Lockheed Team Wins Presidential Chopper (Presidential Chopper will be European)

They gave up on them (for the pres.) when they had the crash. The remainder are still in the VIP squadron, but I don't think they let the president fly........(good enough for congressmen though).

Incorrect again. This photo of President George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Barney and Spot disembarking from a VH-60N is currently hanging on the bulkhead at HMX-1 in Quantico, Virginia.

The president should be flying in an airframe that has been designed and built in the US period! What symbol does that send to the american people? Especially those that work in the defense industry!

While I don't think that the blackhawk is a bad aircraft, It is not the right size to be the presidents main helicopter. It doens't have the capacity or standing room. A variant of the H92 or even CH-53 should be used as the main helo.

If performance is a serious enough criterion & an Airbus fits the bill,I don't see anything wrong in the US buying one.The EH-101 has won a lot of foreign contracts since entering service,including one from Japan(a vehement America-only buyer)& has more or less proven itself .A lot of folks don't seem to realise that the US presidential transports would be only similar to their original cousins in looks -they would be radically overhauled systems.Hence,in the unlikely event of an Airbus winning the AF-1 contract,most of it's avionics,countermeasures,commmunications & interiors would be American ,not European.

I think the relationship with the Marine Corps/Navy goes back a long way. The Army was utilizing the Helicopters for a broad range of uses but, the Marine Corps was once under fire from the Government, as to weather we really needed them anymore, or not. If my history is correct, this was most intense after WWII. In an effort to prove their worth, the Marines took it up on themselves to begin using rotary craft as an assault/penetration option. They learned these assault tactics in a very short time, proved their value to the military and, saved themselves. On top of that, they set the standard for helicopter assault tactics and made a hell of a name for themselves, which did not go unnoticed by the top Brass. And, I believe, (correct me if i am wrong), that Johnson was the President at the time. I am not certain on that, though. I don’t want to take anything away from the Army. They have a fantastic Rotary assault program. I have worked on the Blackhawk Program so, I am a huge proponent of the rotary theatre.

I hope that helps. The Book, ‘American Spartans’, by James Warren details out the Marine Corps battle for existence and evolution into the Helo arena.

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