Attack Helicopter Guide
Attack Helicopter Generational Breakdown – Top 20 Countries (2023)
Below is the breakdown of active attack helicopters by generation for the 20 countries with the largest (and most advanced) fleets. “Active” excludes utility/transport types. Totals per country are provided for cross-check. (Generations per definitions: 1st=1950s–70s basic armed helos; 2nd=1980s–90s with armor/night/guided missiles; 3rd=2000s–10s digital avionics/networking; 4th=2020s–present with AI, drone integration, stealth; 5th=future prototypes.)
|
Country |
1st Gen (1950s–70s) |
2nd Gen (1980s–90s) |
3rd Gen (2000s–10s) |
4th Gen (2020s–Pres.) |
5th Gen (Future) |
Active Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
United States |
0 – (None) |
0 – (None) |
~500 – AH-64D Apache Longbow, AH-1Z Viper, AH-6M |
~500 – AH-64E Apache Guardian (UAV-linked) |
0 – (Dev. only) |
~1,000 |
|
Russia |
0 – (None) |
~160 – Mi-24 “Hind” variants (e.g. Mi-24V/P) |
~230 – Ka-52 Alligator, Mi-28N Havoc |
~20 – Ka-52M, Mi-28NM (upgraded with new sensors/UAV integration) |
0 – (Dev. only) |
559 |
|
China |
0 – (None) |
~40 – WZ-9 armed scout (older Z-9WA Dauphin derivatives, 1980s tech) |
~240 – Z-10 attack helos and Z-19 scout/attack (2000s–2010s) |
0 – (Next-gen in R&D) |
0 – (Dev. only) |
281 |
|
Japan |
0 – (None) |
~85 – AH-1S Cobra (1980s, TOW-capable) |
~13 – AH-64DJP Apache Longbow (2000s) |
0 – (None yet) |
0 |
119 |
|
South Korea |
0 – (None) |
~70 – AH-1S Cobra (1980s) and MD500 Defender (TOW-armed light helos) |
0 – (None) |
36 – AH-64E Apache Guardian (delivered mid-2010s) |
0 |
112 |
|
Turkey |
0 – (None) |
~30 – AH-1 Cobra (ex-US Army AH-1F/S and AH-1W SuperCobras) |
~80 – T129 ATAK (2010s indigenous attack helo) |
0 – (ATAK-2 in dev.) |
0 |
111 |
|
Egypt |
~30 – SA342 Gazelle (1970s light attack) |
0 – (None) |
~80 – AH-64D Apache & Ka-52 Alligator (2000s-era models) |
~10 – AH-64E Apache Guardian (new upgrade) |
0 |
100 |
|
Taiwan (ROC) |
0 – (None) |
~60 – AH-1W Super Cobra (1980s) |
0 – (None) |
29 – AH-64E Apache Guardian (delivered 2013–2014) |
0 |
91 |
|
Algeria |
0 – (None) |
~32 – Mi-24 MkIII “SuperHind” (upgraded 1980s Hinds) |
~43 – Mi-28NE Night Hunter (delivered 2016–2020) |
0 – (None) |
0 |
75 |
|
France |
~30 – SA341/342 Gazelle (1970s, HOT missiles) |
0 – (None) |
~39 – EC665 Tiger HAP/HAD (2000s) |
0 – (HIL program dev.) |
0 |
69 |
|
Pakistan |
0 – (None) |
50 – AH-1F Cobra (1980s, TOW ATGM) |
4 – Mi-35M Hind-E (2010s) |
3 – CAIC Z-10ME (2020s Chinese, newly in service) |
0 |
57 |
|
Italy |
0 – (None) |
57 – Agusta A129 Mangusta (1990s; upgraded to AH-129D with modern sensors) |
0 – (AW249 in dev.) |
0 |
0 |
57 |
|
Germany |
0 – (None) |
~4 – Bo-105 PAH-1 (1980s, HOT ATGM – largely retired by 2014) |
~51 – EC665 Tiger UHT (2000s) |
0 – (TLK program dev.) |
0 |
55 |
|
United Kingdom |
0 – (None) |
0 – (None) |
~50 – Apache AH1 (WAH-64D Longbow, 2000s) |
~2 – Apache AH-64E Guardian (2020+ deliveries began) |
0 |
52 |
|
Israel |
0 – (None) |
~24 – AH-64A “Peten” Apache (1980s) |
~24 – AH-64D “Saraf” Apache (2000s) |
0 – (Future Apache upgrade planned) |
0 |
48 |
|
Jordan |
0 – (None) |
~43 – AH-1F/S Cobra (1980s; some upgraded with modern FLIR and Hellfires) |
0 – (None) |
0 – (None) |
0 |
43 |
|
India |
0 – (None) |
~15 – Mi-35 “Hind” (1980s; a few still in service) |
**~ Fifty** – HAL Rudra ALH-WSI armed helos (2010s) + HAL LCH “Prachand” (2020s) |
22 – AH-64E Apache Guardian (delivered 2019) |
0 |
~80 |
|
Iraq |
0 – (None) |
~20 – Mi-35M Hind (2014+, NVG/FLIR capable) |
~20 – Mi-28NE Havoc (2014+) and Bell 407ATAK (armed scout) |
0 – (None) |
0 |
40 |
|
Sudan |
0 – (None) |
~30 – Mi-24 Hind (ex-Soviet stock) |
~5 – Mi-35M (recent deliveries with upgrades) |
0 – (None) |
0 |
35 |
|
Saudi Arabia |
0 – (None) |
~10 – AH-64A/D Apache (1990s) |
~14 – AH-64D Apache (2000s)*¹ |
~10 – AH-64E Apache Guardian (2020s, incl. National Guard) |
0 |
34 |
*¹ Saudi Arabia: By 2023 the Royal Saudi forces were transitioning older AH-64A/Ds to the latest AH-64E Guardian standard. They also operate AH-6i light attack helicopters (not counted here as “dedicated” attack helos).
Sources: Defense inventories and military publications were used to compile active fleet numbers. Key references include Global Firepower rankings , FlightGlobal/Flight International world air forces reports, and official statements. For example, the U.S. Army fields ~819 Apache D/E helos and the USMC ~189 AH-1Z (all 3rd/4th gen), totaling ~1,000 . Russia’s fleet of ~559 includes ~152 Hinds (2nd gen) and over 100 modern Ka-52 and Mi-28 (3rd/4th gen) gunships . China has about 281 attack helos (mostly 3rd gen Z-10 and Z-19 ). Other entries are similarly sourced from defense almanacs and news reports, as indicated above. Each country’s generation counts sum up to its active total, reflecting the composition of its attack helicopter fleet in 2023. Please note that 5th generation types (fully autonomous/AI-driven designs like Raider-X or Invictus) are not yet in active service for any country – they remain in prototype or development stages.
