USAF To Receive MH-139 Data Under Agreement With Boeing

DAYTON, Ohio—The U.S. Air Force will begin receiving technical data on the Boeing-Leonardo MH-139 helicopter beginning this fall as part of a protracted process to find an agreement on the sustainment data and intellectual property.

As part of the original award, Boeing agreed to deliver technical data to help the Air Force ensure future maintainability. But Leonardo has rights to the underlying aircraft, the AW139, and did not have a contractual requirement to provide its data. 

Boeing in May said it was finalizing an agreement, and on Aug. 1 the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) said it has a “path forward” with the required data being delivered “in tranches.” The first batch is expected in the next several months, says Lt. Col. Jacob Debevec, AFLCMC’s MH-139 lead.

The Air Force is undergoing developmental test on the MH-139, and one focal point of that test is the helicopter’s cabin layout. The Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation in its 2022 report on the program said there are concerns about the capability of the layout to support armed tactical response forces. A November 2022 RAND Corp. report also said there was a misunderstanding between the Air Force and Boeing on requirements for the gunner’s position. This resulted in an unexpected orientation that although it technically meets requirements does not meet operator expectations.

In May, Azeem Khan, Boeing’s MH-139 director, said the company and the Air Force are in preliminary discussions about possible cabin layout changes. 

On Aug. 1, Debevec said the Air Force is making preliminary adjustments to provide some flexibility to operations as “it’s tight fully loaded,” though there is no indication the helicopter will miss critical requirements. These adjustments include steps such as new tie downs of ammunition cans and other ways to store mission gear. 

As of May, Boeing had delivered four of six aircraft ordered under the research, development test and evaluation contract, with two more expected over the summer. The Air Force announced a Milestone C production decision in March and placed an order for 13 low-rate initial production aircraft, with the first of those to be delivered in late 2024.