United States Army Aviation Branch
The United States Army Aviation Branch, a branch in its own right only since 12 April 1983 but flying since the artillery spotter Cubs of 1942, runs the largest helicopter fleet in the world from Fort Rucker, Alabama — and between 2024 and 2026 it cancelled its next scout helicopter, began retiring older Apaches and Gray Eagles, and bet its future on the MV-75 Cheyenne II tiltrotor and on drones.
The Army Aviation story: Cubs for the gunners, the helicopter war in Vietnam and the scout that never came
1942–1950: Cubs for the gunners
When the Army Air Forces went their own way, the ground army kept something small for itself. On 6 June 1942 the Secretary of War ordered organic air observation for the field artillery: light aircraft owned by the gunners and flown by soldiers, not airmen. The aircraft were mostly Piper L-4 Grasshoppers, a militarised Cub of which 5,413 were built for US forces, together with Taylorcraft L-2s and Aeronca L-3s. They first went into action in North Africa in November 1942 and then spotted for the guns from Sicily to Germany and across the Pacific. The best-known of them, Major Charles Carpenter’s L-4H "Rosie the Rocketer", carried bazookas and was credited with tanks and armoured cars. It was an improvised air arm, but it established the principle that the branch still lives by: the commander on the ground should own the aircraft he depends on.
1950–1965: Korea, the helicopter and the fight with the Air Force
The Key West Agreement of March 1948 let the Army keep aviation only for reconnaissance and medical evacuation, and the Pace–Finletter memorandum of 1952 built on it. Korea showed what a small helicopter could do: the Bell H-13 Sioux, ordered in 1948, flew casualties strapped to its skids and earned the nickname "Angel of Mercy", while the Cessna L-19 Bird Dog, 418 ordered in 1950, took over from the Cub. The Army began training warrant officer pilots, moved its Aviation School from crowded Fort Sill to Camp Rucker in Alabama from August 1954, and created the Army Aviation Center there on 1 February 1955. The argument with the Air Force over who flew what never really stopped; it would shape Army aircraft for the next 30 years, and some would say ever since.
1962–1973: Vietnam, the helicopter war
In 1962 the Army was told to think bigger. The Howze Board, convened that spring, reported on 20 August 1962 that an air assault division needed 459 aircraft instead of the usual hundred or so; the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) proved it from February 1963, and in 1965 the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) took the concept to Vietnam. The Bell UH-1 Huey, which had gone to Vietnam with the 57th Medical Detachment in March 1962, became the symbol of the war, joined by the AH-1 Cobra in 1967, the CH-47 Chinook, the OH-6 Cayuse and the OH-58 Kiowa. The cost was enormous. The Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association counts 5,607 helicopters lost and 4,877 pilots and crew killed across all services, most of them Army. In 1966 the Johnson–McConnell agreement settled one quarrel: the Army gave up its Caribou transports and kept its helicopters.
1972–1993: Apache, Black Hawk and a branch of its own
The post-Vietnam Army rebuilt its aviation around the Soviet tank threat. The over-ambitious Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne, opposed by the Air Force as an intrusion into close air support, was killed in August 1972, and the Advanced Attack Helicopter that replaced it became the AH-64 Apache, in service from April 1986. The UH-60 Black Hawk replaced the Huey from June 1979, the CH-47D appeared in 1982, and after the failure of the Iran hostage rescue the Army formed what became the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. On 12 April 1983 the Secretary of the Army approved Aviation as a separate branch, the birthday the branch still celebrates. Desert Storm in 1991 vindicated the investment: 101st Airborne Division Apaches fired some of the first shots of the war, and 277 AH-64s took part in the ground war. Mogadishu in October 1993, where two Black Hawks were shot down, showed the other side.
