Pres Obama Publicly Reconsiders New Marine One
from Aviation Week:
Quote:
President Publicly Reconsiders Marine One
Feb 24, 2009
By Bettina H. Chavanne and Michael Bruno
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The high-profile VH-71 presidential replacement helicopter program came under the highest profile possible Monday when President Barack Obama and his former Republican rival for the White House lamented the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps project while discussing economic crises.
“The helicopter I have now seems perfectly adequate to me,” Obama noted.
The comment sent both the Navy, which runs the program, and manufacturer Lockheed Martin scurrying. “We are committed to the program’s success and are confident we can deliver the required number of helicopters compliant with the specifications that emerge from the ongoing review,” a Lockheed spokesman said after the comments by Obama and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
Defense and Wall Street analysts, like the Exane BNP Paribas Capital Goods Team, have noted that they doubt the program would be canceled, re-competed or significantly cut, although they would not be surprised to see if requirements are scaled back and the program stretched (Aerospace DAILY, Feb. 19). However, others have proffered that dramatically altering the presidential helo effort, which has suffered a formal Nunn-McCurdy cost-schedule violation, could be a strong example of Obama’s call for sacrifice and thriftiness.
Washington pressures are triangulating amidst Capitol Hill, the White House and the Pentagon to cut back or cull weapons spending, with Obama set tonight and Thursday to outline major budget plans for the federal government.
Photo: AgustaWestland
