B??in? c?ntin??s t? t??nsiti?n t?w???s l?w-??t? initi?l ?????cti?n ?? th? MH-139A G??? W?l? h?lic??t?? ??t?? c?m?l?tin? th? ??????m’s R?s???ch, D?v?l??m?nt, T?st & Ev?l??ti?n (RDT&E) ?h?s?, ??liv??in? th? sixth ?n? ?in?l t?st ?i?c???t t? th? U.S. Ai? F??c? l?st m?nth. B??in? ?x??cts t? ???vi?? th? ?i?st l?w-??t? ?????cti?n ?i?c???t t? th? c?st?m?? in 2024. T? ??t?, th? Ai? F??c? h?s ?w????? B??in? ? c?nt??ct t? ??il? th? ?i?st 13, with th? ?i?st ?i?c???t ?l????? in ?in?l ?ss?m?l?. Ultim?t?l?, B??in? will ???vi?? ?? t? 80 MH-139A G??? W?l? h?lic??t??s t? th? Ai? F??c?. MH-139A ?i?c???t will ???l?c? th? UH-1N H??? ?n? ??? t?sk?? with ???t?ctin? int??c?ntin?nt?l ??llistic missil?s ?c??ss th? U.S. ?n? t??ns???tin? VIP ?n? s?c??it? ???s?nn?l.
“With th? ?in?l t?st ?i?c???t ??liv????, w?’?? h????? int? ?n ?xcitin? ?????cti?n ?h?s?. With th? MH-139, th? Unit?? St?t?s Ai? F??c? is ??ttin? ? ??st?? ?n? m??? c????l? ?i?c???t t? ??in? th?m int? ? n?w ??? ?? s??vic? ??? this missi?n,” s?i? R????t B????, MH-139 S?ni?? P?????m M?n????, L??n???? H?lic??t??s US. “L??n???? is inc???i?l? ????? ?? this ?i?c???t, ?n? w? l??k ???w??? t? th? c?ntin??? ???tn??shi? with B??in? ?n? th? USAF ?s w? ??liv?? ???iti?n?l G??? W?l? h?lic??t??s.”
“D?liv??in? ?ll ?? th? RDT&E ?i?c???t t? th? Ai? F??c? ?n??l?s th?m t? c?ntin?? c?itic?l ?????ti?n?l t?stin? ?n? ?ll?ws B??in? t? ??c?s ?n ??il?in? th? ?i?st ?????cti?n ?i?c???t.” s?i? Az??m Kh?n, MH-139 ??????m ?i??ct??. “Th? G??? W?l? will ???vi?? c??ci?l n?ti?n?l s?c??it? c????ilit? im???v?m?nts t? th? Ai? F??c?. This is ?n im???t?nt st?? in ??ttin? th? ?i?c???t int? s??vic?.”
Th? B??in? MH-139 ???iv?? ???m th? AW139 ??ilt in Phil???l?hi?, with ? ?l??t ?? ?lm?st 900 ?i?c???ts, s??vin? m??? th?n 250 c?st?m??s w??l?wi??, s??nnin? m??? th?n 1.7 milli?n ?li?ht h???s. Th? A??st?W?stl?n? AW139, n?w kn?wn ?s th? L??n???? AW139, is ? 15-s??t m??i?m-siz?? twin-?n?in?? h?lic??t?? ??v?l???? ?n? ?????c?? ?? th? An?l?-It?li?n h?lic??t?? m?n???ct???? A??st?W?stl?n? (n?w ???t ?? L??n????). It is m??k?t?? ?t s?v???l ?i?????nt ??l?s, incl??in? VIP/c??????t? t??ns???t, milit??? ?s?, ???sh??? t??ns???t, ?i?? ?i?htin?, l?w ?n???c?m?nt, s???ch ?n? ??sc??, ?m????nc? m??ic?l s??vic?, ?is?st?? ??li??, ?n? m??itim? ??t??l. A ???ic?t?? milit??is?? m???l, th? AW139M, w?s ?ls? ??v?l???? ?? A??st?W?stl?n?; it w?s ?i?st ???c???? ?? th? It?li?n Ai? F??c?.
On 24 S??t?m??? 2018, th? U.S. Ai? F??c? ?nn??nc?? th?t th? MH-139, ?n AW139 v??i?nt, w?s th? winn?? ?? ? c?m??titi?n t? ???l?c? th? Vi?tn?m-??? B?ll UH-1Ns, ?cc???in?l?, th? s??vic? is s?t t? ??? ?? t? 84 MH-139s. On 19 D?c?m??? 2019, th? USAF ??c?iv?? th? ?i?st MH-139A G??? W?l? ?t E?lin Ai? F??c? B?s?. Fli?ht t?stin? ?? th? s??vic? c?mm?nc?? ???in? 2020; s?v???l ??cti?i??l? ???ici?nci?s w??? i??nti?i??, s?ch ?s th? ??siti?nin? ?? th? ??nn?? in th? c??in ??l?illin? th? s??ci?i?? ????i??m?nts ??t n?t s?tis??in? ??vi?win? USAF ???ici?ls, th?s ?lt??n?tiv? c??in c?n?i????ti?n h?v? ???n ?isc?ss??. In ???l? M??ch 2023, th? USAF ??v? ? ??sitiv? Mil?st?n? C ??cisi?n ?n? iss??? ? $285 milli?n LRIP c?nt??ct ??? th? ?i?st 13 MH-139s; l?w-??t? ?????cti?n c?mm?nc?? ???s l?t??.