For 55 years, the same stubby twin-engine helicopter has clattered over Washington, ferrying VIPs and standing ready to whisk officials out of the capital in a crisis. The UH-1N Huey’s watch is finally ending.

On 12 August 2026, the Air Force confirmed Joint Base Andrews as its “preferred location” for 26 modified HH-60W helicopters to replace the base’s 26 aging Hueys. The mission is unglamorous but critical: executive airlift for the Air Force District of Washington, and contingency response to move senior government leaders if the worst happens.

The end of a Vietnam-era workhorse

Andrews has hosted presidential and executive airlift for generations; its 1st Helicopter Squadron has flown from the base since 1967, and its Hueys entered service there in 1971. Those Vietnam-era machines are now simply worn out. Roughly 60 new active-duty jobs will move to Andrews with the incoming fleet.

Why the HH-60W — and not the Grey Wolf

The choice is a plot twist. Back in 2018 the Air Force said it would replace the Hueys with the new MH-139 Grey Wolf. Last year it changed course, deciding it was cheaper to modify HH-60Ws already sitting in the backup inventory than to buy fresh Grey Wolves. The rescue helicopters will be stripped of their combat kit — gun, chaff and flare dispensers, armor, rescue litter — and refitted with an 11-seat cabin for their new VIP role.

Congress isn’t sold

Not everyone is convinced. In their version of the 2027 defense bill, members of the House Armed Services Committee flagged doubts about swapping the mission onto a different airframe.

For now, the Air Force is pressing ahead. The Hueys will keep flying their capital patrol a little longer — but their replacement now has a name, a number, and a home.

Sources: U.S. Air Force (12 Aug 2026 announcement); Air & Space Forces Magazine. Committee language from the House Armed Services Committee 2027 NDAA bill.