Boeing-Leonardo MH-139

UPDATED: Adds STRATCOM’s Praise For Award

WASHINGTON: The head of Strategic Command must be very happy this evening, having learned that the Air Force is finally buying a new helicopter to guard America’s ICBM fields. The Boeing-Leonardo team won the contract to supply 84 helicopters.

UPDATE BEGINS “The award of this contract is great news; today is a good day,” Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command said in a statement. “I’ve been vocal about the need to quickly replace the UH-1N, which is an important part of our multi-layered ICBM defense system. Awarding this contract is a huge step in the right direction in ensuring our Nation’s nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure, effective, and ready. I’m grateful to the Air Force and Congress for prioritizing the UH-1N replacement.” UPDATE ENDS

Here’s how strongly Hyten felt: “Of all the things in my portfolio, I can’t even describe how upset I get about the helicopter replacement program,” he told the Senate Armed Services Committee in April 2017. “It’s a helicopter, for gosh sakes. We ought to be able to go out and buy a helicopter and put it in the hands of the people that need it. And we should be able to do that quickly.”

The helicopters will execute a range of missions, including moving security crews in the event of threats to our nation’s ICBM fields, escorting convoys moving nuclear weapons, flying senior government officials out of the capital in the event of an emergency and providing support to the US Embassy in Japan.

The Air Force, clearly happy to be putting this tortured acquisition behind them, quoted Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson claiming the deal saved taxpayers $1.7 billion over the service’s original estimate of $4.1 billion, thanks to “strong competition.”

When Boeing, the prime on the program, showed the helicopter off to reporters last year executives stressed it would save the US taxpayer $1 billion. Lockheed Martin also bid for the program, offering its HH-60U.

This evening’s contract award of $375 million is for the first four helicopters and includes the integration of non-developmental items. The fixed price contract pays for up to “84 MH-139 helicopters, training devices, and associated support equipment.”

The MH-139 has five rotor blades, which, with their tapered ends, significantly reduce the amount of vibration. The helicopter was also noticeably quieter than most of its conventional military competitors. We flew up to 150 knots and it felt as smooth as a large Mercedes sedan on the highway.

The helicopters, based on Leonardo’s commercial AW139 helicopter, will be assembled by the Italian company at its northeast Philadelphia plant. Boeing will integrate military components at its facility south of Philly.