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To compare military helicopters accurately, identify the exact variant, mission, metric definition, operating conditions and source date before comparing any number. A speed or range figure is not a universal ranking: an Army profile’s “combat mission speed,” for example, should not be treated as an unrestricted maximum speed.
Start with the exact variant and its mission
A family name can cover aircraft with different capabilities. The U.S. Army’s profiles, both published November 4, 2014, distinguish UH-60A, UH-60L and UH-60M Black Hawks, and list AH-64D and AH-64E Apache figures separately. The Army describes the Black Hawk as a “utility tactical transport helicopter” and lists air assault, general support, aeromedical evacuation, command and control, and special operations support among its missions. The Apache profile describes an attack helicopter used for armed reconnaissance, close combat, mobile strike and vertical maneuver. Those different roles shape what each aircraft’s specifications emphasize.
For the Black Hawk’s development across variants, the Army says the UH-60L has greater gross-weight capability, cruise speed, rate of climb and external load than the UH-60A. It says the UH-60M’s improved GE-701D engine provides greater cruise speed and rate of climb, and that the M has greater internal load than A and L versions. The profile does not supply comparable numerical speed, range or payload values for those variants, so these statements support a qualitative comparison only. U.S. Army: UH-60 Black Hawk
Read the metric label before the number
Terms that sound similar may describe different measures. Maximum speed, cruise speed and combat mission speed are not interchangeable; neither are range and combat range, or endurance and a guaranteed mission duration. Preserve the source’s label and qualifier when quoting a value. The Army’s Apache profile calls its entries “combat mission speed,” “combat range” and “combat endurance,” so those figures should retain those labels rather than being recast as general maximum speed, ferry range or assured time aloft.
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What the Army Apache profile actually reports
The Army’s AH-64 profile, published November 4, 2014, gives these specification entries. Keep its D/E distinctions and labels intact when using them:
| Metric | AH-64D | AH-64E | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combat mission speed | 145 knots (maximum speed) | 164 knots | The profile labels the metric “combat mission speed”; it adds “maximum speed” in the D entry. |
| Combat range | 260 nautical miles | The displayed entry does not give separate D and E values. | |
| Combat endurance | 2.5 hours | 2.6 hours | These are profile figures, not a promise of duration for every mission. |
| Maximum gross weight | 20,260 pounds | 23,000 pounds | Gross weight is not the same as payload available for a particular sortie. |
The same profile lists a crew of two and ordnance capacity of 16 Hellfire missiles, 76 2.75-inch rockets and 1,200 30 mm chain-gun rounds. Treat these as configuration-related capacity facts, not evidence that every store is carried simultaneously on every mission. The profile does not provide a common set of weight, altitude, temperature, fuel, stores and configuration assumptions for every figure. U.S. Army: AH-64 Apache
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Use a like-for-like comparison checklist
Before deciding that one aircraft is faster, carries more or flies farther, check whether the figures describe comparable aircraft and conditions:
- Variant and configuration: Record the precise model and relevant installed equipment or stores.
- Mission: Compare aircraft in the context of a specified role, such as transport, attack, medical evacuation or reconnaissance.
- Metric definition: Distinguish cruise speed from maximum or combat mission speed, range from combat radius, and internal payload from external cargo-hook load.
- Conditions: Note weight, altitude, temperature, fuel and mission load whenever the source states them.
- Source and date: Attribute the value and check when it was published; an older factsheet may not describe current fleet status or later configurations.
If the source does not establish matching conditions, say that the comparison is incomplete. The 2014 Army profiles are useful for understanding the listed variants and missions, but they do not establish a shared conditions basis for ranking the Black Hawk against the Apache. For an operationally definitive figure, consult an applicable model-specific official technical manual; no such manual is cited here.
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Keep development announcements in their date context
A separate question is what may replace an aircraft in the future. In a report dated May 16, 2025, the U.S. Army described the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) as the UH-60’s successor and said it sought increased speed and range, enhanced maneuverability and larger payload capacity. The report said development and production had moved into the 2028 timeframe, compared with an earlier plan for initial fielding by 2030. These are dated program statements, not guarantees of delivery; schedules can change. U.S. Army: FLRAA development and production timing
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