2001–2021: twenty years of rotary-wing war, and the programmes that died
Afghanistan and Iraq turned Army aviation into the workhorse of two long counter-insurgencies. Chinooks carried troops into the Hindu Kush, Black Hawks flew medical evacuation, and Kiowa Warriors and Apaches escorted convoys. The price was high: on 24 March 2003 an Apache deep attack near Karbala left 31 aircraft damaged and one shot down, more than 35 Kiowas were lost with 35 pilots, and on 6 August 2011 the shooting down of the Chinook Extortion 17 killed 30 Americans, the worst single loss of the Afghan war. At home the Army kept cancelling its future. The RAH-66 Comanche died in February 2004 after about $6.9 billion, the ARH-70 scout in October 2008, and the Kiowa Warrior was retired in 2017 without a replacement, its scouting role passed to Apaches teamed with Shadow drones.
2024–2026: FARA cancelled, the Transformation Initiative and the Potomac
On 8 February 2024 the Army cancelled the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft after spending at least $2 billion, with Gen. Randy George citing cheap drones over Ukraine; the Shadow and Raven fleets were to go as well. A year later, on 29 January 2025, a Black Hawk of the 12th Aviation Battalion collided with an airliner over the Potomac, killing 67 people; the NTSB blamed above all the FAA’s helicopter route, but made eight recommendations to the Army. The Army Transformation Initiative of May 2025 went further: AH-64Ds and Gray Eagles were cut, procurement of both stopped, and one air cavalry squadron per active aviation brigade reduced, while the MV-75 tiltrotor, named Cheyenne II in April 2026, was to be fielded. The Night Stalkers flew the raid that captured Nicolás Maduro on 3 January 2026. Whether drones can replace the scout helicopter the Army never managed to buy remains the open question.
The United States Army Aviation Branch in numbers
Service
- Official name
- United States Army Aviation BranchThe Aviation Branch of the US Army; English is the only official language used. The current English Wikipedia article title is the same
- Founded
- 12 April 1983Branch approved by the Secretary of the Army on 12 April 1983, the date celebrated as the branch birthday. Organic Army aviation dates from 6 June 1942
- Part of
- United States ArmyA basic branch of the Army, alongside infantry, armor and the others. The Army’s Signal Corps and Air Corps flying of 1907–1947 is the lineage of the US Air Force
- Home of the branch
- Fort Rucker, AlabamaU.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence (AVCOE). Fort Novosel from April 2023 to June 2025
- Commanding general
- Maj. Gen. Phillip C. BakerCommanding General, AVCOE and Fort Rucker, per the official leadership page; start date not published
- Special operations aviation
- 160th SOAR (Airborne)The Night Stalkers, formed after the 1980 Iran rescue failure; headquarters Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Strength
- Crewed aircraft
- About 4,400Wikipedia’s US Army infobox gives 4,406 crewed aircraft; no official 2026 total was found. Independent type counts disagree by several hundred
- Attack helicopters
-
- AH-64D/E Apache — 824
- AH-6M Little Bird — part of 47 AH/MH-6M (160th SOAR)
FlightGlobal (2024) via Wikipedia. AH-64D retirement ordered in 2025; the AH-1 Cobra left the Army in 2001 and the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in 2017
- Utility and cargo helicopters
-
- UH-60/HH-60/MH-60 Black Hawk — about 1,565–2,298
- UH-72A/B Lakota — 475 (457 A, 18 B)
- CH-47F Chinook — 465
- MH-47G Chinook — 71
Black Hawk totals differ: 2,298 (FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia) against about 1,565 when the UH-60, MH-60 and EH-60 rows of Wikipedia’s other list are added; Lakota and Chinook counts are at January 2025
- Fixed-wing
-
- C-12 Huron — 95
- UC-35 Citation — 28
Light transport and VIP jets; the RC-12 Guardrail signals intelligence fleet was retired on 11 December 2025
- Large drones
-
- MQ-1C Gray Eagle — 75 listed, 204 built
- RQ-7B Shadow — about 500 at January 2025, being retired
Gray Eagle procurement ended in 2025; the Shadow fleet is being divested after the February 2024 decision
- Personnel
- No official headcount for the branch was found; the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association estimates about 40,000 helicopter pilots served in Vietnam alone
Infrastructure
- Training centre
- Fort Rucker, about 63,000 acresCairns Army Airfield plus the Hanchey, Knox, Lowe, Shell and Echo army heliports; the 1st, 110th and 128th Aviation Brigades train there
