Air Force Begins Testing ‘Huey’ Replacement Helicopter

The MH-139A is set to replace the UH-1N Iroquois—nicknamed the “Huey”—that’s been in service for the past half century, primarily for airlift of emergency security forces and surveillance of off-base nuclear weapons convoys.

The Air Force recently accepted ownership of four MH-139A helicopters from Boeing for military utility testing at Duke Field near Eglin Air Force Base (KVPS) in Florida. It's the next step, the service says, toward moving the helicopter toward Milestone C—the point where a program moves out of development and into production.

The Grey Wolf is based upon the commercial twin-engine Leonardo AW139, which has an open cabin design and space for 15 passengers. The AW139 platform is used for a variety of missions, including security, search and rescue, and emergency medical services.

It's name is an homage to the wild grey wolves that roam northern North America, including Intercontinental Ballistic Missile bases in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado, and Nebraska.

The platform represents an upgrade in speed, range, endurance, payload, and survivability, according to service officials.

“Leonardo's 139 helicopter has an impressive pedigree of performance in multiple missions in the civil, public, and military domains,” Lt. Col. Josh Hallford, MH-139 standardization and evaluations MH-139 test detachment 7 chief, said in a statement. 

“The built-in system redundancies and physical performance of the aircraft show great potential for improving on the myriad of missions that have been covered by the venerable Huey for so long." he said. "We're excited to get it into test and find out what it can really do.”

News of the military utility testing comes just weeks after the Boeing aircraft received FAA certification and military flight release after a string of certification delays by federal aviation officials, Air Force Magazine reported.

The first three subtype certifications for the aircraft were completed in early August, Joe Lask, deputy division chief of helicopter programs for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, told reporters at the Life Cycle Industry Days, according to the magazine.

“So one, two, and three are all done, which clears our way to start that military utility testing we talked about in the past, where we exercise our military capabilities that we put on this aircraft, so it’s no longer an AW139—it’s an MH-139.”

The Air Force is set to eventually acquire 80 of the helicopters, which will be based at Joint Base Andrews (KADW), Maryland; Malmstrom Air Force Base (KGFA), Montana; Minot Air Force Base (KMIB), North Dakota; and F.E. Warren Air Force Base (KFEW), Wyoming.