Lockheed Martin to Build New Presidential Helicopter

Department of Defense ^ | 28 Jan 2005 | Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

[Cornpone]

The Department of Defense announced today that the team led by Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, Owego, N.Y., has been selected to build the new presidential helicopter (VXX) based on its U.S. 101 medium lift helicopter.

This $1.7 billion, cost plus award fee contract will launch the VXX program’s system development and demonstration phase during which the program will integrate a “system of systems” with a modern, in-production aircraft to provide the president with safe and reliable helicopter transportation.

“Today’s announcement is a significant milestone that caps an exhaustive and deliberative source selection process that carefully followed the Federal Acquisition Regulations,” said John Young, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. “The determined effort, long hours and hard work by both the VXX government team and the two industry teams will ensure a high level of quality and safety for future presidents, as well as a timely, efficient and effective program execution.”

“This decision truly reflects the best value and capability for the American taxpayer who is funding it, the Marines who will operate it and the future presidents who will fly in it,” Young added.

The fleet of helicopters that currently supports the presidential mission includes 30-year old aircraft that were designed in the 1960’s, fielded in the 1970’s and no longer has the growth capability to incorporate the equipment necessary to provide suitable presidential support in the post 9-11 environment.

“Under this replacement program, with its technology and performance improvements, a single platform will provide better savings in total ownership costs, engineering, maintenance and logistical support over the lifetime of the program,” Young said. “The president needs a more survivable helicopter while the nation engages in the Global War on Terrorism, and we are committed to providing it as soon as possible.”

The original Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program of record proposed an initial operating capability in 2013. The VXX program was accelerated in 2003 with a currently planned IOC in fiscal year 2009.

For more information, please contact Navy Public Affairs at (703) 697-5342.

[carl in alaska]

While those are the home bases for all the choppers, I would expect the Marines to have facilities on the west coast where they keep the choppers when the President or VP visits the west coast for an extended trip. For example, if the President was going to visit Southern California one week, then go back to Washington and return to Northern California the next week, then if he needed a chopper on both trips the Marines would store one at Pendleton in between trips. No doubt HMX-1 personnel would guard the chopper 24/7 because those birds are their unit's responsibility. I would bet that HMX-1 and the Secret Service have a smart and flexible plan for where they store the choppers if they will be needed in one area for more than one day.

But yes, I thought about this isue some more, and it would be too much of a security risk to base the helicopters at more than two or three bases in the U.S. They need extremely good security at those bases and that is difficult to achieve at more than a couple of locations.

(It's driving Al Gore literally crazy that people don't call him "Mr. President" and he doesn't get to ride in Marine 1 twice a month.)

[defenderSD]

Besides security, I think there's another reason why the choppers are based at only two locations and flow around the country in a C-5A: HMX-1 wants to minimize the number of hours flown by these helos to minimize mechanical wear and tear. These choppers carry the President, VP, and other dignataries so the top priority for HMX-1 is safety rather than operating costs. While the choppers have the range to fly from Washinton to Atlanta with one refueling stop at Camp Lejune, that trips puts a lot of miles on the birds. So while it probably costs more to fly the choppers around in a C-5A, we do it anyway to minimize flight time and keep the choppers in top mechanical condition.

Rudder, I think the main reason they need 24 choppers is because HMX-1 flies around other people besides the President: the VP, First Lady, key Senators, and visiting foreign leaders who need tight security. And as already stated, they need several choppers as spares to swap in while other birds are in the maintenance shop. I think also that Lockheed will be making enough choppers to last for 10-20 years and some of them won't be delivered until the program is several years underway.

I would agree that there are some hangers near the west coast where HMX-1 can store the choppers on an extended trip. And you bet HMX-1 guards them 24/7 with no exceptions and not a single 1-minute coffee break (not one, another Marine brings in the coffee).

[A.A. Cunningham]

I would expect the Marines to have facilities on the west coast where they keep the choppers when the President or VP visits the west coast for an extended trip. For example, if the President was going to visit Southern California one week, then go back to Washington and return to Northern California the next week, then if he needed a chopper on both trips the Marines would store one at Pendleton in between trips.

Negative. You have a distorted hypothesis of how HMX-1 deployments are executed.

[defenderSD]

So are you an expert on the HMX-1 unit or are you a teenager acting like an expert?

[A.A. Cunningham]

FOAD puke.

[defenderSD]

You might want to take a look at post #125. If you need to know what "FOAD" means I'll fill you in. That's the most hostile post ever directed towards me on FR.

[Poohbah]

Yup... and Hell hath no fury like Americans realizing we have outsourced even THIS!

The aircraft will be built in the United States.

But you knew that already.

Do you know why Sikorsky didn't get the bid?

Because they jacked their price up beyond reality. They got Boeing's Disease--they thought the US Treasury was their own petty cash fund.

You Free Traitors will be taken down one way or another.

You willing to make up the cost of Sikorsky's overbid out of your pocket?

[ballplayer]

I live in Connecticut and this state did nothing to support this President and Im afraid elections do have consequences,now maybe the 3 democrat representatives in Congress from this state could have called their colleague the heir apparent to the Democrat presidential Nomination Hillary Clinton ,and asked her to stop lobbying on behalf of Lockheed Martin to get the contract .But I guess those 700 jobs now going to upstate New York to help her get reelected to the senate so she can then get her fat butt elected President and be ferried about in those 23 Presidential Helicopters she will be wearing out.

[hchutch]

Gee, they seem to really be getting worked up.

I guess they want the RIGHT to overcharge for stuff. Of course, Lou Dobbs ain't going to mention the overbidding and Paul Craig Roberts will happily ignore the fact that the choppers will be built here (and some components get imported from ENGLAND - you know, the folks who are alongside us in Iraq).

Intellectual honesty is getting hard to come by from certain sources, it seems.