Rotorcraft is based on the Leonardo Helicopters AW139 but modified by Boeing.
The US Air Force (USAF) has reached initial operational capability (IOC) with its new fleet of Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters.
Air Force Global Strike Command (GSC) announced the milestone on 31 August, noting the MH-139 will assist in the upcoming fielding of the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to replace the Cold War Minuteman III nuclear weapons.
“Securing these missiles demands our best efforts and the MH-139 will significantly improve our capabilities,” says GSC commander General Stephen Davis.
The IOC designation reflects not just the number of aircraft fielded but also a critical mass of trained crews and the ability to train new operators and maintainers.
The Grey Wolf logged its first operational mission in January, completing a convoy escort mission in Montana. Two MH-139s provided security for a column of maintenance and armoured security vehicles traveling to and from a Minuteman III launch site at Malmstrom AFB.
Based on the Leonardo AW139 intermediate-twin civil helicopter, the MH-139 will succeed the Vietnam-era Bell UH-1N as the rotorcraft providing physical security at the USAF intercontinental ballistic missile silos scattered across the vast interior of North America.
The GSC says the underground silos and control facilities are spread across more than 87,023sq km (33,600sq miles) of high plains and mountains in Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, and Montana, demanding a “highly capable and resilient aircraft”.
The iconic UH-1N has been filling the nuclear security role for the GSC for more than 50 years.
The air force says the Grey Wolf is nearly 50% faster than the Huey and can carry twice as many troops while incorporating the latest defensive systems.
“These advancements allow security forces to mobilise combat power and arrive on-site sooner than the legacy platform,” GSC says.
There are currently 25 MH-139s in service with the USAF, according to fleet data from aviation analytics company Cirium. A total of 38 aircraft are on firm order out of a planned fleet of 56 examples.
However, that is a significant reduction from the originally planned 84 Grey Wolves, a change driven by cost overruns in development and budgetary pressures elsewhere in the service.
The air force achieved the cuts by eliminating a secondary MH-139 mission to provide VIP transport to senior government officials in the Washington, DC region.
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