UH-1As armed with two .30 cal. machine guns and two eight-tube 2.75 inch rocket launchers were first used in late 1963. The UH-1A was armed with various combinations of 7.62mm machine guns, 20mm cannon, and a chin-turret mounted 40mm grenade launcher. Some early Huey gun ships were armed with quad M60C 7.62mm machine guns mounted on the M6 aircraft armament subsystem.
UH-1 Huey with quad M60C 7.62mm machine guns on M6 armament subsystem.
UH-1B/UH-1C Hueys were used with moderate success as a gun ship with door mounting M60D 7.62 machine guns on the M23 armament subsystem. They could also be armed with a pod or side-mounting six-barrel minigun and seven-tube XM157 or M158 2.75 inch (70mm) rocket launcher on the Emerson Electric M21 armament subsystem, and the M5 chin-turret mount for a 40mm grenade launcher. The UH-1B was also armed with two fixed-mounting M24A1 20mm cannon on the XM31 armament subsystem. The M60A1 reflex sight was used for sighting guns and rockets on the UH-1B, UH-1C, and UH-1M Huey. With the fielding of the larger UH-1D as the Army's primary utility helicopter, the smaller UH-1Bs/UH-1Cs assumed the gunship role as their primary mission.
1st Cavalry Division UH-1D with pintle mounted M60D 7.62mm machine gun on M23 armament subsystem.
UH-1B with side mounting M134 minigun and seven-tube 2.75 inch rocket launcher on M21 armament subsystem
