Boeing has been awarded a $173 million U.S. Air Force contract to build eight additional MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters and provide related training and sustainment support. The award, announced Oct. 8, brings Boeing’s total number of Grey Wolves under contract to 34. According to Boeing, the new lot will include the first aircraft set to enter service at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
“The MH-139A offers increased speed, range and payload capacity critical to supporting U.S. national security missions,” said Azeem Khan, Boeing’s MH-139 program director, in a statement.
The aircraft are designed for a range of missions including security patrol, search and rescue, and transport operations. Based on the Leonardo AW139 platform and fitted with military equipment by Boeing, the Grey Wolf will serve key Air Force installations that protect the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile fields.
The latest order follows a $178 million contract in April for seven aircraft. Boeing has delivered 18 helicopters to date, including 12 low-rate initial production models. Deliveries for the first operational unit at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, were completed earlier this year, with four more aircraft expected to follow before year’s end.
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