How many helicopters should a modern frigate or destroyer carry?
Short answerThe mission sets the requirement: presence work may need one helicopter and an uncrewed asset, while anti-submarine work benefits from two crewed aircraft plus several rotary drones.
NotesA single helicopter may be sufficient for routine presence, perhaps alongside an uncrewed rotary aircraft. An anti-submarine deployment benefits from two medium helicopters so that one remains available while the other undergoes major maintenance. Three or four operational uncrewed rotary systems could widen sensor coverage and help move torpedoes to the contact area. Boxed reserve airframes could replace losses or failures during a deployment. The appropriate total therefore follows from mission, maintenance, and the coverage the frigate must sustain rather than from a universal shipboard number.