The USA’s Quest for New Presidential Helicopters: From VH-71 to VXX

Termination contracts for VH-71 finalized at $112M. (June 2/11)

This is DID’s FOCUS Article for the USA’s on-again, off-again Presidential helicopter program. In June 2005, the U.S. Navy selected the US101 for a new fleet of “Marine One” helicopters for the President of the United States. The US101 is an American variant of AgustaWestland’s successful EH101 multi-mission medium helicopter; it beat out Sikorsky’s S-92 Superhawk, which is already in use as a government VIP transport in countries like South Korea.

The $1.7 billion victory proved somewhat pyrrhic, as out-of-control White House requests led to serious program trouble. In 2008, the US Navy reached an agreement to proceed with the VH-71, despite a cost per aircraft equal to or greater than the President’s Air Force One 747s. In 2009, however, the program’s massive requirements changes and accompanying costs overruns led to its cancellation, and layoffs at Lockheed Martin. Another round of competition is on the way, and the Pentagon wants to buy 2 different helicopters in the VXX follow-on program….

• The New Marine One Helicopter Program
• Marine One: Contracts & Events
• VH-3/ VH-60 Refurbishment: Contracts & Events [updated]
• Appendix A: VXX 1.0 – The US101
• Appendix B: Additional Readings

Displaying 196 of 6,483 words (about 17 pages)

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