- Combat aviation brigades
- 10 active, 8 Army National GuardPlus theatre aviation commands in the Guard and Army Reserve. Counts from Wikipedia’s structure of about 2018; the 2025 cuts to air cavalry squadrons were not yet reflected
- Special operations aviation
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- Fort Campbell, Kentucky — HQ, 1st and 2nd Battalions
- Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia — 3rd Battalion
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington — 4th Battalion
160th SOAR battalion locations as given by Wikipedia
- Washington, DC
- 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison AAFAt Fort Belvoir, Virginia; its UH-60L was the helicopter in the Potomac collision of 29 January 2025
- Civilian-run primary training
- Pilot programme at Marianna, FloridaTeam CTI teaches FAA Part 141 helicopter licences on the TH-66 Sage (Robinson R66) before military training
- Next aircraft
- MV-75 Cheyenne IIBell tiltrotor chosen in December 2022, designated MV-75 on 14 May 2025 and named on 15 April 2026; first unit planned for 2031 as of 2024
How the United States Army Aviation Branch is organised
A basic branch of the US Army, like the infantry and armor, with its home at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and its flying units in the combat aviation brigades of the divisions and corps. About 4,400 crewed aircraft by Wikipedia’s count, the largest helicopter fleet in the world: 824 AH-64 Apaches, Black Hawks counted at between about 1,565 and 2,298, 465 CH-47F Chinooks and 475 UH-72 Lakotas. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment flies the special operations helicopters. The Signal Corps and Air Corps flying of 1907–1947 is the lineage of the US Air Force and is not counted here.
U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence
The home of the Aviation Branch, a basic branch of the Army since 12 April 1983, commanded by Maj. Gen. Phillip C. Baker according to the Fort Rucker leadership page, which does not give the date he took over; Wikipedia still lists his predecessor, Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, who took command on 26 July 2024. The post was Fort Novosel from April 2023 to June 2025.
Combat aviation brigades
Ten active and eight Army National Guard brigades by Wikipedia’s count of about 2018, flying AH-64 Apaches, UH-60 Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinooks; the 101st at Fort Campbell, the 1st Cavalry Division’s at Fort Hood, the 82nd at Fort Bragg, the 3rd Infantry Division’s at Hunter Army Airfield and the 25th at Wheeler in Hawaii. Wikipedia reports that one air cavalry squadron per active brigade was to be reduced under the Army Transformation Initiative of May 2025.
2nd and 12th Combat Aviation Brigades
The 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, where rotational heavy attack reconnaissance squadrons also serve, and the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade under V Corps at Katterbach in Bavaria, with an attack helicopter battalion; the 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment runs the Army’s flying at Wiesbaden.
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
Formed after the failed Iran rescue of 1980 and established as the 160th Aviation Battalion on 16 October 1981, it flies MH-47G Chinooks, MH-60M Black Hawks and AH-6M and MH-6M Little Birds, with its headquarters and two battalions at Fort Campbell, the 3rd at Hunter and the 4th at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Its helicopters flew the raid that captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on 3 January 2026.
1st, 110th and 128th Aviation Brigades
The training brigades of the Aviation Center of Excellence, where nearly every Army pilot learns to fly: initial training on the UH-72 Lakota, advanced training on the AH-64E, UH-60 and CH-47, from Cairns Army Airfield and five army heliports. A civilian-run pilot programme at Marianna, Florida, teaches FAA helicopter licences on the TH-66 Sage before military training, as HeliHub reported in March 2025.
12th Aviation Battalion
The Army’s helicopter unit for the capital region, at Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir; its UH-60L collided with American Eagle Flight 5342 over the Potomac on 29 January 2025, killing 67, and the NTSB, ruling on 27 January 2026, placed the main blame on the FAA’s helicopter route and air traffic practice and made recommendations to the Army.
