On August 5, 2024, the U.S. Air Force received the first production MH-139A Gray Wolf helicopter. This was the first of a Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) batch of 13 helicopters ordered in 2023 and was delivered to the 550th Helicopter Squadron at Malmstrom AFB.

Boeing said: “This aircraft is the first production aircraft under contract and officially marks the start of small-volume deliveries and paves the way for the Air Force to make a decision on series production in the future. Delivering this asset to the MH-139A fleet is critical to the future of national security, as the Grey Wolf will play a critical role in the U.S. nuclear triad for decades to come.”

The MH-139A Grey Wolf is a military development of the highly successful, class-leading Leonardo AW139, of which there are approximately 1,000 in service worldwide. The helicopter is manufactured in a joint venture between Boeing and Leonardo. The aircraft are built at Leonardo’s Philadelphia factory and then shipped to Boeing’s Ridely Park facility for militarization, improving survivability and incorporating military communications, navigation and IFF (identification friend or foe) systems.

The original plan was to procure 84 MH-139A Gray Wolf helicopters to replace 63 UH-1N helicopters. These will be used by the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) to protect dispersed ICBM sites in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado, and Nebraska. They will also be used by the Air Force District of Washington (AFDW) for emergency response and airlift to transport U.S. government officials and security forces in the National Capital Region. MH-139A units will also undertake a range of secondary missions, including search and rescue (SAR) missions and defense support to civil authorities. The number of helicopters has been gradually reduced to the currently planned total of 36 MH-139As, although final procurement numbers remain uncertain.

The first 13 pre-production MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters were deployed for the research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) phase and flew with Air Force Global Strike Command Detachment 7 and the 413th Flight Test Squadron at Duke Field in Eglin starting December 19, 2019. Boeing aircraft were initially used.

In mid-August 2022, after Boeing completed the final FAA Supplemental Type Certification required for military flight clearance of the MH-139A, the U.S. Air Force assumed ownership of four MH-139A Gray Wolf test aircraft and developmental testing began. The MH-139A Gray Wolf completed its final flight on June 27, 2024, from Eglin Air Force Base.

The first operational MH-139 Grey Wolf arrived at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, in March 2024, and the 341st Missile Squadron received its first assigned MH-139A (a pre-production helicopter previously used for test and evaluation purposes) on April 3, 2024.

The 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell AFB is the Boeing MH-139A Gray Wolf Formal Training Unit and is assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command. It introduced its first MH-139A Gray Wolf helicopter on May 31, 2024.