Documents
United States Boeing
AH-6 Little Bird
A light, single-engine attack and special-operations helicopter derived from the OH-6 Cayuse, flown by the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Its small size and agility make it suited to close-quarters urban strike and direct-action support missions.
In service since 1980 · 3 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
282
km/h
430
km range
5,837
m ceiling
431
kg payload
Pricing: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 3 operators
In service since 1980. Status: active · ~400 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 282 km/h Stronger than 28% of helicopters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 240 km/h Stronger than 14% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 430 km Bottom 3% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 5,837 m Stronger than 56% of helicopters
- Rate of climb
How fast the aircraft gains altitude. Higher means better energy recovery in combat.
- 8 m/s Bottom 7% of helicopters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 7.62 mm M134 minigun
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 2 Bottom 3% of helicopters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 431 kg Bottom 6% of helicopters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Limited, lightweight airframe optimized for speed and agility
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- AN/AVR-2 laser warning receiver, infrared jammer (mission-dependent)
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 9.7 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 2.7 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 726 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 1,610 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 1x Rolls-Royce 250-C30 turboshaft, 650 hp
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 1
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 650 hp Bottom 4% of helicopters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- FLIR turret (mission-dependent), night-vision-compatible cockpit
- Thermal imaging
Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.
- Yes
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 400 Stronger than 76% of helicopters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 3 Stronger than 48% of helicopters
Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
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Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird? +
The Boeing AH-6 Little Bird has a maximum speed of 282 km/h.
What is the range of the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird? +
The Boeing AH-6 Little Bird has a maximum range of 430 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird? +
The Boeing AH-6 Little Bird can carry up to 431 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird weigh? +
The Boeing AH-6 Little Bird has a combat weight of 1,610 kg.
How many crew does the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird require? +
The Boeing AH-6 Little Bird requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird? +
The Boeing AH-6 Little Bird's primary weapon is the 7.62 mm M134 minigun.
What engine does the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird use? +
The Boeing AH-6 Little Bird is powered by the 1x Rolls-Royce 250-C30 turboshaft, 650 hp.
What is the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird used for? +
The Boeing AH-6 Little Bird is a helicopter typically used for close air support, isr.
How many countries operate the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird? +
The Boeing AH-6 Little Bird is operated by 3 countries.
How much does the Boeing AH-6 Little Bird cost? +
Boeing AH-6 Little Bird: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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