Chopper Gunner

Chopper Gunner is a killstreak reward in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Requiring 11 consecutive kills or 10 with the hardline perk, this killstreak puts the player in control of the mounted chaingun on an Mi-28 or Apache gunship (depending on the team). Hostile targets appear surrounded by red boxes on the screen (unless they are using Cold-Blooded.) The controlling player shows up as a small green plus to prevent players from killing themselves, and to allow players to more easily defend themselves from death while controlling the Chopper Gunner. If a target is exposed in the open, a white square will appear around the red one to designate that player as an easy kill. By default, Chopper Gunner uses a thermal camera, similar to Thermal Scope but the user can toggle between "white-hot" and "black-hot" modes using the weapon swap/reload button.

Shots from the Apache's minigun can penetrate light cover. The steady stream of shots allows the user to easily kill many enemy targets, especially in outdoor levels.

The AI pilot will occasionally call out targets and appears to fly the helicopter into positions that give the gunner a better view. It seems that if the player targets a particular obscured enemy for a couple of seconds, the AI pilot will fly to a position that exposes that enemy, if there is one.

The chopper has one flare that is automatically deployed to divert guided enemy missiles. After this flare is spent, it can be hit with any missile. It is possible to shoot down a Mi-28/Apache with an unguided missile, since they are not affected by flares.

When first activated, the user sees, from the gunner's point of view, the helicopter taking off some distance from the battlefield and flying towards it. The user can begin firing almost immediately, but hitting targets at this distance is usually impossible because the gunner cannot shoot anything at such an angle.

If the user is killed while using the Chopper Gunner, they may finish using it before respawning. One exception is in Search and Destroy where it stops after the player dies, which applies to other user controlled killstreaks such as the AC-130 and the Predator Missile. Another exception to this rule is if the player reaches the teamkilling threshold in Hardcore Team Deathmatch, which causes them to suicide and sit out per the friendly fire penalty.

thumb|300px|right|The Chopper Gunner killstreak in action

Trivia

 * Some believe that this killstreak reward is better than the AC-130 killstreak reward, since the required cooldown on the AC-130's weapons prevents their continuous usage (though there are three different weapons available to counter this). Also, the AI pilot of the Chopper Gunner actually works to give the gunner a better shot, while the AC-130 simply orbits the sky above the map. While both killstreaks last for 40 seconds, the Chopper Gunner's timer doesn't start until it reaches the airspace above the battlefield, letting it engage targets for a longer period of time.
 * There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to the Chopper Gunner. Its auto-lock on feature allows for players to rack up easy kills, can fire non-stop, and moves very close to the enemies on some maps. Unfortunately, as it flies closer, it can be shot down more easily.
 * Completing the challenge Chopper Gunner I (calling in 3 chopper gunners) will unlock the title "Get to the Choppa!" (a reference to the film "Predator").
 * This helicopter cannot be used while any other helicopters are in the air (except for care package helicopter) yet it can still be used if a plane is in the air such as Harriers and AC-130's. Presumably, this is because Harriers hover relatively low over the map, while AC-130's fly above the ceiling of the map, where bullets stop.
 * When a Chopper Gunner is called in by the Navy SEALs, Task Force 141 or the US Army Rangers, the announcer for either team will say "Enemy/Friendly Apache incoming." When the Brazilian Militia, OpFor, or Spetsnaz call in a Chopper Gunner, the announcer will simply say "Enemy/Friendly Chopper incoming.", not referring to the type of helicopter, an Mi-28 Havoc.
 * Chopper Gunners can shoot down Harriers. However, it is difficult, if not impossible to aim the choppers gun high enough to shoot at the Harrier. It is easiest (but rarer) when the helicopter makes a fast move and tilts to the side. It is made even harder by the fact that a Harrier will attempt to take down the Chopper Gunner if it comes within sight of the Harrier.
 * In levels such as Skidrow with tall buildings, the Chopper Gunner can actually move through some buildings.
 * The front of the helicopter has a "shark teeth" design painted on the nose.
 * Not only can Harriers shoot down the Chopper Gunner, they will target it immediately upon its entry into their field of view. Players calling in a Chopper Gunner should ensure that there are no enemy Harriers before doing so. This doesn't apply to the AC-130, which can shoot down enemy Harriers.
 * A glitch exists in hacked/modded games where if the player is killed by an enemy already "infected" with the glitch, every weapon they use will shoot chopper gunner M230 ammunition.
 * You can get the Chopper Gunner title by being a 3rd prestige and getting 25 chopper gunners.