Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2019 23:28:24 GMT
The U.S. Air Force’s New Helicopter Is Called 'Grey Wolf'
Artist’s conception of Grey Wolf helicopters in USAF service, 2018.
crystaltmc/Boeing
Grey Wolf is actually a rebadged AugustaWestland AW139 helicopter. Although Boeing makes helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and the CH-47 Chinook heavy transport, it really didn’t make a medium-weight, Blackhawk-sized helicopter that the Air Force had in mind for the role. For that, Boeing turned to AugustaWestland, which has already built 900 AW139s for customers worldwide.
According to Boeing, Grey Wolf is fifty percent faster than the UH-1N “Huey” helicopters currently serving Air Force security forces. It can also fly 50 percent farther and carry 5,000 more pounds of cargo. Boeing says that Grey Wolf will save up to one billion dollars in life cycle costs. The Air Force plans to buy 84 Grey Wolves for $2.4 billion.
The helicopter will help safeguard America’s nuclear weapons.
The U.S. Air Force’s Vietnam-era Huey helicopters badly needed replacement.
The service picked the Boeing/Leonardo AW139 in 2018.
The new helicopter is called “Grey Wolf” and will equip Air Force security teams protecting ICBM silos.
The U.S. Air Force’s Global Strike Command took possession of its first new security forces helicopter yesterday, during a ceremony that also saw the new rotorcraft named “Grey Wolf.” Grey Wolf will carry quick reaction forces consisting of Air Force security personnel, ready to rapidly respond to an incident or attack at one of hundreds of intercontinental ballistic missile silos spread across the American West.
The service picked the Boeing/Leonardo AW139 in 2018.
The new helicopter is called “Grey Wolf” and will equip Air Force security teams protecting ICBM silos.
The U.S. Air Force’s Global Strike Command took possession of its first new security forces helicopter yesterday, during a ceremony that also saw the new rotorcraft named “Grey Wolf.” Grey Wolf will carry quick reaction forces consisting of Air Force security personnel, ready to rapidly respond to an incident or attack at one of hundreds of intercontinental ballistic missile silos spread across the American West.
Artist’s conception of Grey Wolf helicopters in USAF service, 2018.
crystaltmc/Boeing
Grey Wolf is actually a rebadged AugustaWestland AW139 helicopter. Although Boeing makes helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and the CH-47 Chinook heavy transport, it really didn’t make a medium-weight, Blackhawk-sized helicopter that the Air Force had in mind for the role. For that, Boeing turned to AugustaWestland, which has already built 900 AW139s for customers worldwide.
According to Boeing, Grey Wolf is fifty percent faster than the UH-1N “Huey” helicopters currently serving Air Force security forces. It can also fly 50 percent farther and carry 5,000 more pounds of cargo. Boeing says that Grey Wolf will save up to one billion dollars in life cycle costs. The Air Force plans to buy 84 Grey Wolves for $2.4 billion.
Grey Wolf is a multi-mission helicopter embracing a number of roles, hence the “M” in MH-139. A worst case scenario might see Grey Wolves rolling up on terrorists trying to force their way into a Minuteman III missile silo, while a best case scenario might be transporting Air Force VIPs. Grey Wolf can carry up to 15 people and has slide-down doors to facilitate the use of window-mounted M240 medium machine guns. It also has a reduced infrared signature to foil sensors and infrared-guided missiles.
Air Force Magazine says the helicopters will be sprinkled all over the world to support Air Force missions: 11 aircraft each will head to Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to protect Minuteman IIIs. Others will go to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and Yokota Air Base in Japan for VIP transport. Some will go to Fairchild Air Force Base, home of the U.S. Air Force Survival School.
Air Force Magazine says the helicopters will be sprinkled all over the world to support Air Force missions: 11 aircraft each will head to Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to protect Minuteman IIIs. Others will go to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and Yokota Air Base in Japan for VIP transport. Some will go to Fairchild Air Force Base, home of the U.S. Air Force Survival School.
