MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters have completed their first operational security mission supporting a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile convoy at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, the U.S. Air Force stated.
The mission took place on 8 January, when two aircraft assigned to the 40th Helicopter Squadron escorted missile maintenance and armoured security vehicles to and from a launch facility located more than 100 miles east of Malmstrom. The six-hour movement was conducted without the helicopters needing to refuel, according to the service.
The U.S. Air Force said the mission marked an early operational milestone in the ongoing modernisation of Air Force Global Strike Command’s nuclear security operations, as the service prepares to retire the UH-1N Huey fleet after more than five decades of use.
Commenting on the milestone, Major General Stacy Huser, Commander of 20th Air Force, said: “Executing our first convoy mission with two MH-139s marks a significant step forward in strengthening our missile security operations. The MH-139 allows us to continue supporting our ICBM enterprise for decades to come with increased speed, range and lift.”
Malmstrom Air Force Base is responsible for more than 100 dispersed launch facilities spread across an area of approximately 13,800 square miles, covering terrain that includes prairies, plains, and mountain ranges. The Air Force said this geography places significant demands on mobility and response times for security forces.
According to the service, the MH-139 offers increased speed and carrying capacity compared with the UH-1N, along with updated defensive systems intended to support missile field security operations across wide and austere operating areas.
The recent convoy escort provided operational experience as Air Force Global Strike Command continues progress toward initial operational capability for the Grey Wolf fleet.
Colonel Bryant Bevan, Commander of the 582nd Helicopter Group, said: “I am incredibly proud of our Airmen who made this success possible. This mission provided us a multitude of lessons learned, which we will utilize as we continue to work toward accomplishing IOC for the MH-139.”
The MH-139 programme has been in development for several years as the Air Force’s replacement for the UH-1N. Boeing delivered the first MH-139A aircraft to the service in December 2019 at Duke Field, Florida, beginning combined developmental testing.
Malmstrom Air Force Base formally received the type in March 2024, with conversion training for aircrews starting the following month. The first Initial Operational Test and Evaluation flight in support of nuclear security operations was conducted in January 2025, according to the U.S. Air Force.
