14 Types of Attack Helicopters Explained

Attack helicopters began as transport helicopters with guns and rockets bolted onto them. They evolved into dedicated light attackers, armored assault helicopters, anti-tank specialists, heavy sensor-shooters, coaxial designs, naval gunships, high-altitude platforms, and networked combat helicopters. This video explains the major types of attack helicopters and why each design exists, using aircraft including the AH-1 Cobra, Mi-24 Hind, A129 Mangusta, AH-64 Apache, Mi-28, Ka-52, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, AH-6 Little Bird, Airbus Tiger, AH-1Z Viper, Rooivalk, T129 ATAK, HAL Prachand, Z-10, and AW249. We also look at how these machines actually performed in different roles and conflicts, from Vietnam and Afghanistan to Task Force Normandy in 1991, the Karbala deep attack in 2003, and Rooivalk combat operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The story of the attack helicopter is ultimately a story of trade-offs: speed versus protection, payload versus altitude performance, firepower versus weight, and increasingly, the helicopter itself versus the larger network of drones, sensors, artillery, and data links around it. 0:00 Armed Utility Gunship 1:45 Dedicated Light Attack Helicopter 4:00 Assault Attack Helicopter 6:21 Light Anti-Tank Specialist 8:39 Heavy Sensor-Shooter 11:15 Heavy Conventional Attack Helicopter 13:32 Coaxial Attack & Reconnaissance Helicopter 15:33 Armed Scout & Light Attack 17:43 European Multirole Attack Helicopter 19:51 Naval Expeditionary Attack Helicopter 21:55 Heavy Combat-Support Helicopter 23:53 Hot-and-High Light Attack Helicopter 25:59 Medium National Attack Helicopter 27:46 Networked Next-Generation Combat Helicopter 30:00 What Attack Helicopters Are Becoming Which attack-helicopter type offers the best balance of firepower, survivability, mobility, and sensors? #AttackHelicopter #MilitaryAviation #MilitaryTechnology