Boeing and Leonardo are beginning low-rate initial production of the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter following the recent award of a $285 million contract from the U.S. Air Force. The contract, which is part of a $2.4 billion deal for up to 84 helicopters, training systems and support equipment awarded to the Boeing-Leonardo team in September 2018, covers 13 aircraft along with sustainment and support services. Deliveries are slated to begin in 2024.
“This decision is a major step toward entering the MH-139 into service and providing the U.S. Air Force with additional missile security for decades,” said Azeem Khan, Boeing MH-139 program director. “We are working diligently to begin deliveries next year.”
As previously reported by AVweb, four MH-139As were delivered to the Air Force in August 2022 for testing and evaluation. Based on Leonardo’s twin-engine AW139, the MH-139A is intended to replace the Air Force’s aging UH-1N Huey fleet, offering a 50 percent increase in speed and range and 5,000-pound increase in maximum gross weight. The aircraft will be manufactured at Leonardo’s facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Boeing handling military equipment procurement and installation and post-delivery support.
