Top 10 Amazing Helicopters of the US Military
INTRODUCTION
Ever since they entered service in large numbers with different militaries in the 1940s-50s period, helicopters have been an indispensable tool of war and peace. Whether it is casualty evacuation, troop transport, disaster relief or airborne fire support; helicopters are at the centre of it all. The technology used in helicopters has grown to such a level that it is now possible to make hybrid helicopter aeroplanes, advanced attack helicopters, and super heavy transports.
While most of the western countries have made their own helicopters, the US and Russia still reign supreme with their vast fleets of helicopters of every category imaginable. This list examines some of the most diverse range of American helicopters which have played their part in the helicopter revolution. This is the first of our 3-part seriesand the top helicopters of the Russian military and the European militaries will be covered in future articles. The list is in chronological order, with the year of the first flight being taken as a reference date. So sit tight and strap your seat belts while we go on a journey to meet these rotary winged beauties and beasts.
Bell UH-1 Huey [1956]
A Huey over the Vietnamese jungle
Pretty much synonymous with technology Vietnam war, the UH-1 was a simple and practical helicopter design which achieved legendary status due to its exploits. It was rugged, inexpensive and just the thing the US Army needed to deliver thousands of troops in the middle of dense North Vietnamese jungles. Powered by a single engine, the UH-1 could carry 10-14 troops into battle. The main armament was the M60 machine gun mounted on either door, which was operated by a gunner. To protect the pilots from ground fire, the seats were armoured and the crew was issued with body armour for additional protection during dangerous missions.
US troops disembarking from a hovering Huey in Vietnam
An M60 door-mounted machine gun
The other important role of the Huey was casualty evacuation, where it managed to transport injured troops from the battlefield to combat hospital units in an hour or two. This greatly helped in reducing the American casualties during the war as the injured could get immediate medical attention.Over 16,000of these versatile machines have been built and it is still used by the US Marine Corps in its UH-1Y form.
A wounded member of the 1st Plt. Company “C,” 25th Infantry Division, is helped to a waiting UH-1D “Iroquois” helicopter in Vietnam, May 10, 1967, during the Vietnam War. (AP Photo)
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King [1959]
US Navy Sea Kings flying past the USS Kearsarge
The US Navy faced a major problem during the early decades of the Cold War. The Soviet Union built a fleet of over 200 submarines and tracking them was getting extremely difficult and troublesome. The Seaking, which first flew in 1959, was the solution to that problem. It was a huge naval helicopter for that time and debuted a number of features including turboshaft engines and an amphibious design which would allow it to land on water. To perform its primary duty of hunting submarines, it was equipped with a dipping sonar, dozens of sonobuoys, magnetic anomaly detector, depth charges and torpedoes. It’s long endurance coupled with its vast array of anti-submarine attachments made it the most capable and widely used ASW helicopter of the 20th Century.
A Sea King towing a Magnetic Anomaly Detection boom
A US Navy Sea King lowers its dipping sonar
One of the coolest roles of the Seaking is that of the space capsule retriever! US Navy Seakings were tasked with picking up the capsules which had splashed down in the ocean after the completion of their space missions. The Seaking has another major role apart from anti-submarine warfare and this one is pretty amazing. It is the helicopter of choice to fly the President of the United States of America around, and it has held this distinction since the early 1960s to the present day. USMC Seakings, are designated as ‘Marine One’ when the POTUS is on board and it features advanced electronic countermeasures, armoured airframe and acts as a mobile office for the president.
Picking up crew from a space capsule
The ‘Marine One’ Sea King variant used by the president of the US
The Seaking was license-produced by Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom, where it served locally and was also exported to friendly countries. The UK developed an Airborne Early Warning Variant of the Seaking after their bitter experiences in the Falklands and this is one of the most unique modifications of this helicopter. Although it has been retired by the US Navy and replaced fully by the Seahawk, the Seaking continues to serve in the navies of Brazil, India, Spain, Iran and Italy.
The Royal Navy’s Sea King AEW.2 variant. The dome contains the radar to provide airborne early warning.
INTRODUCTION
Ever since they entered service in large numbers with different militaries in the 1940s-50s period, helicopters have been an indispensable tool of war and peace. Whether it is casualty evacuation, troop transport, disaster relief or airborne fire support; helicopters are at the centre of it all. The technology used in helicopters has grown to such a level that it is now possible to make hybrid helicopter aeroplanes, advanced attack helicopters, and super heavy transports.
While most of the western countries have made their own helicopters, the US and Russia still reign supreme with their vast fleets of helicopters of every category imaginable. This list examines some of the most diverse range of American helicopters which have played their part in the helicopter revolution. This is the first of our 3-part seriesand the top helicopters of the Russian military and the European militaries will be covered in future articles. The list is in chronological order, with the year of the first flight being taken as a reference date. So sit tight and strap your seat belts while we go on a journey to meet these rotary winged beauties and beasts.
Bell UH-1 Huey [1956]
Pretty much synonymous with technology Vietnam war, the UH-1 was a simple and practical helicopter design which achieved legendary status due to its exploits. It was rugged, inexpensive and just the thing the US Army needed to deliver thousands of troops in the middle of dense North Vietnamese jungles. Powered by a single engine, the UH-1 could carry 10-14 troops into battle. The main armament was the M60 machine gun mounted on either door, which was operated by a gunner. To protect the pilots from ground fire, the seats were armoured and the crew was issued with body armour for additional protection during dangerous missions.
The other important role of the Huey was casualty evacuation, where it managed to transport injured troops from the battlefield to combat hospital units in an hour or two. This greatly helped in reducing the American casualties during the war as the injured could get immediate medical attention.Over 16,000of these versatile machines have been built and it is still used by the US Marine Corps in its UH-1Y form.
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King [1959]
The US Navy faced a major problem during the early decades of the Cold War. The Soviet Union built a fleet of over 200 submarines and tracking them was getting extremely difficult and troublesome. The Seaking, which first flew in 1959, was the solution to that problem. It was a huge naval helicopter for that time and debuted a number of features including turboshaft engines and an amphibious design which would allow it to land on water. To perform its primary duty of hunting submarines, it was equipped with a dipping sonar, dozens of sonobuoys, magnetic anomaly detector, depth charges and torpedoes. It’s long endurance coupled with its vast array of anti-submarine attachments made it the most capable and widely used ASW helicopter of the 20th Century.
One of the coolest roles of the Seaking is that of the space capsule retriever! US Navy Seakings were tasked with picking up the capsules which had splashed down in the ocean after the completion of their space missions. The Seaking has another major role apart from anti-submarine warfare and this one is pretty amazing. It is the helicopter of choice to fly the President of the United States of America around, and it has held this distinction since the early 1960s to the present day. USMC Seakings, are designated as ‘Marine One’ when the POTUS is on board and it features advanced electronic countermeasures, armoured airframe and acts as a mobile office for the president.
The Seaking was license-produced by Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom, where it served locally and was also exported to friendly countries. The UK developed an Airborne Early Warning Variant of the Seaking after their bitter experiences in the Falklands and this is one of the most unique modifications of this helicopter. Although it has been retired by the US Navy and replaced fully by the Seahawk, the Seaking continues to serve in the navies of Brazil, India, Spain, Iran and Italy.
The Royal Navy’s Sea King AEW.2 variant. The dome contains the radar to provide airborne early warning.