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| US Air Force Will Test Development of New MH-139A Helicopter |
International Military - The US Air Force (USAF) will conduct developmental testing of the new MH-139A Gray Wolf helicopter. The milestone achievement has now come after Boeing secured the Federal Aviation Administration's Additional Type Certification process. This certification is required by aircraft to achieve Military Flight Release.
With these recent advances, the USAF can now evaluate the MH-139A's critical military capabilities to further move the program toward Milestone C.
Ownership of the four MH-139A helicopters was received by the USAF in early mid-August this year, the Air Force Materiel Command said in a release.
Prior to accepting ownership, pilots from Detachment 7 of the Air Force Global Assault Command (AFGSC) and 413th Flight Test Squadron conducted extensive acceptance tests on the helicopter.
The USAF plans to acquire 80 MH-139A helicopters, training kits and support equipment. The MH-139A Gray Wolf will replace the USAF's existing UH-1N fleet.
The new fleet is expected to provide significant capability improvements in payload, range, speed, endurance and survivability.
Furthermore, the MH-139A fleet will offer vertical airlift, as well as support four USAF Main Command and other operating agencies. These include Air Force Materiel Command, AFGSC, Air Education and Training Command, Washington Air Force District and Air Force Reserve Command.