Why Is the Army Chopping Away at Its Chopper Fleet?
A string of helicopter unit closures reveals an Army in transformation
August 22, 2025| David Roza
For many Americans, the U.S. Army is nearly synonymous with its helicopters. Think of popular films such as Black Hawk Down, We Were Soldiers, and Apocalypse Now.
But in recent months, the service announced a plan to pare down its helicopter fleet, catching many of its aviators off guard.
The cuts are part of a larger reorganization as the Army prepares for the changing landscape of warfare with one of the services’ smallest budget increases. The War Horse spoke with Jeremiah Gertler, senior analyst at the Teal Group defense and aerospace consulting company, to better understand why the Army is nixing so many of its iconic aircraft, what might replace them, and what might happen to the soldiers who work with them.
First, some background and a look back at how we got here.
https://thewarhorse.org/army-cuts-helicopter-units/
