iber ▁machine ▁guns ▁in ▁the ▁left ▁side ▁a ft ▁windows ▁and ▁one ▁. 5 0 ▁cal iber ▁machine ▁gun ▁in ▁the ▁right ▁side ▁cargo ▁door . ▁The ▁result ▁was ▁the ▁world ' s ▁most ▁heavily ▁armed ▁hel ic opter ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁Also , ▁during ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War , ▁the ▁u bi quit ous ▁Bell ▁U H - 1 ▁I ro qu ois ▁hel ic op ters ▁were ▁modified ▁into ▁gun ships ▁by ▁mount ing ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Hel ic opter ▁Arm ament ▁Sub system s — th ese ▁were ▁forward - f iring ▁weapons , ▁such ▁as ▁machine ▁guns , ▁rock ets , ▁and ▁aut oc ann ons , ▁that ▁began ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 – 1 9 6 3 . ▁Rot ary - wing ▁aircraft ▁( hel ic op ters ) ▁can ▁use ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁combat ▁man eu vers ▁to ▁approach ▁a ▁target . ▁In ▁their ▁case , ▁the ▁term ▁gun ship ▁is ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁heavily ▁armed ▁hel ic opter . ▁Specifically , ▁dedicated ▁attack ▁hel ic op ters ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Bell ▁A H - 1 ▁Cob ra ▁also ▁fit ▁this ▁meaning . ▁In ▁any ▁case , ▁the ▁gun ship ▁arm aments ▁include ▁machine ▁guns , ▁rock ets , ▁aut oc ann ons , ▁miss iles , ▁etc . ▁ ▁The ▁Soviet ▁Mil ▁Mi - 2 4 ▁( N AT O ▁code ▁name : ▁H ind ) ▁is ▁a ▁large , ▁heavily ▁armed ▁and ▁arm ored ▁hel ic opter ▁gun