GREAT FALLS — Malmstrom Air Force Base has been chosen as the first base to receive new Grey Wolf helicopters. Although the base doesn’t expect to receive the aircraft for about a year, preparations are already underway to replace the the current Vietnam-era fleet.
Back in May, Malmstrom started renovations on its three-bay hangar. Airmen are also completing construction on a new tactical response force alert facility, and currently building a missile maintenance dispatch facility.
Lieutenant Daniel Lindstrom, Malmstrom public affairs officer, said the base’s current Huey fleet has been in operational duty since 1970, and the decision to update the aircraft was a long time coming.
“We need to make sure that we’re upgrading them so that we are staying ahead of the game,” he said. “And that’s what the Grey Wolf is supposed to do, is provide increased capabilities so that we can do our jobs not just better than before, although that’ll be true, but better than anyone else.”
Lindstrom doesn't expect the fleet to be fully operational until 2023.
