
    MD Helicopters MH-6 Little Bird Light Observation Helicopter MD Helicopters Derived from OH-6 lineage; used for special operations in the United States Army. 1963 1980 ?
    Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion Heavy-lift cargo helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Load capability of 35,000 pounds [2]
    Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low, US Air Force variant.[3]     		1964 1966 500
    Bell AH-1 Cobra Attack helicopter Bell Helicopter Textron Was developed by Bell as an independent concept armed helicopter. The majority of parts are interchangeable with the UH-1 series. The AH1-W and Z are used in the US Marine Corps 1965 1967 1116
    Bell 206 Multipurpose Utility helicopter Bell Aircraft Corporation Common prototype with OH-58. 1966 1967 7300
    Bell OH-58 Kiowa Observation/scout helicopter Bell Aircraft Corporation Five versions: OH-58A, OH-58C, OH58C/S, OH-58D, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior 1966 1969 2200
    Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne Attack helicopter Lockheed Corporation Prototype. Program canceled 1972. 1967 Cancelled 10
    Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion Heavy-lift cargo helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation 1974 1981 ~170[4][5][6]
    Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk Utility helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Black Hawks have served in combat during conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East. 1974 1979 2600
    Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk[7] Combat Search and Rescue helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation This is another variant of the U.S. Army's UH-60 Blackhawk. 1974 1982 101
    Boeing AH-64 Apache Attack helicopter Boeing Manufactured by McDonnell-Douglas after buyout of Hughes Helicopters. 1975 1984 1174
    MD 500 Defender Light multi-role helicopter MD Helicopters Based on the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse light utility helicopter. Originally developed by Hughes Helicopters. Purchased by McDonnell-Douglas, eventually sold to MD Helicopters. 1976 1976 471
    Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk Multimission maritime helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk variant. 1979 1984 ?
    Sikorsky HH-60H U.S. Navy Special Operations and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk variant. * * *
    Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche Reconnaissance and attack helicopter Boeing/Sikorsky Prototype. Program canceled 2004.[8] 1996 Never 5
    Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota Utility helicopter Eurocopter Adapted from the Eurocopter EC145 and built in Columbus, Mississippi. 1999 2006 250
    Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter Bell 2000 2010 229
    Bell UH-1Y Venom Utility helicopter Bell Aircraft Corporation The UH-1Y Venom is currently in full-rate production to replace the UH-1N Twin Huey 2001 2008 92
    Bell ARH-70 Arapaho Armed reconnaissance helicopter Bell Aircraft Corporation Prototype. Program canceled 2008.[9] 2006 Never 4
    Piasecki X-49 Experimental high-speed compound helicopter Piasecki Helicopter Prototype under development. 2007 1
    X2 Experimental compound helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft / Schweizer Aircraft 2008 Never 1
    Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion Heavy-lift cargo helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation 2015 2022[10] 9
    Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant Compound helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft / Boeing Sikorsky Aircraft and Boeing entry for the United States Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. Army selected the rival Bell V-280 Valor as the winner of the program. 2019 Never ?

    See also

    Notes

    The U.S. Air Force (USAF) did not exist until September 1947. Therefore the Sikorski R4 of 1942 "notes" indicate USAF. Possibly it was meant to be USAAF (U.S. Army Air Force).

    References

    1. ^ Kaman HH-43B Huskie, National Museum of the United States Air Force, 15 July 2017.
    2. ^ H-H(X) / CH-53A Stallion, globalsecurity.org.
    3. ^ Sikorsky H-53 Sea Stallion, aviationsmilitaires.net.
    4. ^ "CH-53E Super Stallion". Naval Technology. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
    5. ^ "CH-53E Super Stallion Heavy-Lift Helicopter". Airforce Technology. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
    6. ^ "CH-53E Super Stallion". United States Navy. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
    7. ^ Susan Young, Gallery of USAFF weapons – 2008 USAF Almanac, Air Force Magazine, May 2008.
    8. ^ Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche, militaryaviation.eu.
    9. ^ ARH70 Arapaho, helicopassion.com, 7 December 2010.
    10. ^ "CH-53K King Stallion". Navair. Retrieved 2023-12-08.

    Bibliography

    External links

    United States helicopter designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems
    Helicopters and other rotorcraft
    United States Armed Forces
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