WeaponSpecs

Highest-flying helicopters

46 of the 48 helicopters in the WeaponSpecs database publish a service ceiling figure, and the top 25 are listed here. Ranked on the published number alone, highest first, with no weighting and no composite score. The 2 helicopters with no published figure are not ranked, absent data is never treated as a low value.

6 of the 25 entries below (China, Russia) rest on manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, marked † in the table. Treat their position in this ranking as directional, not tested.
Highest-flying helicopters, ranked by published service ceiling
# System Service ceiling Source
1 V-22 Osprey

United States flag Boeing

7,620 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

2 HAL Prachand (LCH)

India flag Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

6,500 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

3 AH-64D Apache Longbow

United States flag Boeing

6,400 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

4 AH-64E Apache Guardian

United States flag Boeing

6,400 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-01

5 Z-10

China flag AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)

6,400 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-01

6 MH-139 Grey Wolf

United States flag Boeing

6,200 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-05

7 Denel AH-2 Rooivalk

South Africa flag Denel Aviation

6,100 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

8 UH-1Y Venom

United States flag Bell

6,100 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-05

9 Z-20

China flag AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)

6,100 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

10 AH-1Z Viper

United States flag Bell

6,096 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-01

11 AW139M

Italy flag Leonardo

6,096 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

12 T625 Gökbey

Turkey flag Turkish Aerospace Industries

6,096 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

13 HAL Rudra

India flag Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

6,000 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

14 Harbin Z-19

China flag AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)

6,000 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

15 Mi-8MTV-5

Russia flag Russian Helicopters

6,000 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

16 Z-9

China flag AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)

6,000 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

17 Dhruv

India flag Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

6,000 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

18 T929 ATAK-2

Turkey flag Turkish Aerospace Industries

6,000 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

19 Z-8

China flag AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)

6,000 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

20 NH90 Caiman

France flag Airbus Helicopters

6,000 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

21 T129 ATAK

Turkey flag Turkish Aerospace Industries

5,915 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-01

22 H160M Guepard

France flag Airbus Helicopters

5,900 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

23 AH-6 Little Bird

United States flag Boeing

5,837 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

24 UH-60M Black Hawk

United States flag Lockheed Martin

5,790 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

25 CH-47F Chinook

United States flag Boeing

5,640 m reference ↗

checked 2026-07-02

Compiled from public manufacturer, defense-ministry and reference sources. Published defense figures are approximations and are often stated under different conditions, so treat this ordering as directional rather than a tested result. A board is only generated where at least 5 systems in the class publish the figure. How we compile specs →

Other helicopters rankings

Service ceiling in other classes