Aircraft & UAVs

M/AH-6M Little Bird

The M/AH-6M Little Bird family pairs a compact special operations helicopter with armed and troop-carrying mission fits: AH-6M aircraft provide close air support with guns, rockets, and missiles, while MH-6M aircraft move small assault teams into confined landing zones. In the United States-Venezuela Conflict, open-source reporting connected Little Birds to Operation Absolute Resolve support roles, but the public evidence remains mixed enough to keep the conflict-use note caveated.

United States-Venezuela ConflictUnited States

Conflict side: United States
Built by: MD HelicoptersBoeing
Built in: United States

M/AH-6M Little Bird, Light special operations helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs

Image source: MH-6 Little Bird image

Profile

Type: Light special operations helicopter
Conflict side: United States
Origin: United States
Service note: Modern U.S. Army special operations service

helicopter close air support reconnaissancespecial operations

Service History

In service: U.S. Army special operations helicopter in AH-6M attack and MH-6M insertion roles
Used by: U.S. Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
Wars: United States-Venezuela Conflict

Production History

Designer: Hughes Helicopters; later McDonnell Douglas/MD Helicopters lineage
Designed: Based on the OH-6/MD 500 Little Bird family, with M-series special operations upgrades
Built by: MD HelicoptersBoeing
Built in: United States
Variants: AH-6M Little Bird, MH-6M Little Bird

Specifications

Crew: 2
Speed: 143 mph
Range: 250 miles
Dimensions: 32.05 ft length; 27.5 ft rotor diameter; 8 ft 11 in height
AH-6M armament: GAU-19 or M134 guns, M260 or MJ-12 rocket pods, anti-tank guided missiles, or two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles
MH-6M payload: Up to six personnel externally

Conflict Usage

United States-Venezuela Conflict: Side: United StatesRole: Special operations close air support and insertion supportclose air support strike reconnaissance
Secondary reporting on Operation Absolute Resolve described Boeing Little Bird M/AH-6M helicopters supporting the extraction phase and AH-6Ms likely providing close escort for MH-6M insertions in Caracas. Other reporting said only MH-60 and MH-47 helicopters were confirmed inside Venezuelan airspace, so the open-source identification remains caveated.

M/AH-6M Little Bird Images

M/AH-6M Little Bird, Light special operations helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1 — Source: MH-6 Little Bird image

M/AH-6M Little Bird, Light special operations helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2 — Source: MH-6 Little Bird image

M/AH-6M Little Bird, Light special operations helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs - view 3 — Source: AH-6J Little Bird image

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Sources

2026 USSOCOM Fact BookPublisher: U.S. Special Operations Command | Note: Supports AH-6M and MH-6M specifications, primary functions, crew, speed, range, armament, and payload. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 AH-6 Little BirdPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports manufacturer and background context for the AH-6 light attack mission set and multimission configuration. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Venezuela Attack and the Primacy of the US AirpowerPublisher: Global Defense Insight | Note: Supports United States-Venezuela Conflict reporting that Boeing Little Bird M/AH-6M helicopters were fielded by U.S. forces to support the extraction phase of Operation Absolute Resolve. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Inside U.S. Special Forces Helicopter Fleet Used for Mission to Capture Venezuela's President MaduroPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports United States-Venezuela Conflict reporting that AH-6Ms were likely used by U.S. forces for close escort and localized fire support around Caracas. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Why Stealth Black Hawks Weren't Used For Maduro Capture MissionPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports the sourcing caveat for the United States-Venezuela Conflict by reporting that only MH-60 and MH-47 helicopters were confirmed in Venezuelan airspace and that Little Birds did not appear to be present. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 MH-6 Little Bird imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for the primary Little Bird image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 MH-6M fast-rope training imagePublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for an MH-6M Little Bird fast-rope training image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 AH-6J Little Bird imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for a Little Bird operational image from the same aircraft family. | Accessed: 2026-06-22