Obama: White House Copters Under Review

By: Mark Knoller
Topics: White House

President Obama doesn't think he needs a fleet of new helicopters to serve as Marine One.

Discussing the issue of military procurement during the closing session of his White House Summit on Fiscal Responsibility, he called on campaign rival Sen. John McCain, who raised concerns about the skyrocketing costs of the program to build a fleet of 28 new helicopters for presidential use.

The president said he already talked to Defense Secretary Robert Gates about a conducting thorough review of the helicopter situation.

"The helicopter I have now seems perfectly adequately to me," said Mr. Obama. "Of course, I've never had a helicopter before. Maybe I've been deprived and I didn't know it ," he said to laughter from his audience which included many members of Congress.

He thinks the Marine One contract is "an example of the procurement process gone amok and we're gonna have to fix it."

The Navy awarded a contract in 2005 to Lockheed Martin to build a new generation of 28 helicopters to serve as Marine One - but last week cost overruns forced the Pentagon to issue a stop-work order at the end of 2007.

(CBS)

Last week, CBS News obtained exclusive pictures, seen at left, of the next generation presidential chopper going through a test flight.

The original $6.1-billion program had ballooned to $11.2-billion - which triggered a statute requiring the program be subjected to review. It means the cost the new choppers had soared to over $400-million each - which exceeds the 1990 cost of the 747s now serving as Air Force One.

Mr. Obama is now served by a fleet of Sikorsky VH-3D Sea Kings and VH-60N Black Hawks - but some of them have been in presidential service for over three decades.

It was the Pentagon's intention to replace them with new three-engine helicopters that provided greater range and protection for the Commander-in-Chief.

In his comments today, Mr. Obama made it clear he's happy to keep using the existing fleet of helicopters.

Mark Knoller
Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent.
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by brainteaser2 February 23, 2009 10:47 PM EST: There is nothing wrong with a helicopter designed in the 60's and continually upgraded. I don't recall presidential choppers falling from the sky. Where does Marine 1 fly anyhow? To camp david and to the airport- the president could ride to those destinations. If the military needs a new copter design fine but why on earth does the president need a fleet of 46??; Reply to this comment


by jbrown88881 February 23, 2009 10:46 PM EST: Heck, if McCain had won the election, he probably would have crashed 3 or 4 of those helicopters by now!!; Reply to this comment


by erasmus606 February 23, 2009 10:44 PM EST: quickthought

Just wanted to say thanks for the support.:); Reply to this comment


by sgt2dog February 23, 2009 10:40 PM EST: BULL:

"Now that have already spent billions developing this helicopter they want to cancel it???? The current helicopter was built in the 1960s. Think about it if your 1960 car stops running you pull off to the side of the road. If your 1960 helicopter stops working everyone onboard dies."

These are not in most cases, 1960's helos but 1960's designed for military use in the 60's and then updated and updated and updated. On new airframes in most cases.

Lockheed needs to know that it can't keep upping the price without losing the contract. Lockheed needs to eat the project losses after 2007.; Reply to this comment


by jetranger7 February 23, 2009 10:21 PM EST: Thats alright, the GOP can run their Arrogrant Cocky mouths all they want, but, theres already a serious plan to start hunting them down, and bring serious damage to them, its comin and they asked for it, matter of time before someone makes a very badd example out of one them and it'll make headlines !; Reply to this comment


by quickthought February 23, 2009 10:20 PM EST: What Bush has done, so has Obama undone.....; Reply to this comment


by ceres5 February 23, 2009 10:15 PM EST: This is the right move by President Obama. It is difficult to understand how at this time, when tens of millions of Americans are very desperate as a result of financial difficulties, some people in government are talking about purchasing 28 helicopters at $400 million a piece. Maybe those undisclosed individuals have connections and where hoping to make millions of dollars in commissions. But the question is, why so expensive each helicopter? Could it be that their design called for gold-plated rotors and million-dollar toilets?; Reply to this comment


by news2me63 February 23, 2009 10:10 PM EST: Obama won''t need any ground or air transportation in the very near future - once he destroys our country, he won''t be able to leave his bunker without being torn limb from limb by the masses.

Posted by CBSisPravda1
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UhOh! Makin threats on the President of the United States of America? Come on neonazis, get over yourelves. Or, perhaps suicide?; Reply to this comment


by news2me63 February 23, 2009 10:07 PM EST: Kudos to the President, if new Helos aren't needed, why waste the money?; Reply to this comment


by news2me63 February 23, 2009 10:05 PM EST: I''''m sure the GOP will try to twist this into something they can campaign on. GOP: the party of "NO" and no brains.
Posted by dburfears at 05:40 PM : Feb 23, 2009
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Yo NObama worshipper, hows about you try real hard to remove the cob from your azz, you friggin neo-Marxist un-American libturd.

Posted by realAmerica3
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dinky doodle,"real" American poodle, did that mornic retort make you LYBAO?

Admit it, you wear a helmet when walking from room to room...; Reply to this comment