Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) climbed on Wednesday after the U.S. Air Force awarded the contractor a follow-on order exceeding $173 million to build eight additional MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters and provide associated training and sustainment support.
The multi-mission aircraft will bolster security, patrol, and transport roles across Air Force installations.
The new lot lifts the program to 34 aircraft under contract and includes the first airframes slated for deployment to Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.
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The Air Force recently wrapped Initial Operational Test & Evaluation as the Grey Wolf moves toward initial operational capability.
To date, Boeing has delivered 18 helicopters—including 12 from low-rate initial production—and completed the first operational unit at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The company expects to hand over four more aircraft this year.
"The MH-139A offers increased speed, range and payload capacity critical to supporting U.S. national security missions," said Azeem Khan, Boeing's MH-139 program director.
Derived from Leonardo S.p.A.'s commercial AW139 and fitted with mission equipment by Boeing, the Grey Wolf is designed for round-the-clock missile field security, search and rescue, and troop and cargo transport.
"The MH-139A Grey Wolf represents the best of partnership and proven capability," added Robert Beyer, senior program manager at Leonardo Helicopters. "By building on the trusted AW139 platform, we've been able to deliver a versatile aircraft to the warfighter that is already demonstrating its value to the U.S. Air Force."
The award sustains a modernization path for the Air Force's helicopter fleet while leveraging an in-production airframe to shorten timelines and control lifecycle costs.
The contract also highlights steady progress following test milestones and sets the stage for the next phase, leading to broader fielding.
According to Benzinga Pro, BA stock has gained over 45% in the past year. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (BATS:ITA).
Price Action: BA shares are trading higher by 1.79% to $225.71 at last check on Wednesday.
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