Obama confronts a choice on New Marine One Helicopters

Hi everyone.

I got this article this morning off ITH.com

www.iht.com...

Here's a bit of it...

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has slammed high-flying executives traveling in cushy jets at a time of economic turmoil. But soon he will have to decide whether to proceed with some of the priciest aircraft in the world — a new fleet of 28 Marine One helicopters that will each cost more than the last Air Force One.

A six-year-old project to build state-of-the-art presidential helicopters has bogged down in a contracting quagmire that will challenge Obama's desire to rein in military contracting expenses. The price tag has nearly doubled, production has fallen years behind schedule and much of the program has been frozen until the new administration figures out what to do about it.

The choice confronting Obama encapsulates the tension between two imperatives of his nascent presidency, the need to meet the continuing threats of an age of terrorism and the demand for austerity in a period of economic hardship.

Equipped to deflect missile attacks and capable of waging war from the air, the new VH-71 helicopters would fly farther, faster and more safely than the current decades-old craft. But each improvement pushes up the cost. The program's original $6.1 billion contract has ballooned to $11.2 billion, and the Pentagon notified Congress last month that it was so far over budget that the law required a review. The Obama administration now must determine if the project is essential to national security and if there are alternatives that would cost less.....


It seems that the President has a few choices to make regaurding his own form of transport.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I think it will be very interesting to see how this develops. Does he use the same restraint that he asks the rest of the country to use, or not.

[edit on 16-2-2009 by wolf241e]

reply to post by wolf241e


Not a soul has interest in this, huh?

Win some, lose some I guess.

See you next time!!!

A quip from the above posted link:

"If the office of the presidency is vulnerable, then the country is vulnerable," said Representative Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, a Democrat and a retired navy vice admiral.

I do not think we need 28 new Marine One helicopters, but 10 or 12 seem reasonable.

The last thing this country needs right now is to go through the loss of our President because America did not protect him with the best technology available.

I say "Get 'er DUN"!!

I was unaware that we need 28 identical helicopters to ferry about one man. I know that wherever the president goes, there is always at least one decoy along for the ride.

My belief is that the office of the presidency is important enough to protect at all costs.

You simply cannot equate CEOs flying around in corporate jets with the importance of protecting the president in all his travels.

If it takes 28 to get the job done, then that's what they should have.

If it can be done as well with less, then less will do, but no compromise in safety is acceptable.

[edit on 2009/2/16 by GradyPhilpott]

I would like to see him drive his own car. Anything else is a trapping of power.

reply to post by wolf241e

Equipped to deflect missile attacks and capable of waging war from the air...

Huh?

Another testosterone/paranoia/Hollywood-fantasy fueled bit of overkill by those boys who love their oh-so-expensive toys over there at the Pentagon.

It's a helicopter, ferchrissakes! Sorry, make that 28 of them! What are they, nuts?

Lavering bunch of Dr. Strangeloves. The President dos not fly all over the world in Marine One. Give him a decent military escort then, but get on with the project and bring it back to earth. The Pentagon is certifiable.

reply to post by gottago


This quote explains in part why so many helicopters are needed and the fact that the president's helicopter (which is more than one) always accompanies him abroad.

As a security measure, Marine One always flies in groups with identical helicopters, sometimes as many as five. One helicopter carries the president, while the others serve as decoys for would-be assassins on the ground. Upon take-off these helicopters begin to shift in formation (sometimes referred to as a presidential shell game) regularly to keep the location of the president secure. Television broadcasters are prohibited from airing live footage of Marine One while it is in the air over the White House. Also, Marine One reportedly is equipped with standard military anti-missile countermeasures such as flares to counter heat-seaking missiles and chaff to counter radar-guided missiles. To add to the security of Marine One, every member of HMX-1 is required to pass a Yankee White background check before touching any of the helicopters used for presidential travel.

Marine One is always transported (as is the president's limousine) wherever the president travels, within the U.S. as well as overseas.

en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 2009/2/16 by GradyPhilpott]

Here is an update on this.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

reply to post by wolf241e


This just gets more interesting by the day now.

Now, when people are starting to wonder if the proposed new "fleet" of Marine One helicopters are really needed for the 11 million + price tag...and WHOLA!!!

A security breech about the plans of the existing helicopters!!!!

How stupid does the President think we are???

Plenty...

Here is the link...www.msnbc.msn.com...

and this one...rawstory.com...

I sounds to me like more fear tactics by this administration to ramrod through congress whatever they can before his polling numbers turn to dust as is predicted.

"Pay no mind to the man behind the curtain."




[edit on 28-2-2009 by wolf241e]