Gray Eagle and Shadow units
The MQ-1C Gray Eagle, in service since 2009 with one company per active division, 75 listed and 204 built, and the RQ-7B Shadow, about 500 in January 2025. The Army decided in February 2024 to divest every Shadow and Raven and said in 2025 it would stop buying the Gray Eagle; the RC-12 Guardrail signals intelligence aircraft were retired on 11 December 2025.
What the United States Army Aviation Branch flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing AH-64D/E ApacheIn service | Attack helicopter | 824 | 1986 | 824 AH-64D/E per FlightGlobal 2024 as cited by Wikipedia. Over 2,700 Apaches of all kinds had been delivered worldwide by March 2024. | ||
| Sikorsky UH-60A/L/M, HH-60M and MH-60L/M Black HawkIn service | Utility, medevac and special operations helicopter | 1979 | 1,565–2,298. FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia gives 2,298 with 181 on order; Wikipedia’s list of active aircraft gives 1,443 UH-60A/L/M, 58 MH-60K/L and 64 EH-60A.
MoreThe 160th SOAR has 72 MH-60L/M. |
|||
| Boeing CH-47F ChinookIn service | Heavy-lift helicopter | 465 | 1962 | 465 CH-47F at January 2025 per Wikipedia; FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia gives 510 CH-47D/F. | ||
| Boeing MH-47G ChinookIn service | Special operations heavy helicopter | 71 | 71 with the 160th SOAR per Wikipedia. | |||
| Boeing (MD Helicopters) AH-6M and MH-6M Little BirdIn service | Special operations light attack and assault helicopter | 47 | 47 per Wikipedia and FlightGlobal 2024. | |||
| Airbus UH-72A/B LakotaIn service | Light utility and training helicopter | 475 | 2006 | 457 UH-72A and 18 UH-72B at January 2025 per Wikipedia; FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia gives 391 with 30 on order. | ||
| General Atomics MQ-1C Gray EagleIn service | Medium-altitude long-endurance drone | 75 | 2009 | 75 per Wikipedia’s list; 204 built. The 160th SOAR has 12. | ||
| AAI (Textron) RQ-7B ShadowIn service | Tactical drone | 2002 | About 500 RQ-7B at January 2025 per Wikipedia; divestment under way and no final retirement date found. | |||
| Beechcraft C-12 HuronIn service | Light transport | 95 | 95 per FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia. | |||
| Cessna UC-35 CitationIn service | Executive jet transport | 28 | 28 per FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia; 27 in Wikipedia’s list. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell MV-75 Cheyenne IIOn order | Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, chosen on 5 December 2022; designated MV-75 on 14 May 2025 and named Cheyenne II on 15 April 2026.
MoreThe Army says it flies twice as fast and twice as far as the current fleet. First unit equipped was planned for 2031 as of 2024; the Transformation Initiative of May 2025 put it among the systems to be fielded, but no total buy or acceleration date was confirmed on an official page. |
|||
| Sikorsky UH-60M Black HawkOn order | 181 | 181 on order per FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia. In February 2024 the Army chose new UH-60Ms for the National Guard instead of upgrading UH-60Ls to UH-60V. | ||
| Boeing AH-64E ApacheOn order | 15 | 15 on order per FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia. After the 30 April 2025 directive the Army said it would stop procuring AH-64s, so this figure may be overtaken. | ||
| Airbus UH-72 LakotaOn order | 30 | 30 on order per FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia; 18 UH-72Bs had been delivered by January 2025. |
Every type the United States Army Aviation Branch has retired
