The US Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) announced on August 31, 2026 that the Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter reached initial operational capability on August 10, 2026, clearing it for the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) security mission it was procured to perform. The declaration formalises the handover from the UH-1N Huey, which has flown in missile fields since 1970.

The Grey Wolf is a militarised derivative of the Leonardo AW139 twin‑engine commercial medium‑lift helicopter. Leonardo produces the baseline airframe at its plant in northeast Philadelphia, and Boeing, as prime contractor, installs the military equipment and handles post‑delivery support. AFGSC said the Grey Wolf is nearly 50% faster than its predecessor, carries twice as many troops and has improved defensive systems.

The type flew its first operational convoy on January 8, 2026, when two aircraft from the 40th Helicopter Squadron escorted a movement more than 100 miles (over 161 kilometres) from Malmstrom Air Force Base and back over roughly six hours without refuelling. The Twentieth Air Force area of responsibility spans approximately 33,600 square miles (87,000 square kilometres) across F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming, Malmstrom AFB in Montana and Minot AFB in North Dakota.

The most recent public delivery total dates from January 29, 2026, when Boeing stated that 38 MH-139As were under contract and 21 had been delivered, 12 of them under the low‑rate initial production contract awarded in 2023. The first production aircraft was handed over in August 2024. AFGSC did not specify how many aircraft, crews or bases the initial operational capability declaration covers, and the fleet is still being built out.

AFGSC also tied the helicopter to the coming transition from Minuteman III to the LGM‑35A Sentinel, saying the Grey Wolf’s range and command‑and‑control systems are needed to secure sites through a phased transition in which new Sentinel facilities come online as Minuteman III sites are decommissioned. The Sentinel programme is targeting its own initial operational capability in the early 2030s. Beyond convoy escort and continuous emergency response, the Grey Wolf will also be used for search and rescue, disaster response and medical evacuation.