USAF orders seven more MH-139As
The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded a $178 million contract for the manufacture of seven MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters
The contract will bring the total number of aircraft of that type operated by the USAF up to 26 once all deliveries have been made, and also includes training and maintenance support.
The USAF chose the MH-139 – a militarized version of the AW139 pitched by a partnership of Boeing and Leonardo – as the replacement for its aging UH-1N Hueys in 2018.
Following the selection, the consortium was awarded a $2.38 billion framework contract – the USAF has plans to purchase up to 84 aircraft over the course of the program.
The MH-139 is designed for use in patrol, search and rescue (SAR), and troop and cargo transport.
Boeing has confirmed that the first production aircraft of this type made its initial flight in December 2023, with the first low-rate initial production (LRIP) aircraft due for delivery this summer.
Boeing also received the final order for Chinooks under the US government’s Block I CH-47F foreign military sale (FMS) contract last year.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca was a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.