US Air Force boosts nuclear security with $173m order for Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters
October 9, 2025
In a significant step for US strategic deterrence and nuclear security modernisation, Boeing has received a $173 million contract to produce eight additional MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters, along with training and sustainment support.
The order, announced on 8 October, brings the total number of aircraft under contract to 34, marking a steady recovery for a programme that has weathered several years of turbulence and budget cuts.
MH-139A Grey Wolf replaces UH-1N Huey in US Air Force nuclear security role
The twin-engine Grey Wolf, based on Leonardo’s proven AW139, is designed to replace the ageing UH-1N Huey fleet that has protected America’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) sites since the 1970s.
It will also serve in executive airlift, search-and-rescue, and contingency response roles for Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and the Air Force District of Washington.
Col Philip Bryant, commander of the 582nd Helicopter Group, said the aircraft “fundamentally changes how we support nuclear security,” enabling crews to carry twice as many security forces, fly faster, and remain airborne longer than before.
Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf procurement changes
The Grey Wolf programme began in September 2018, when the US Air Force selected Boeing’s design to replace its 63-strong Huey fleet. The original $2.4 billion contract covered up to 84 aircraft plus training and support equipment.
Boeing and Leonardo won against Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky’s Black Hawk bid by offering an off-the-shelf helicopter with lifecycle savings estimated at $1 billion over competing options. Leonardo builds the base AW139 at its Philadelphia facility, while Boeing’s Ridley Park plant fits military communications, avionics, and defensive systems.
Budget pressures later forced a cut to 42 aircraft in FY 2025, triggering a Nunn-McCurdy breach—a statutory review for major cost overruns. A subsequent Pentagon report restored partial confidence, lifting the long-term target to “at least 56” air vehicles. The latest order further stabilises production and ensures the continued replacement of the Huey in nuclear and airlift missions.
MH-139A Grey Wolf production timeline: 2019–2025 contract and delivery sequence
Deliveries have followed a gradual ramp-up:
- 2019: Six aircraft acquired for research, development, test and evaluation at Duke Field, Florida.
- 2023: Low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract for 13 aircraft; 12 delivered.
- April 2024: $178 million order for seven more helicopters, bringing the total to 26.
- October 2025: Latest $173 million order for eight aircraft, raising the figure to 34.
The first operational Grey Wolves are expected to deploy to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, one of America’s principal ICBM hubs.
MH-139A Grey Wolf capabilities: speed, range and nuclear security mission
The MH-139A’s primary mission is to protect the United States’ nuclear deterrent, providing armed transport and rapid response across missile fields in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska.
It replaces the Vietnam-era Huey, which lacks the speed, range, and payload capacity to cover today’s vast missile infrastructure.
“The MH-139 Grey Wolf fundamentally changes how we support nuclear security,” Col Bryant said. “It can carry twice as many security forces, fly 1.5 times as fast, and loiter considerably longer than the UH-1N — greatly strengthening our mission to protect the missile fields.”
The Grey Wolf cruises 50% faster, flies 50% farther, carries 5,000 pounds more payload, and offers a 30% larger cabin than the Huey. Twin Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67C engines provide the power needed for high-altitude and cold-weather operations.
In February 2025, the 582nd Helicopter Group completed the first Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) flight focused on nuclear security at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, validating convoy-escort and communication capabilities between air and ground teams.
Lt Col Douglas Lincoln, test director at the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, said the mission “marks a significant step forward in ensuring the MH-139 is ready for full operational capability.”
US Air Force transition from UH-1N Huey to MH-139A Grey Wolf across ICBM wings
Following successful IOT&E and the latest production contract, the Air Force expects to declare Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2026. As deliveries accelerate, the Grey Wolf will replace the Huey across all three ICBM wings.
Beyond nuclear security, the type will also perform VIP transport, search-and-rescue, medevac, and training missions across several major commands.
Gen Timothy Ray, former AFGSC commander who christened the aircraft in 2019, described it memorably: “The Grey Wolf strikes fear in the hearts of many — its range and pack-hunting spirit make it the perfect guardian of our nation’s most powerful weapons.”
Boeing and Leonardo partnership drives MH-139A Grey Wolf production in Philadelphia
The MH-139A is the product of a close partnership between Leonardo and Boeing. Leonardo manufactures the airframe at its FAA-certified Part 21 production line in Philadelphia, while Boeing integrates military systems, avionics, and mission equipment.
Robert Beyer, senior programme manager at Leonardo Helicopters, said: “The MH-139A represents the best of partnership and proven capability. By building on the trusted AW139 platform, we’ve delivered a versatile aircraft already demonstrating its value to the US Air Force.”
With more than 1,130 AW139s operating worldwide across 250 customers and more than two million flight hours, the design offers high parts availability and maintenance commonality — key factors in projected lifetime savings exceeding $1 billion.
The Grey Wolf programme may have started with setbacks, but momentum is clearly returning. As production ramps up through 2026 and deployment across missile wings begins, the Air Force’s long-delayed effort to modernise its nuclear security helicopter fleet is finally taking flight.