10 types, from the Piper L-4 Grasshopper (O-59) to the Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail | Signals intelligence aircraft | 73 | 1983–2025 | HADES (Bombardier Global 6500) | 73 per FlightGlobal 2024 via Wikipedia before retirement. | |
| Bell OH-58A/C/D Kiowa and Kiowa Warrior | Scout and light attack helicopter | 1969–2017 | AH-64 teamed with RQ-7 Shadow | 2,325 OH-58 built for all users. | ||
| Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) | Utility and medevac helicopter | 1959–2016 | UH-60 Black Hawk | About 7,000 served in Vietnam; VHPA records 6,994 Huey tail numbers, almost all Army. | ||
| Bell AH-1G/F/S Cobra | Attack helicopter | 1,116 | 1967–2001 | AH-64 Apache | 1,116 AH-1G built for the Army 1967–73; later modernised versions not counted here. | |
| Grumman OV-1 Mohawk | Battlefield surveillance aircraft | 1959–1996 | RC-12, EO-5C, E-8 Joint STARS | About 380 built. | ||
| Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog | Liaison and observation aircraft | 418 | 1950–1974 | OH-58 Kiowa, OV-10 (Air Force) | 418 in the first 1950 order; about 3,431 built for all users. | |
| Hughes OH-6A Cayuse | Light observation helicopter | 1966– | OH-58 Kiowa | |||
| Bell H-13 Sioux | Light helicopter and medevac | 1948– | OH-6 Cayuse | At least 2,407 Bell 47/H-13 built for all users. | ||
| Piper L-4 Grasshopper (O-59) | Artillery observation and liaison | 5,413 | 1942– | L-19 Bird Dog | 5,413 L-4s for US forces, including 250 for the Navy. | |
| Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe | Heavy-lift crane helicopter | CH-47 Chinook |
Where the Army Aviation Branch flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. Fort Rucker, renamed Fort Novosel in 2023 and Fort Rucker again in 2025, trains nearly every Army pilot, and Fort Campbell is the home of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the Night Stalkers’ headquarters. The divisional brigades fly from army airfields at Fort Hood, Fort Bragg, Hunter and Wheeler, and abroad from Camp Humphreys in South Korea and Katterbach and Wiesbaden in Germany; Fort Wolters, the primary helicopter school, closed in 1973. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
The United States
3 of the 9 bases above sit outside the United States, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas bases.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell ArmyFort CampbellKentucky and Tennessee | KHOP | Active | 05/233,330 m18/361,372 m |
|
| Desiderio ArmyCamp HumphreysGyeonggi Province (Pyeongtaek), South Korea | Active |
|
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| Fort RuckerCairns ArmyAlabama | KOZR | Active | 18/361,532 m06/241,386 m |
|
| Hunter ArmyGeorgia | KSVN | Active | 10/283,467 m |
|
| Katterbach ArmyKatterbach Kaserne, AnsbachBavaria, Germany | Active |
|
||
| Robert Gray ArmyFort HoodTexas | KGRK | Active | 15/333,047 masphalt and concrete |
|
| Simmons ArmyFort BraggNorth Carolina | KFBG | Active | 10/281,256 m |
|
| Wheeler ArmyHawaii | PHHI | Active | 06/241,709 m |
|
| Wiesbaden ArmyLucius D. Clay KaserneHessen, Germany | ETOU | Active | 07/252,155 m |
|
| Fort WoltersU.S. Army Primary Helicopter CenterTexas | Closed 1973 |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the United States Army Aviation Branch
Flying units by base, current units first. Army aviation is organised in combat aviation brigades named for their divisions — the 101st, the 82nd, the 1st Cavalry Division’s — with numbered battalions of an aviation regiment under each; the 82nd’s also has a cavalry squadron, the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry. Air Force, Coast Guard and German units on Army airfields are marked as not Army. Where a brigade’s aircraft rest on Wikipedia’s standard brigade structure rather than a published list, the entry says so.
