The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command has declared the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter operational, clearing the Boeing-built aircraft for the nuclear security mission at the Air Force’s land-based missile fields. The milestone was reached on 10 August 2026 and publicly disclosed on 31 August, with the 40th Helicopter Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana among the first units to use the new platform.
The Grey Wolf is replacing the Vietnam-era UH-1N Huey in escort and security duties tied to the Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missile force. It is being introduced across the missile complex that includes Malmstrom in Montana, F.E. Warren in Wyoming and Minot in North Dakota.
Operational testing began in January 2025 and concluded in June, while the first operational convoy escort took place in January 2026. The aircraft is intended to give missile-field security forces greater speed, troop capacity and defensive performance over a large and sparsely populated area covering about 450 active missile silos. More units are expected to follow after Malmstrom, but the service has not indicated that fleet-wide fielding is complete.