The MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter, which replaces Vietnam War-era Hueys, will be used to patrol nuclear missile fields across the northern United States.
The Pentagon stopped accepting deliveries of the newest F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in summer 2023 as software problems snarled the jets' latest upgrades.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he's worried funding constraints are keeping the service from transitioning quickly to more resilient space systems.