Boeing wins US$178 million US Air Force contract to deliver further MH-139A helicopters
The MH-139 is the military variant of Leonardo's AW139. (Photo: Boeing)
The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Boeing a US$178 million contract to produce seven more MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters, bringing the total number of ordered aircraft to 26.
The award came on the back of the first production aircraft’s initial flight in December 2023. With the first production aircraft currently undergoing additional testing and other aircraft in various stages of production, Boeing said it was on track to deliver the first Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) aircraft to the USAF during the US summer.
The MH-139 is the military variant of Leonardo’s AW139. It was selected for the USAF’s $2.4 billion UH-1N Huey replacement programme in September 2018. It has an increased carrying capacity over the AW139.
“Building the Grey Wolf fleet and paving the way towards full rate production is a critical step in supporting the USAF’s modernisation priorities,” said Azeem Khan, MH-139 programme director at Boeing. “Delivering on these commitments and getting more capability into the hands of our customers is important to their mission [of] protecting vital national assets.”
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
MH-139 (UH-1N Huey Replacement)
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
Eurosatory 2026: First public flight of Teledyne FLIR Black Recon reconnaissance system
The drone took flight as undisclosed European customers are testing the system. Defence Insight highlights the Nordic region and existing Black Hornet users as potential early customers amid growing demand for micro-UAVs.
-
Eurosatory 2026: Counter-drone moves into mainstream security market
Counter-drone technology is becoming a core requirement for European law enforcement and public security agencies as drone threats continue to evolve.
-
Eurosatory 2026: Windracers highlights UK drone momentum
Windracers is using Eurosatory 2026 to showcase its ULTRA autonomous cargo aircraft following its selection for a major UK support package for Ukraine and growing government backing for drone operations.