Grey Wolf helicopter notches first operational mission

Two MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters completed their first operational mission Jan. 8, escorting a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile convoy, the U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday.

Piloted by Capt. Michael White and Capt. Maxwell Turner, the aircraft from the 40th Helicopter Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, shepherded a convoy of missile maintenance and armored security vehicles from the 341st Missile Security Operations Squadron to a remote launch facility more than 100 miles east of the base, according to a service release.

The six-hour mission was completed without refueling. The MH-139A, a militarized variant of Boeing’s Leonardo AW139, offers significant upgrades over the aging Vietnam-era UH-1N Huey that it is replacing, including roughly 50% faster cruise s