Air Force accepts Boeing's first MH-139 helo

Boeing on Friday delivered the first production MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter to the Air Force, months after the program's per-unit costs grew enough to breach Nunn-McCurdy law, according to a company news release issued today.

“This aircraft will directly support ongoing U.S. Air Force modernization efforts,” Akeem Khan, Boeing’s MH-139 executive director and program manager, said in a statement. “Delivering this asset for the MH-139A fleet is critical to the future of national security as the Grey Wolf will play a crucial role in the U.S. nuclear triad for decades to come.”

The helo, which was delivered to Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT, is one of 13 aircraft in the 2023 low-rate initial production contract with the Air Force. The service in fiscal year 2024 awarded Boeing a $178 million contract to produce and sustain another seven MH-139s -- on top of six which are already being used for testing -- bringing the total number of aircraft Boeing is currently on the hook to deliver to 26.

The April Nunn-McCurdy breach is due to a planned reduction in the number of helicopters the service plans to buy, an Air Force spokesperson previously told Inside Defense. The FY-25 budget request only calls for a total of 42 aircraft by the end of the program in 2029 -- about half the 80 helos the service originally anticipated purchasing.

When the Air Force released its budget request in March, officials said they decided to shrink the number of aircraft in the program to stay within financial limits imposed by the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act. Still, the service is asking for $333.5 million to buy eight helicopters in FY-25 as part of LRIP, and two per year after that through 2029.

The Grey Wolf will primarily be used to patrol U.S. Global Strike Command nuclear silos, replacing the Vietnam War-era UH-1N Huey. Other operations may include shuttling high-ranking officials around the National Capital Region and providing the joint force some tactical airlift capabilities.