The Marines flew a U.S. president in a brand new helicopter for the primary time in many years.
On Monday, a VH-92A Patriot assigned to the “Nighthawks” of Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX) One flew President Joe Biden from Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport to Solider Subject to talk on the Democratic Nationwide Conference.
The VH-92A is the primary new platform designated to make use of the “Marine One” callsign for the reason that 1989 introduction of the VH-60 White Hawk govt transport and greater than 60 years for the reason that higher recognized VH-3 Sea King took over the position because the presidential helicopter.
The present VH-3D variant, modified a number of instances, has been the first presidential helicopter for the reason that Gerald Ford administration.
Biden’s Chicago journey comes after a greater than two-decade gestation interval for a brand new presidential helicopter.
Earlier this month, Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky delivered the final of 23 deliberate VH-92As, a variant of the S-92 business helicopter, to the Marines, in accordance with an announcement from Naval Air Methods Command.
“Sikorsky’s highly-skilled workers have proven their capability to innovate, manufacture and ship these next-generation VH-92A presidential helicopters that will likely be working worldwide in assist of presidential missions properly into the long run,” Richard Benton, Sikorsky vp and common supervisor, stated in a Monday Lockheed assertion.
The Pentagon has spent greater than 20 years making an attempt to exchange the VH-3D after beginning the VXX program in 2002. In 2005, Naval Air Methods Command awarded Lockheed Martin a contract for 28 VH-71 Kestrels, variants of the AgustaWestland AW101, for the presidential helo mission. This system was canceled in 2009 over value overruns.
NAVAIR awarded helicopter builder Sikorsky the preliminary contract for the primary six presidential helicopter in 2014 for $5 billion. The primary variant flew in 2017.
After the primary flight, “the helicopter subsequently failed to fulfill reliability, availability, and upkeep thresholds, and though it was credited with attaining preliminary operational functionality on 28 December 2021, it was not authorised for presidential transport due to issues with the encrypted communication system and different points,” wrote Norman Polmar for Proceedings in February.
Whereas the airframes are just like their army counterparts, the presidential helicopters are closely modified to incorporate, “ballistic armor, radar jamming and deception programs to discourage antiaircraft missiles, hardened electronics in opposition to a nuclear electromagnetic pulse, and encrypted telecommunication and videoconferencing programs,” Polmar wrote.
Along with reliability and communication system issues, the warmth from VH-92A can also injury touchdown surfaces – together with the White Home South Garden, in accordance with a 2020 Authorities Accountability Workplace report.
“In a September 2018 coaching occasion, the Navy discovered that VH-92A’s exhaust broken a [White House] touchdown zone. Program officers acknowledged that the coaching occasion didn’t characterize a typical operational situation for the reason that garden was uncovered to the helicopter’s exhaust for an extended interval than it will be underneath regular working situations,” reads the report.
As to when a VH-92A will make its debut as “Marine One” on the Whereas Home continues to be an open query.
The Marines informed Flight International in April, “VH-92A tasking for presidential assist will likely be on the discretion of the White Home Navy Workplace.”
