New Chopper For Missile Silo Defense

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The United States Air Force’s Global Strike Command has recently received its new helicopter, the Grey Wolf. The Grey Wolf will carry quick reaction forces to one of hundreds Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) silos across the American west coast, ready to defend against attacks or to respond to incidents.

The Grey Wolf gets its name from the wolves that inhabit the areas where the ICBM silos that the helicopter will defend are located.

The Grey Wolf is redesigned AW139 AugustaWestland helicopter. Redesigned by Boeing, the company redesigned a helicopter that it doesn’t manufacture into the Grey Wolf since the Air Force had in mind a medium weight, Blackhawk-sized helicopter, according to Popularmechanics.com. Boeing claims that the Grey Wolf is 50% faster than the UH-1N “Huey” Helicopter currently being used by Air Force security forces. The helicopter can also fly 50% farther and carry 5,000 pounds more than the UH-1N.

The Air Force plans on purchasing 84 Grey Wolves for a total of $2.4 billion. Boeing has also mentioned that each Grey Wolf will save the United States Air Force about one billion dollars in lifetime costs.

The Grey Wolf, or MH-139, is a multi-mission helicopter intended to be used for a wide range of roles. With a variety of roles ranging from transporting forces to combat an enemy attack on an American missile silo, to transporting Air Force VIPs, the Grey Wolf chopper will become the general workhorse of the United States Air Force’s Global Strike Command.

The helicopter can carry up to 15 people and could have up to two M240 machine guns installed on each side. The helicopter also has reduced infrared signatures to combat sensors and infrared guided weapons.

The helicopter will be deployed all over the United States to support the Air Force, with a few choppers going to Japan for VIP transport missions.