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Helicopter

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.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the AH-6 Little Bird can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

Hydra 70 rockets

AGM-114 Hellfire GAU-19 .50 caliber gun pod

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 27% 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 51% 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 5% 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 50% of helicopters

Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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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.