15 Facts About UH-1 Iroquois

1.

Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter.

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2.

Development of the Iroquois started in the early 1950s, a major impetus being a requirement issued by the United States Army for a new medical evacuation and utility helicopter.

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3.

UH-1 Iroquois was first used in combat operations during the Vietnam War, the first examples being deployed in March 1962.

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4.

Armed UH-1 Iroquois gunships carried a variety of weapons, including rockets, grenade launchers, and machine guns, and were often modified in the field to suit specific operations.

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5.

In total, around 7,000 UH-1 Iroquois were deployed in the Vietnam theatre, over 3,300 of which were believed to be destroyed.

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6.

In US Army service, the UH-1 Iroquois was gradually phased out following the introduction of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and the Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota, although hundreds were still in use more than 50 years following the type's introduction.

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7.

Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a utility helicopter designed for military use.

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8.

Later UH-1 Iroquois and related models often featured twin engines and four-blade rotors.

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9.

The UH-1 Iroquois has long been a symbol of US involvement in Southeast Asia in general and Vietnam in particular, and as a result of that conflict, has become one of the world's most recognized helicopters.

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10.

Army support for the craft was intended to end in 2004; The UH-1 Iroquois was retired from active Army service in early 2005.

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11.

UH-1 Iroquois helicopters were used in many roles including troop transport, medevac and Bushranger gunships for armed support.

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12.

In 1989 and 1990, the RAAF's UH-1H Iroquois were subsequently transferred to the 171st Aviation Squadron in Darwin, Northern Territory and the 5th Aviation Regiment based in Townsville, Queensland following the decision that all battlefield helicopters would be operated by the Australian Army.

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13.

In 2005, a pair of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force UH-1 Iroquois helicopters were deployed to Pakistan for earthquake disaster relief.

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14.

On 23 January 2021, President Rodrigo Duterte announced a plan to retire all of the PAF's remaining UH-1 Iroquois helicopters, following a series of crashes involving the type.

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15.

The role of the UH-1 Iroquois is to be performed by recently delivered UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters instead; in January 2022, a deal to buy 32 new-build Black Hawks was announced.

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