- 110th Aviation BrigadeFlight training brigade · active
- Airbus UH-72 Lakota, Boeing AH-64E Apache, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47 Chinook
- 1st Aviation BrigadeTraining brigade · active
- 23rd Flying Training Squadron (US Air Force)Helicopter training squadron · other
- Bell TH-1H Huey
- U.S. Army Aviation School1954–
- 101st Combat Aviation BrigadeCombat aviation brigade · active
- Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47F Chinook, Boeing AH-64D Apache
- 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne): headquarters, 1st and 2nd BattalionsNight Stalkers · Special operations aviation regiment · active
- Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk and MH-60M DAP, Boeing MH-47G Chinook, Boeing (MD) MH-6M and AH-6M Little Bird
- 159th Combat Aviation Brigade
- Campbell Air Force Base (US Air Force)1947–1959
- 1st Cavalry Division Combat Aviation BrigadeCombat aviation brigade · active
- Boeing AH-64 Apache, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47 Chinook
- 82nd Combat Aviation BrigadeCombat aviation brigade · active
- Boeing AH-64 Apache, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47 Chinook
- 18th Aviation BrigadeAviation brigade · active
- U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command detachmentsSpecial operations aviation · active
- 3rd Infantry Division Combat Aviation BrigadeCombat aviation brigade · active
- Boeing AH-64 Apache, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47 Chinook
- 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)Night Stalkers · Special operations aviation battalion · active
- Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk, Boeing MH-47G Chinook
- Coast Guard Air Station SavannahCoast Guard air station · other
- Hunter Air Force Base (Strategic Air Command)1950–1963
- Boeing B-50 Superfortress, Boeing B-47 Stratojet
- 25th Combat Aviation BrigadeCombat aviation brigade · active
- Boeing AH-64 Apache, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47 Chinook
- 15th Pursuit Group (US Army Air Forces)
- Curtiss P-36 Hawk, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
- 2nd Combat Aviation BrigadeCombat aviation brigade · active
- Boeing AH-64 Apache, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47 Chinook
- 3rd Military Intelligence BattalionAerial intelligence battalion · active
- 12th Combat Aviation BrigadeCombat aviation brigade · active
- Boeing AH-64 Apache
- Luftwaffe bomber and fighter units (Fliegerhorst Ansbach)1938–1945
- 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation RegimentAviation battalion · active
- 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion (Guardrail)
- Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail
No unit matches that search.
United States Army Aviation Branch milestones, 1914 to today
6 June: the Secretary of War orders organic air observation for the field artillery, the birth of Army aviation. November: first combat, in North Africa.
11–14 March: the Key West Agreement lets the Army keep aircraft for reconnaissance and medical evacuation. The Army orders its first H-13 helicopters.
Korean War; contract for 418 L-19 Bird Dogs, delivered from December.
1 February: the Army Aviation Center is established at Camp Rucker, which becomes Fort Rucker in October.
March: UH-1s of the 57th Medical Detachment arrive in Vietnam. 20 August: the Howze Board reports in favour of air assault divisions, tested by the 11th Air Assault Division from 1963; in 1965 the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) goes to Vietnam.
Johnson–McConnell agreement: the Army gives up its Caribou transports and keeps its helicopters.
9 August: the AH-56 Cheyenne is terminated; the Advanced Attack Helicopter programme follows on 17 August.
June: the UH-60A Black Hawk enters service with the 101st.
16 October: the 160th Aviation Battalion, later the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, is established.
12 April: Aviation becomes a branch of the Army. October: Black Hawks in combat over Grenada.
April: the AH-64 Apache enters Army service.
17 January: Apaches of the 101st fire some of the first shots of Desert Storm.
3–4 October: two Black Hawks are shot down in Mogadishu.
23 February: the RAH-66 Comanche is cancelled after about $6.9 billion.
January: the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior fires for the last time before retirement.
8 February: FARA cancelled; Shadow and Raven to be divested. 26 July: Maj. Gen. Clair Gill takes command at Fort Novosel.
29 January: Potomac collision, 67 killed. 30 April–May: Army Transformation Initiative. 14 May: MV-75 designated. June: Fort Novosel becomes Fort Rucker again. 11 December: RC-12 Guardrail retired.
3 January: 160th SOAR flies the Maduro raid in Caracas. 27 January: NTSB rules on the Potomac collision. 15 April: MV-75 named Cheyenne II.
