Top 5 military transport helicopters: Mi-26 is still the champion

Military transport helicopters have long occupied an indispensable position in any military operation and are especially important in civilian...

Below are the 5 largest military transport helicopters in the world currently equipped in the armies of countries around the world.

1. Mi-26

Appearing in 1983, the Mi-26 is known as Halo in the West, this is the largest helicopter line in the world.

This type of helicopter is currently equipped in 20 countries. The Mi-26's payload is about 20 tons, equivalent to the US military transport aircraft "Lockheed C-130 Hercules".

The Russian “giant” can carry 80 fully equipped soldiers or 60 wounded and stretchers.

There were times when the Mi-26 carried 150 soldiers. This helicopter can carry two 10-ton combat vehicles. In addition, the Mi-26 can carry external cargo through the hangers.

The final improved version of the Mi-26 can carry a payload of more than 25 tons.

2. CH-53E Super Stallion

The CH-53E Super Stallion military transport helicopter was developed with Sikorsky Aircraft and entered service with the United States Marine Corps in 1981.

These are the largest and heaviest helicopters currently in service with the US armed forces, but they are inferior in power and payload to the Mi-26.

The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter can carry 13.6 tons of payload internally or 14.5 tons externally thanks to the suspension system. At the same time, the CH-53E Super Stallion can carry 55 soldiers.

The US Marine Corps uses this helicopter to transport troops, transport equipment and transport supplies from ship to shore. The US Navy also has a small number of CH-53Es for shipboard reserve. In addition, these Navy helicopters are also used on minesweepers.

A total of 227 were produced and served the needs of the Marine Corps and Navy.

3. CH-47F Chinook

The heavy-lift transport helicopter “Chinook” produced by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a veteran among helicopters. The first flight of “Chinook” took place quite a long time ago in 1961. Since then, more than 1,200 helicopters have been produced, including for export to Italy and Japan.

The US military plans to use the “Chinook” until 2060. If this happens, the CH-47F Chinook will officially set a world record for the longest production and operational time. The CH-47F Chinook can perform a variety of transport missions such as transporting military personnel, equipment and machinery.

There are versions for ambulances and search and rescue, providing logistical support for the battlefield, they perform difficult related tasks. The payload of the “Chinook” is 10.3 tons and can carry about 44 soldiers.

4. Mi-38

The Mi-38 is a transport helicopter designed for both civil and military purposes by MiL. It was developed to replace the outdated Mi-8 and Mi-17.

It was initially supposed to be a heavily upgraded version of the Mi-8, but the Russian military eventually adopted the machine with a new body and completely new engines, rotor systems and equipment. Production of the Mi-38 began in 2015.

This helicopter holds several records. Without load it is capable of rising to an altitude of 9000 m, with a load of 1 and 2 tons it can reach altitudes of 8000 m and 7020 m.

5. EC-725

This is a helicopter manufactured in France, the EC-725 helicopter is specially designed for troop transport, medical evacuation, search and rescue, maritime reconnaissance, humanitarian assistance and can operate on warships.

The first flight of this new helicopter took place in 2000 and the French Air Force was equipped in 2005. Later, these aircraft were also assigned to the Army. Currently, the EC-725 has been supplied to Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia and Mexico.

The EC-725 can carry up to 28 troops or 5,670 kg of payload. The EC-725 is a helicopter equipped with additional armor, allowing it to perform missions in any combat situation. There is also an anti-submarine version of this helicopter.

It can be seen clearly from the list of top 5 military transport helicopters that there are 2 Russian, one of which is currently the best in the world. The Mi-26 was developed in the Soviet era and the Mi-38 was created in modern Russia. This is also the answer to the question: Is Russia currently having difficulty producing advanced technology and machinery? However, everything is possible.

According to Datviet