First Production MH-139A Helicopter Enters Service At Malmstrom AFB
August 10, 2024
On 5 August, 2024, the US Air Force received the first production MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. This was the first of a LRIP (Low-Rate Initial Production) batch of 13 helicopters ordered in 2023, and was delivered to the 550th Helicopter Squadron at Malmstrom AFB.
Boeing said that: “This aircraft is the first production aircraft on contract and officially marks the start of low-rate production deliveries and paves the way for the Air Force to make a full-rate production decision in the future. Delivering this asset for the MH-139A fleet is critical to the future of national security as the Grey Wolf will play a crucial role in the US nuclear triad for decades to come.”
The MH-139A Grey Wolf is a military derivative of the highly successful, class-leading Leonardo AW139, some 1,000 of which are employed worldwide. The helicopter is produced through a joint venture between Boeing and Leonardo, with airframes being built at Leonardo’s factory in Philadelphia, after which they are transferred to Boeing’s Ridely Park facility for militarization, which includes survivability enhancements and the integration of military communications, navigation, and IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) systems.
It was originally intended to procure 84 MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters to replace 63 UH-1N helicopters. These are used by Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) for protecting dispersed ICBM sites which span Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska. They are also used by the Air Force District of Washington (AFDW) to provide contingency response and airlift, transporting US government officials and Security Forces in the National Capital Region. MH-139A units will also undertake a variety of secondary missions, including Search And Rescue (SAR) missions and Defense Support to Civil Authorities. Helicopter numbers were progressively reduced to the current planned total of 36 production MH-139As, though eventual procurement numbers remain uncertain.
The first 13 pre-production MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters were used for the Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) phase, flying with Air Force Global Strike Command Detachment 7 and the 413th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin’s Duke Field from 19 December 2019, initially using Boeing-owned aircraft.
In mid-August 2022, after Boeing completed the final FAA Supplemental Type Certification required for the MH-139A to achieve its Military Flight Release, the US Air Force accepted ownership of four MH-139A Grey Wolf test aircraft and developmental testing began. The MH-139A Grey Wolf made its final flight from Eglin Air Force Base, on 27 June, 2024.
The first field-ready MH-139 Grey Wolf arrived at Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base in March 2024, and the 341st Missile Wing received its first assigned MH-139A (a pre-production helicopter previously used for test and evaluation purposes) on 3 April 2024.
The 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell AFB is the Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf Formal Training Unit, and is assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command. It introduced its first MH-139A Grey Wolf Helicopter on 31 May 2024.
