Attack helicopters are armed helicopters that perform various missions including attack aircraft. In addition to providing attack capabilities against enemy infantry, defensive tasks, and vehicles such as main battle tanks, these aircraft are commonly referred to as gunboats. Since various systems are shut down during combat, attack helicopters usually have redundant systems to increase survivability. Attack helicopters typically carry machine guns, rockets, and anti-tank missiles. In this role, the US Apache is typically armed with the AGM-114 Hellfire missile. In any modern military arsenal, the attack helicopter is one of the most powerful offensive weapons. The following attack helicopters are among the most powerful helicopters in the world:
MilMi-24 – Soviet Union
The US-24 (aka Hind) is a Soviet-built attack helicopter that first entered service in 1972. Since then, 2768 US-24s have been produced and are in service with armies around the world. Nicknamed the “flying tank” by Soviet pilot Hind, the US-24 has fought actively in many conflicts around the world and is currently in service with 48 nations. Also, any Western military, such as the US Nor do they have any direct NATO competitors in European militaries. There are many attack helicopters on the market, traditionally the US. And made by Russia, but Chinese companies are now making their own.
Denel Rooivalk – South Africa
The Danel Rooiwalk attack helicopter was designed and manufactured in South Africa and is known as the Red Falcon in South African-Dutch. It may be the lowest production of all the attack helicopters on this list, as only 12 were purchased. The helicopter first flew in 1990 and was handed over to the South African Army in 2011. Although one of the 12 was written off after the accident, it is remarkable that South Africa was able to develop and produce such advanced military machinery. This perfectly explains the size of the country’s staggering domestic arms industry.
Harbin Z-19 – China
In 2012, the Harbin Z-19, also known as the WZ-19, was commissioned as a Chinese-made reconnaissance and attack helicopter. It is an operational variant of the European Dolphin helicopter and is in fact licensed and manufactured by China. It is relatively rare for Western military equipment to be licensed and manufactured in China. In the near future, the Harbin Z-19 is expected to support and compete with the larger CAIC WZ-10 attack helicopter.
Kamov Ka-50 (Black Shark) – Russia
In 1982, the Soviet Union produced the Kamov Ka-50 “Black Shark” helicopter. This single-seat attack helicopter is primarily used as an armed reconnaissance helicopter. In addition to being the first helicopter with a protected artillery launch system, Kamov also released a two-cockpit variant, the Kamov Ka-50-2 (known as the “Crocodile” by NATO). Russia has used combos to intervene in Syria.
Mil Mi-28 (Havoc) – Russia
The Russian-made M-28 attack helicopter, nicknamed “Khavak”, is a fully dedicated inverted armored attack helicopter capable of operating both day and night. The first flight of the M-28 took place in the USSR in 1982, but the Russian military did not begin using it until 2009. Currently, 126 helicopters have been produced, which are exported to Algeria and Iraq. During the Syrian conflict, the Russian military used the M-28 helicopter.
European Helicopter Tiger – Europe
The European Helicopter Tiger is a European developed attack helicopter in service since 2003. It is the European equivalent of the US Apache, but only 180 have been built to date. It is in service with the German, French and Australian military, the Australian military plans to use the US Apache helicopter instead of the European one. As an anti-tank platform during the Cold War, the European helicopter Tiger has evolved into a multi-role attack helicopter. It is used in Afghanistan, Libya and Mali.
CAIC Z-10 – China
The CAIC Z-10 is a Chinese medium attack helicopter, primarily used for anti-tank operations, but also capable of air-to-air combat. It has been in service since 2003 and entered service in 2012. Already 300 CAIC Z-10s have been produced. During its initial design phase, the Russian Karmov design company worked with CAIC.
Lighter than its contemporaries, the Chinese Changhe Z-10 was designed with input from the Russian Kamov design bureau. It is the first indigenous attack helicopter produced in China. A fresh design with an introduction dating back to 2012, numerically, it already covers the needs of the Chinese armed forces.
Note: This article has been recently updated by Rosita Mickeviciute on June 29, 2024, to ensure accuracy and relevance. The following changes have been implemented to enhance the content: revised introduction, updated photographs, and refreshed information to reflect the most current data available.