Every war the Army Aviation Branch has fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- Second World War 1942–1945 Spotted for artillery, flew liaison, reconnaissance, courier and casualty missions in light aircraft
- Korean War 1950–1953 Medical evacuation, observation, liaison and, from 1951, helicopter transport
- Vietnam War 1962–1973 Air assault, medical evacuation, gunship and attack, heavy lift, observation and surveillance
- Operation Urgent Fury 1983 Air assault and special operations helicopter lift
- Operation Prime Chance 1987–1988 Night patrol and escort against Iranian mining and small boats, flying from ships and barges
Who built the United States Army Aviation Branch fleet
Every company behind the aircraft on this page has its own page: the story, every type it built, the numbers and the other air forces that fly them.
Current fleet and orders
Boeing, Airbus Helicopters, Sikorsky, AAI Corporation, Beechcraft, Bell, Cessna, General Atomics
United States Army Aviation Branch news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the United States Army Aviation Branch and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the United States Army Aviation Branch
What is the United States Army Aviation Branch?
Is US Army aviation the same as the US Army Air Forces?
What helicopters does the US Army fly?
Why did the Army cancel FARA?
What did the Army Transformation Initiative change for Army aviation?
What is the MV-75 Cheyenne II?
Is the home of Army aviation Fort Novosel or Fort Rucker?
What happened in the Potomac mid-air collision?
What was the Army’s first attack helicopter?
How many helicopters did the US lose in Vietnam?
Read the aircraft the United States Army Aviation Branch flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- U.S. Army: Army AviationMission statement ("find, fix and destroy any enemy through fire and maneuver"); Aviation a basic branch in 1983; Army Air Forces in the Second World War with 2.4 million personnel and 80,000 aircraft.
- U.S. Army: Fort Rucker, home of Army AviationInstallation now named Fort Rucker; about 63,000 acres in Alabama; designated U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence in 2008.
- U.S. Army Fort Rucker: LeadershipMaj. Gen. Phillip C. Baker, Commanding General, AVCOE and Fort Rucker; Brig. Gen. Kenneth C. Cole, deputy commanding general; CW5 Robert S. Slider, Chief Warrant Officer of the Aviation Branch; Command Sgt. Maj. Ruben A. Davila. Page modified 28 August 2026.
- U.S. Army Fort Rucker: Commanding General biographyBaker commissioned into the Aviation Branch in 1996 (Auburn University); previously Future Capability Director for Army Aviation. No assumption-of-command date given.
- U.S. Army Fort Rucker: HistoryCamp opened 1 May 1942; Army Aviation School moved from Fort Sill from August 1954, first class October 1954; Army Aviation Center established 1 February 1955; Fort Rucker permanent October 1955; branch birthday 12 April 1983; Fort Novosel April 2023; back to Fort Rucker June 2025, honouring First World War pilot Capt. Edward F. Rucker.
- CBS News: Trump restoring names of Army bases (10 June 2025)Announcement on 10 June 2025 at Fort Bragg of seven restored names, among them Fort Rucker; Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to act immediately.
- U.S. Army: U.S. Army names next generation assault aircraft Cheyenne II (15 April 2026)MV-75 named Cheyenne II at the Quad-A conference in Nashville; twice the speed and range of the current fleet; first entirely new Army platform since the 1980s; Maj. Gen. Clair Gill quoted as Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Maneuver Air.
- FlightGlobal: US Army designates next-generation Bell tiltrotor as MV-75Designation announced 14 May 2025 at the Quad-A conference in Nashville; cruise speed at least 280 kt.
- Defense News: US Army spent billions on a new helicopter that now will never fly (8 February 2024)FARA cancelled; at least $2 billion spent and $5 billion more requested over five years; entire Shadow and Raven fleets to go; UH-60V fielding to the Guard halted in favour of UH-60M; Improved Turbine Engine procurement delayed. Quotes from Gen. Randy George and Doug Bush.
- Secretary of Defense: Army Transformation and Acquisition Reform memorandum (30 April 2025)The PDF returned HTTP 403 to the research fetch; its wording ("cancel or scale back ineffective or redundant programs, including manned aircraft, excess ground vehicles (e.g., HMMWV), and outdated UAVs") is taken as quoted by Wikipedia’s Gray Eagle article.
