Countries by number of helicopters

Military helicopters play an integral part in the sea, land and air operations of modern militaries. Thanks to them, it is possible to not only eliminate high-level threats and transport troops to exact locations, but also to protect other aircrafts, troops, armoured vehicles, or naval vessels. Most of the helicopters used by military can boast with armour. When it comes to choppers in military, there is a distinction on three different types of helicopters. We can distinguish utility military helicopters, attack helicopters, and transport helicopters.

A utility military helicopter can fill roles such ground attack, air assault, military logistics, medical evacuation, command and control, and troop transport. An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the capability of engaging targets on the ground, such as enemy infantry and armoured fighting vehicles. Weapons used on attack helicopters can include autocannons, machine guns, rockets, and guided anti-tank missiles. Transport helicopters are used for transporting personnel and cargo in support of military operations.

However, if we were to provide you with a more thorough description, we can notice that all these choppers vary in terms of materials they were made of as well as the equipment they have installed in. It is all because of restrictions and limitations. As a consequence, it is not possible to construct a helicopter that will be capable of destroying heavily armoured fighting vehicles and at the same time it will transport troops.

Helicopter is a machine, where a number of elements can wear quite easily and quite fast. It is the result of constant vibrations and stresses that can lead to damages. Because of that, helicopters are very costly when we talk about maintenance and repair works. It means that their use is much more expensive than in case of aircrafts. What is more, helicopters require much more energy than a plane in order to achieve the same amount of work. Sadly, with much more energy comes greater fuel consumption.

In spite of all these downsides as well as the fact that the steering is much more complex than in case of aircrafts, they are still quite often used in military and, to surprise of many people, they remain a crucial element of almost every modern warfare. It is mainly because of its properties, including the possibility to land and take off vertically. As a result, we can use helicopters in places with small area, where precision is required. What is more, we should also remember that helicopters are great for difficult terrain and weather conditions.

This is why we should take a look at the charts below, compare statistics and see how many helicopters your country has!