Lockheed Lauds Program Successes, While Others Point To Failures

Lockheed Martin tells ANN the third VH-71 helicopter built for the Presidential Helicopter Program, Test Vehicle 3 (TV-3), has arrived in the US and will be the first VH-71 to receive final assembly and mission systems integration at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY.

The Navy-owned Test Vehicle was transported aboard a US Air Force C-17 cargo plane from AgustaWestland's facility in Yeovil, England, to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD, before flying to Owego.

As a missionized aircraft, TV-3 will be able to validate systems in-flight performance, which has previously only been evaluated in laboratories. Once missionized, TV-3 will join the other two test vehicles, TV-2 and TV-5, already in flight testing.

Including TV-1 -- a leased asset which will complete its required testing in May 2008 -- the program has accumulated nearly 700 total hours of flight test. TV-4, the final test aircraft of the program's first increment of helicopters, made its initial flight March 19 and will arrive at NAS Patuxent River in April.

"TV-3 is the first of two mission test vehicles that will test the Presidential Communication Suite. It's urgent that we press forward with this much-needed operational requirement to replace the aging VH-3D and VH-60N," said Capt. Donald Gaddis, Presidential Helicopters program manager. "With attention focused on the Increment 2 restructure and the FY09 budget request, let's not forget that Increment 1 Test and Evaluation is well underway. We have three helicopters on the flight schedule conducting fuel system, satellite communications and high-powered FM Radio testing, with tail rotor and flight load survey testing on the horizon."

"It's very satisfying to see the visible proof that we are successfully executing this program," added Jeff Bantle, VH-71 vice president. "We're excited that the test vehicle is now undergoing final assembly and mission systems integration to bring the command and control capabilities to this aircraft."

There are those who question Lockheed's success with the VH-71, however... and the entire Marine One contract, to replace the current fleet of Sikorsky VH-3D and VH-60N helicopters, faces an uncertain future.

As ANN reported last month, since contract awarding in 2005 the cost of the entire VH-71 program has skyrocketed to $11.2 billion, and program delays mean the Pentagon has yet to see its first helicopter.

For now, the first three VH-71s are due for delivery in 2010, one year behind schedule, and the Navy had to accept compromises with those helicopters in order to meet that timeframe. The remaining 23, fully-equipped aircraft will come later... though the original target of 2015 for those deliveries has slipped to an unknown date, due to problems.

FMI: www.teamus101.com/index.cfm