The Black Hawk helicopter is one of the most widely used military helicopters in service today. The fact that militaries around the world constantly deploy this helicopter speak volumes to its reliability and effectiveness in the field. As of 2024, more than 30 nations utilize Black Hawk helicopters for a variety of military objectives, including as a transport, trainer or combat helicopter. (These are the future military helicopters of the world.)
Introduced to military service in 1979, the Black Hawk helicopter came from the Sikorsky S-70 project that originally began in the 1960s. These helicopters are flown by a crew of two and can carry up to 11 personnel.
The twin turboshaft engines on the Black Hawk allow for standard models to reach speeds over 180 mph, while other upgraded models can hit speeds over 220 mph. The combat radius for these attack helicopters is roughly 370 miles but they can ferry personnel nearly 1,400 miles.
Depending on the variant of Black Hawk, they can be outfitted with a series of machine guns, rocket pods, and anti-tank missiles. However, other versions are outfitted specifically for transport or MedEvac with minimal armament.
With all these features and functionality, it’s no doubt that world militaries are ordering this helicopter more than any other on the whole. (These are the nations with the largest fleets of military helicopters.)
To identify the countries buying the most Black Hawk helicopters, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked these countries according to the number of Black Hawk helicopters on order. We included supplemental information regarding active Black Hawk helicopters in respective fleets, military branches that will be using these aircraft, and what variants of the Black Hawk helicopter are on order or are currently in service.
Here is a look at the countries with the most Black Hawk helicopters:
34. Afghanistan
Source: Chief Mass Communication Specialist Michael B. W. Watkins / Getty Images
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 2
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60A
33. Egypt
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 2
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Egyptian Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60M
32. Latvia
Source: 7armyjmtc / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 3
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 1
- Military branches: Latvian Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-40M
31. Croatia
Source: 153602026@N06 / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 4
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Croatian Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60M
30. Malaysia
Source: thenationalguard / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 4
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Malaysian Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70
29. Poland
Source: 39955793@N07 / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 4
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Polish Land Forces
- Black Hawk variants:S-70i
28. Chile
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 6
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Chilean Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70i
27. India
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 6
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 18
- Military branches: Indian Navy
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/MH-60R
26. Bahamas
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 8
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Bahraini Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60M
25. Singapore
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 8
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Republic of Singapore Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70
24. Tunisia
Source: njnationalguard / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 8
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Tunisian Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60M
23. Austria
Source: 7armyjmtc / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 9
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 3
- Military branches: Austrian Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70A/UH-60M
22. Denmark
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 9
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Danish Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/MH-60R
21. Slovakia
Source: slezo / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 9
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Slovak Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60M
20. Greece
Source: usarmyeurope_images / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 11
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 56
- Military branches: Hellenic Army Aviation, Hellenic Navy
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/MH-60R/UH-60
19. Brunei
Source: fikretozk / iStock via Getty Images
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 12
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Brunei Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70i
18. Philippines
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 15
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 32
- Military branches: Philippine Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70i
17. Sweden
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 15
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60M
16. Spain
Source: cne-cna-c6f / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 18
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 8
- Military branches: Spanish Naval Aviation
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/SH-60B/F/MH-60R
15. China
Source: navalsurfaceforces / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 23
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: People’s Liberation Army Ground Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70
14. Thailand
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 23
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/MH-60S/UH-60L/M
13. Turkey
Source: usarmyeurope_images / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 24
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Turkish Navy
- Black Hawk variants:S-70
12. Mexico
Source: dvids / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 24
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 7
- Military branches: Mexican Air Force, Mexican Navy
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/MH-60R/UH-60M
11. Australia
Source: andrew_arch / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 26
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 50
- Military branches: Royal Australian Navy
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/MH-60R/UH-60M
10. Brazil
Source: chiefngb / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 26
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 3
- Military branches: Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy, Brazilian Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60L/M
9. Jordan
Source: thenationalguard / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 31
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Jordanian Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60A/L/M
8. Israel
Source: mussikatz / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 50
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Israel Air and Space Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60A
7. Taiwan
Source: thenationalguard / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 61
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 12
- Military branches: Republic of China Air Force, Republic of China Army, Republic of China Navy
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/MH-60R/UH-60M
6. Colombia
Source: thescang / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 76
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: Colombian Air Force, Colombian Army
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/AH/MH/UH-60L
5. United Arab Emirates
Source: navcent / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 80
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 0
- Military branches: United Arab Emirates Joint Air Command
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/UH-60L/M
4. Saudi Arabia
Source: armymaterielcommand / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 81
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 203
- Military branches: Royal Saudi Land Forces, Saudi Arabian National Guard, Royal Saudi Navy, Royal Saudi Air Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/HH/UH-60/MH-60R
3. South Korea
Source: usaghumphreys / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 139
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 12
- Military branches: Republic of Korea Air Force, Republic of Korea Army, Republic of Korea Navy
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/MH-60R/UH-60/HH-60
2. Japan
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 214
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 25
- Military branches: Japan Air Self-Defence Force, Japan Ground Self-Defence Force, Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force
- Black Hawk variants:S-70/SH-60J/K/UH-60J
1. United States
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Active Black Hawk helicopters: 2,853
- Black Hawk helicopters on order: 455
- Military branches: United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy
- Black Hawk variants:S-70 EH/HH/MH/UH-60
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