
The future of the US Air Force’s sole UH-1N Huey helicopter squadron in the Indo-Pacific region is cast into uncertainty following a decision to slash its planned acquisition of MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters.

This strategic reduction, delineated in the Air Force’s fiscal 2025 budget request, has left the 459th Airlift Squadron stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan, without a viable replacement for its aging fleet of Vietnam-era Hueys.

Operating within the Asia-Pacific, the 459th Airlift Squadron fulfills a critical yet often underappreciated role. Utilizing UH-1N Hueys and C-12 cargo planes, the squadron conducts essential missions, including VIP transportation across Japan and the provision of vital medevac services to US-owned military hospitals.

These missions are critical, as Japanese hospitals can refuse treatment to US personnel even during emergencies, making US military hospitals the only assured source of immediate medical care.

Despite the operational importance and high mission capability rates of the 459th Squadron’s aircraft—reported to hover around 90 percent—the Air Force’s decision to reduce the MH-139A program from 80 to 42 helicopters has created significant uncertainty.

Lt. Col. Samuel Shamburg, the squadron’s commander, highlighted the significance of their role: “While we’re not the exquisite capability, there’s so many small niche things that this unit in particular fills. It’s one of those things that you won’t know what you’re missing until it’s gone.

But at a high-end fight, you need that added flexibility, especially to work closely with one of your greatest allies.”

This budget decision has ramifications beyond Yokota. Other Huey units not tasked with securing intercontinental ballistic missile facilities, such as those at Fairchild, Andrews, Kirtland, and Duke Field, are similarly left in a lurch.

The Air Force has yet to disclose its plans for these squadrons, raising concerns about their operational continuity.

The cost implications of this reduction are significant. As the Air Force’s acquisition executive Andrew Hunter noted, “It’s just about the overall budget of the Air Force and what we’re able to afford and what we’re not able to afford.”

The reduced procurement quantities have increased the per-unit price of the MH-139, forcing a $1.2 billion cut to the planned procurement costs and triggering a critical Nunn McCurdy breach. This breach necessitates a review by the Defense Department, although it is unlikely to result in program cancellation.

For the 459th Airlift Squadron, the choices for replacing the Hueys are limited and costly. Options like the UH-60 Black Hawk or MH-139 offer enhanced capabilities but come with higher operational costs.

Contracting with a private medical evacuation service is another potential solution, though it also entails significant expense. As Lt. Col. Shamburg noted, “If you think of that [C-130] as like a semi, we’re just a four-by-eight U-Haul trailer, but we are super cheap and we’re able to do it more cost-effectively than anything really in the air.”

The squadron’s operational demands are already straining existing resources. Shamburg acknowledged that maintaining a 24/7 alert status for medical emergencies with the current number of Huey crews is challenging but necessary.

“At some point, we need to either turn the manning pipeline back on, because I have people who’ve been here a while that need to get out, and I think there’s a need to bring new people in. And so that’ll all come clear once we know what Congress and Air Force is going to do in the next budget, I hope.”
Relevant articles:
– In Japan, a US squadron’s future in limbo with Air Force plans to cut MH-139 buy, Breaking Defense, 05/23/2024
– Zelenskyy calls for NATO nations to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, Breaking Defense, 05/21/2024