According to the website of Defense News Weekly on March 16th, the latest model of helicopters from the US Air Force has been reported on standby. The first MH-139 "Grey Wolf" helicopter that can be deployed on the battlefield at any time arrived at Mamstrom Air Force Base in Montana earlier this month, marking the start of a new helicopter fleet dedicated to defending US land-based nuclear missiles. According to reports, the "Grey Wolf" helicopter will be used for patrols at intercontinental ballistic missile sites at Mamstrom Base, Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. This helicopter will replace the UH-1N Huey helicopter that has been in service since 1970. The 341st Missile Squadron took photos of the first "Grey Wolf" helicopter landing at Mamstrom Base on March 5th. On the 9th, officials from the Global Strike Command responsible for commanding the US Air Force nuclear forces and the helicopter industry celebrated this milestone moment at a ceremony. Colonel Philip Bryant, commander of the 582nd Helicopter Squadron, said at the event at Mamstrom Base, "Today we will usher in a new era of intercontinental ballistic missile safety." The deployment of the MH-139 helicopter is part of the US Air Force's multi billion dollar plan to modernize its nuclear weapons, related carrier aircraft, and defend their assets. The US Air Force reported that compared to the Huey helicopter, the Grey Wolf has increased its cruising speed and range of motion by 50%, expanded its cockpit space by 30%, and increased its payload capacity by 5000 pounds (approximately 2268 kilograms). The Air Force received the earliest test aircraft in 2019 and established the "Grey Wolf" training unit at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama in January of this year. Although the Air Force originally planned to purchase up to 84 Grey Wolf helicopters from Boeing under a production contract worth $2.4 billion, they now hope to significantly reduce this number to 36 combat aircraft models. According to the budget document of the Air Force, the service has prepared funds to purchase 42 helicopters, related training equipment, and other support equipment. Six of them are experimental models and have been delivered. According to reports, Andrew Hunter, an official in charge of procurement affairs for the US Air Force, told reporters on the 12th that although the Air Force plans to replace its nuclear fleet's helicopters, they will no longer be used for auxiliary tasks such as transporting key personnel and conducting search and rescue operations. This functional reduction will mean that after the retirement of the Huey helicopters at Andrews Joint Base in Maryland, Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington, and Yokota Air Force Base in Japan, these bases will no longer have helicopters stationed. (Lai Xin She)