Air Force Global Strike Command announced Monday that the MH-139A Grey Wolf has achieved initial operational capability, clearing the helicopter for nuclear-security missions as the service continues replacing its UH-1N Huey fleet. The milestone took effect Aug. 10.
Replacing The Huey
The MH-139A is based on Leonardo’s commercial AW139 and is produced through a partnership between Leonardo and Boeing. Leonardo builds the helicopter in Philadelphia before transferring it to Boeing for installation of military equipment. According to the Air Force, the Grey Wolf is nearly 50% faster than the UH-1N, can carry twice as many troops and includes updated defensive and command-and-control systems.
“For more than half a century, the UH-1N Huey has been a key element of our Intercontinental Ballistic Missile security, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the crews who flew and maintained it over all these years,” Air Force Global Strike Command commander Gen. S.L. Davis said. “Securing these missiles demands our best efforts and the MH-139 will significantly improve our capabilities.”
First Operational Missions
The Grey Wolf began operational work earlier this year. In January, two helicopters from the 40th Helicopter Squadron escorted a Minuteman III maintenance and security convoy for more than 100 miles during a six-hour mission near Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The helicopters completed the mission without refueling.
The aircraft will support operations across the 20th Air Force’s roughly 33,600-square-mile missile-security area as the Air Force transitions from Minuteman III to the LGM-35A Sentinel. The Grey Wolf will also be used for emergency response, search and rescue, disaster response and medical evacuation missions. Boeing lists a maximum speed of 167 knots and a maximum range of 410 nautical miles.
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