RDT&E Program Element · President's Budget PB2027

MH-139A

PE 0102110F·U.S. Air Force·Approp. 3600 — RDT&E·BA7 — Operational System Development
FY2027 Request
$7.0M
◆ Development crest → decline
HitchAI read

U.S. Air Force funding ramps 19% to a $7.0M request in FY2027, with nothing planned by FY2031. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full. Leonardo leads the industry work.

FY2027 Request
$7.0M
▲ 19% vs FY2026
FY2026 Enacted
$5.9M
▼ 60% vs FY2025
FY2025 Actual
$14.7M
Prior year

For fiscal year 2027, the U.S. Air Force is requesting $7.0M for MH-139A under RDT&E program element 0102110F, up 19% over FY2026.

Funding trajectory

Funding profile, FY2025–FY2031

Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure.

014.7FY25ACTUAL5.9FY26ENACTED7.0FY27REQUEST0.0FY280.0FY290.0FY300.0FY31
Actual Enacted Request Outyear (FYDP)
Fiscal YearEstimate TypeAmount ($M)
FY2025Actual14.7
FY2026Enacted5.9
FY2027Request7.0
FY2028Outyear0.0
FY2029Outyear0.0
FY2030Outyear0.0
FY2031Outyear0.0
Where it sits

Acquisition lifecycle

This program is funded in RDT&E Budget Activity 7 — Operational System Development.

Complete
Research
BA 1–2
Complete
Advanced Technology
BA 3
Complete
Prototyping
BA 4
Current
Development & Fielding
BA 5–7
Inside the program element

1 project rolls up into PE 0102110F

Projects are the summable leaves — the PE total is their sum, never added to it. Program elements and projects carry the full five-year plan; activities stop at the budget year. This PE moves 19% overall, which can hide much larger swings below.

Project 672023

MH-139A PE/PI

$7.0MFY2027 request ▲ 19%
FY2025 actual$14.7M
FY2026 enacted$5.9M
FY2027 request$7.0M
Product DevelopmentTest and Evaluation

The MH-139A program will replace the Air Force fleet of UH-1N aircraft with modern helicopters that will close significant mission capability gaps associated with the current fleet of UH-1N aircraft. The replacement aircraft will provide vertical airlift and support the requirements for Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). AFGSC is the Air Force lead command and operational capability requirements sponsor. The MH-139A program is an element of the Air Force's nuclear enterprise reform initiatives. The MH-139A Performance Enhancements and Product Improvements (PE/PI) Program is for the development of solutions to solve capability gaps found during the development and test of the MH-139A to include, but not limited to, communication, gun systems, and cabin configuration deficiencies, improve mission planning capability, resolve usability concerns, and other critical capabilities, and includes associated Government test and support activities. The program office will continue flight testing in support of modernization efforts to address emerging threats, evolving mission needs, AFGSC requirements, and support of the nuclear mission. MH-139A funding also supports obsolescence solutions and innovation activities to include studies, analyses, requirements definition, and quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion and future acquisition programs. This program element included all necessary expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, and 0605898F.

Accomplishments / planned programs (R-2A) — prior, current and budget year only
MH-139A Performance Enhancements▼ 100%
FY2025 actual$4.5M
FY2026 enacted$3.0M
FY2027 request$0.0M

FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decreased due to ramp down of efforts and anticipated program completion.

FY2026 plans — current year Continuing development, testing, and integration of capability gaps to include but not limited to communication, gun system, mission planning systems, and cabin reconfiguration.

MH-139A Government Test Planning, Test and Evaluation▼ 100%
FY2025 actual$1.1M
FY2026 enacted$1.0M
FY2027 request$0.0M

FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decreased due to ramp down of testing efforts and anticipated program completion.

FY2026 plans — current year Will support efforts to resolve deficiencies identified in Operational Test.

Joint Mission Planning System▲ 83%
FY2025 actual$3.1M
FY2026 enacted$0.3M
FY2027 request$0.6M

FY2027 planned work Continued development of the JMPS program.

FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increased due to additional mission planning capability development activities.

FY2026 plans — current year Continued development of the JMPS program.

Government Engine Test
FY2025 actual$4.1M
FY2026 enacted$0.0M
FY2027 request$0.0M
Cabin ConfigurationNEW
FY2025 actual$0.0M
FY2026 enacted$0.0M
FY2027 request$6.5M

FY2027 planned work Continues work on this effort initiated under performance enhancements to include testing, design development, certification, and development of retrofits.

FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increased due to identification of capability inefficiencies and remedy development.

Communications System Upgrades▼ 100%
FY2025 actual$1.8M
FY2026 enacted$1.5M
FY2027 request$0.0M

FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding decreased due to ramp down of comm system development efforts and anticipated program completion.

FY2026 plans — current year Comms system development and improvement.

Congressional action

Congressional marks

Committee marks on the FY2027 request. Adds and cuts are reconciled in conference before they become law.

RequestPresident's Budget
$7.0M
House NDAA (HASC)HASC
$7.0M full · +$0
Senate NDAA (SASC)SASC
$7.0M full · +$0
House Approps (HAC-D)HAC_D
$7.0M full · +$0
unresolved as of 2026-07-27. These are FY2027 authorization marks (NDAA); appropriations and the conference agreement may differ.
Who's building it

Where the FY2027 request goes

Performers named in the R-3 exhibit, resolved into industry, government-lab, and unspecified shares. Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations.

Leonardo
$6.5M · 92%
Cabin Configuration · CPAF
Hanscom
$0.6M · 8.1%
Mission Planning System · Various
Where FY2027 funding flowsShare$M
Industry primes100%7.0
FY2027 request100%7.0
See Leonardo's full federal contract ledger members
Program detail

Mission & acquisition strategy

The MH-139A program will replace the Air Force fleet of UH-1N aircraft with modern helicopters that will close significant mission capability gaps associated with the current fleet of UH-1N aircraft. The replacement aircraft will provide vertical airlift and support the requirements for Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). AFGSC is the Air Force lead command and operational capability requirements sponsor. The MH-139A program is an element of the Air Force's nuclear enterprise reform initiatives.

Acquisition and contracting strategies for RDT&E funded integration tasks and the test and evaluation program to be pursued as follow on programs with the acquisition strategies deemed most appropriate. Critical capability improvements will be planned for installation in future production lots, or planned for integration into operational aircraft, and will include competitive selection for best value to the government.

Project 672023 — MH-139A PE/PI
  • Product Development
  • Test and Evaluation
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Answers are generated from the figures on this page — the FY2027 justification exhibits and the marks tracked above — and nothing else is consulted. Confirm any figure against the cited exhibit before you use it externally.

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Questions this page can answer
How does the FY2027 request compare with FY2026, and what does the five-year plan show?What did the FY2027 NDAA committees do to this request?How is the FY2027 request split between industry and government performers?In plain terms, what is this program element for and how is it being acquired?

This page carries the budget justification and the NDAA marks — nothing else. For what Leonardo has actually been obligated, the ledger is at hitchintel.com/vendors; for live solicitations, hitchintel.com/opportunities. Both are member surfaces.

Provenance

Cite this page

Sources
FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification · Exhibits R-2 / R-3 · PE 0102110F (President's Budget PB2027) — and FY2027 NDAA committee marks, as tracked 2026-07-27.
Suggested citation
HitchAI, "MH-139A (PE 0102110F)," federal budget intelligence, PB2027 vintage. hitchintel.com/programs/0102110F
Machine access
Markdown twin /programs/0102110F.md · MCP mcp.hitchintel.combudget_get_program_element, budget_get_cong_marks