- Defense Daily: Hegseth directs Army to scrap ‘outdated’ systems; cuts include JLTVs, AH-64Ds, Gray EaglesHeadline and lead only (paywall): the April 2025 directive includes AH-64D Apaches and Gray Eagle drones among the cuts.
- HeliHub: Robinson R66 becomes TH-66 Sage for historic US Army contract (8 March 2025)U.S. Army FAA Part 141 Helicopter Flight School Pilot Program at Marianna, Florida, run by Team CTI (Crew Training International and Helicopter Institute) with the TH-66 Sage.
- NTSB: Investigation DCA25MA108Board meeting 27 January 2026; probable cause the FAA’s placement of a helicopter route close to a runway approach path, failure to review routes and act on recommendations, and the system’s overreliance on visual separation; 64 killed on the airliner and three on the helicopter; recommendations A-26-41 to A-26-48 to the US Army.
- Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association: home pageAbout 40,000 helicopter pilots served in the Vietnam War.
- Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association: Helicopter losses during the Vietnam War (updated 31 December 2018)5,607 helicopters lost of about 12,000 that served (all services); UH-1 4,422, OH-6A 964, AH-1G 303, CH-47 251, OH-58A 48; 2,165 pilots and 2,712 other crew killed, 4,877 in all; 6,994 Huey tail numbers, almost all Army.
- GAO-01-401: Kosovo Air Operations – Army Resolving Lessons Learned Regarding the Apache Helicopter (2 March 2001)107 lessons identified; interoperability problems between Army and Air Force command, control and intelligence systems.
- AirNav: KOZR Cairns Army Airfield (Fort Rucker) (FAA airport data as republished by AirNav.com, effective 1 October 2026)Reference point 31.2757769, -85.7133511; elevation 301 ft; runways 18/36 (5,025 x 150 ft) and 6/24 (4,546 x 150 ft), asphalt; five helipads; US Army, prior permission required; tower continuous.
- AirNav: KHOP Campbell Army Airfield (Fort Campbell) (FAA data via AirNav.com, effective 1 October 2026)Reference point 36.6729560, -87.4918195; elevation 571 ft; runways 5/23 (10,926 x 150 ft) and 18/36 (4,500 x 100 ft), asphalt; international airport of entry.
- AirNav: KGRK Robert Gray Army Airfield (FAA data via AirNav.com, effective 1 October 2026)Reference point 31.0672500, -97.8289167; elevation 1,015.2 ft; runway 15/33 (9,997 x 200 ft), asphalt and concrete; joint civil use with prior permission.
- AirNav: KFBG Simmons Army Airfield (FAA data via AirNav.com, effective 3 September 2026)Reference point 35.1320958, -78.9353458; elevation 243.3 ft; runway 10/28 (4,121 x 100 ft), asphalt.
- AirNav: KSVN Hunter Army Airfield (FAA data via AirNav.com, effective 1 October 2026)Reference point 32.0100203, -81.1459878; elevation 41.3 ft; runway 10/28 (11,375 x 197 ft), asphalt.
- AirNav: PHHI Wheeler Army Airfield (FAA data via AirNav.com, effective 1 October 2026)Reference point 21.4814444, -158.0378333; elevation 843.3 ft; runway 6/24 (5,608 x 100 ft), asphalt; extremely noise-sensitive area.
- U.S. Army: Fort Campbell history — Clarksville BaseSecond US nuclear weapons storage facility to begin operations; one of six National Storage Sites; 1947–1965; Army control 1969; about one-third of the arsenal at its peak; on the Soviet list of first ten targets (garrison’s claim).
- Militärisches Luftfahrthandbuch Deutschland (MIL AIP)Authority for German military ICAO codes and runways; not openly accessible, used through the existing Wiesbaden row.
- OurAirports open dataReference point and elevation of the existing Wiesbaden row, reused unchanged.
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: Matti Blume / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: U.S. Army Sgt. Stephen Proctor, / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communications Specialist Greg Bingaman / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Hallouzzzz1 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Bene Riobó / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Josh Beasley from USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Alpacaaviator / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: U.S. Army, Vietnam Photo Service / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)