Boeing has delivered the first production helicopter MH-139A Grey Wolf or ‘Gray Wolf’ to the United States Air ForceThe new aircraft will be used for protect intercontinental nuclear missile basesICBM, and is part of a contract with Boeing for the manufacture of a total of 13. This MH-139A will be stationed at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and follows six Research, Development, Test and Evaluation helicopters the company has already delivered to the U.S. Air Force. The company has placed an additional order for seven MH-139A helicopters with Boeing this year, which will require a total of 26 Grey Wolf aircraft to be supplied..
According to a Boeing press release, the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter offers a 50 percent increase in speed and range compared to its predecessor, the UH-1N Hueysand an increase in 2.267 kilograms in the maximum gross weight.
The company also claims that the aircraft has lower operating costs, increased reliability and improved maintenancewhich combine to offer enhanced capability and greater flexibility for the U.S. Air Force.
‘This aircraft will directly support the ongoing modernization efforts of the US Air Force,’ he said. Azeem Khanexecutive director and program manager for the MH-139. ‘Delivering this asset for the MH-139A fleet is crucial to the future of national security, as The Grey Wolf will play a crucial role in the US nuclear triad for decades‘.
Boeing is the prime contractor behind the manufacturing of Grey Wolf and Leonardo as an original equipment manufacturer. Leonardo produces the base helicopter at its plant in Northeast Philadelphia, while Boeing is responsible for the acquisition and installation of military equipment and post-delivery support of the aircraft.
With the addition of the MH-139A, the U.S. Air Force seeks to strengthen its nuclear deterrence capabilities, contribute to keep the US nuclear arsenal secure and improve response time in the event of threats. MH-139A Grey Wolf to patrol nuclear missile bases Minuteman III and its surrounding areas.
The new aircraft will replace some of the UH-1N Hueys of the US Air Force who have been in service since the Vietnam War and are being used for security patrols around nuclear missile bases, Defense News reports.
This is the MH-139A Grey Wolf
Boeing’s MH-139A Grey Wolf is a multi-mission helicopter designed to protect intercontinental ballistic missiles and transport U.S. government officials and security forces. It is based on the Leonardo AW139 and modified with purpose-built equipment, systems and armament by prime contractor Boeing.
Features include an open-architecture glass cockpit, weather radar, enhanced ground proximity warning, radar altimeter, engine IR signature reduction, and military satellite/UHF communications. Also includes defensive systems such as missile and flare warnings, ballistic protection in the cockpit and self-sealing, crash-resistant fuel tanks. As armament, they will be equipped, depending on the mission, with 2 M240 7.62 mm machine guns mounted in the cabin.
The helicopter is powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboshaft engines controlled by FADEC and housed in separate containment boxes. The infrared signature of the engines has been reduced by reducing the airflow and using a directed exhaust, minimising the impact of the smoke column on the tail fuselage.
The MH-139A Grey Wolf has a flight ceiling of 6,000 metersa scope of 1,432 kilometers and its speed is 268 km/h. Its dimensions consist of a length of 16.67 meters and height of 4.97 m while the rotor diameter is 13.77 m. The maximum gross weight is 6,400 kilograms.
The necessary crew consists of two pilots and a flight engineer and can carry up to 15 passengers or up to four bunk beds and five medical staff.