The Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel was a variant of the
AgustaWestland AW101
The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter in military and civil use. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the United Kingdom and Agusta in Italy in response to national requireme ...
(formerly the EH101) that was being manufactured to replace the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
'
Marine One U.S. Presidential transport fleet. Originally marketed for various competitions as the ''US101'', it was developed and manufactured in the US by a consortium headed by
Lockheed Martin, consisting of
Lockheed Martin Systems Integration – Owego (LMSI),
AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland was an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica (now known as Leonardo). It was formed in July 2000 as an Anglo-Italian multinational company, when Finmeccani ...
and
Bell Helicopter
Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, as well as commercial helicopters in M ...
.
In January 2005, the US101 was selected for the
VXX
VXX, officially the Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program, is a procurement program to replace aging Marine One helicopters that transport the President of the United States. The current VH-3 helicopters have aging airframes, having e ...
Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program, and was promptly re-designated as the ''VH-71''. However, development was subject to delays, cost overruns, and engineering issues; Lockheed attributed much of these issues to unanticipated and extensive modifications being demanded by the government that had been absent from the
request for proposal (RFP) issued. A
Government Accountability Office (GAO) report in 2011 also recognised that a lack of flexibility and compromise on the part of the government had negatively impacted the program. By late 2008, the cancellation of the VH-71 was looking increasingly likely.
In February 2009,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
asked
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush a ...
about placing the project on hold or canceling it because of its high cost: over $13 billion for the planned 28 helicopters. In June 2009, the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
terminated the contract after spending about $4.4 billion and taking delivery of nine VH-71s. After the cancellation, the delivered helicopters were sold to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
for $164 million, where they were used as source of spare parts for its fleet of
AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant
The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the Canadian Forces designation for the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly EH101), a helicopter used for air-sea rescue in Canada. Developed as a joint venture between Westland Aircraft in the UK and Agusta i ...
search-and-rescue helicopters.
Development
US101 and VXX competition
The
AgustaWestland AW101
The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter in military and civil use. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the United Kingdom and Agusta in Italy in response to national requireme ...
, initially designated as ''EH101'', was originally developed and produced by EH Industries, which was a joint venture between the British
Westland Helicopters
Westland Helicopters was a British aircraft manufacturer. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It was amalgamated with several other British firms in 1960 and 1961.
In 2000, it merged ...
and Italian
Agusta companies; Westland merged with Agusta to form AgustaWestland in 2001. AgustaWestland held considerable interest in the export prospects of the AW101, including the prospects for an extensive overseas manufacturing consortium. On 23 July 2002, Lockheed Martin and AgustaWestland announced that they had signed a 10-year agreement to jointly market, manufacture and support a medium-lift helicopter, an AW101 derivative, in the United States. At that time, the team declared that the derivative, which was designated as the ''US101'', would be "65% American". The companies envisaged the aircraft being adopted in three major roles;
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
combat search and rescue,
U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...
search and rescue, and U.S. Marine Corps executive transport.
In early 2002, the Lockheed-AgustaWestland partnership sought out other firms to participate in the proposed local manufacturing effort for the US101; in particular, the team pursued
Bell Helicopters
Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, as well as commercial helicopters in ...
, which was at that time part of another EH101 consortium, offering the type in Canada. That same year,
Rolls-Royce Holdings
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a British multinational aerospace and defence company incorporated in February 2011. The company owns Rolls-Royce, a business established in 1904 which today designs, manufactures and distributes power systems for ...
, who manufactured the EH101's
RTM322, also sought out an American partner to locally produce the engine; Rolls-Royce also envisioned integrating US-specific technology into the engine and its potential use in powering the
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ( ...
helicopter. By August 2002, there were reports in the media, of various US aircraft manufacturers, including Bell,
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and p ...
and
Kaman Aerospace
Kaman Corporation is an American aerospace company, with headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut. It was founded in 1945 by Charles Kaman. During the first ten years the company operated exclusively as a designer and manufacturer of several he ...
, that were holding discussions with the consortium and may potentially be selected as a
subcontractor
A subcontractor is an individual or (in many cases) a business that signs a contract to perform part or all of the obligations of another's contract.
Put simply the role of a subcontractor is to execute the job they are hired by the contractor f ...
to perform the domestic assembly of the US101. Boeing showed persistent interest in joining the US101 consortium, as well as in alternate arrangements to produce the
NHIndustries NH90 helicopter.
On 15 May 2003, AgustaWestland signed an agreement with Bell Helicopter to undertake final assembly of the US101 in the U.S. Under the pact, AgustaWestland would produce the main rotor blades and main fuselage sections at its headquarters in
Yeovil
Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somerset's southern border with ...
,
UK. The company would also manufacture other components, including the gearbox, at its facility in
Cascina Costa,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
; this represents a work share of 36 per cent. The remaining 64 per cent work share was split between Lockheed Martin (31 per cent) and Bell Helicopter (27 per cent) and other firms (6 per cent).
In February 2002, the
US Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...
commenced a study to identify potential replacement rotorcraft for the aging
Sikorsky VH-3D presidential transport helicopters. On 18 December 2003, the
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...
issued a
Request for Proposals (RFP) for the supply of 23 helicopters to be used as a replacement for the 11 VH-3Ds and 8 VH-60Ns of the Marine Corps'
HMX-1 squadron, which performs the role of Presidential helicopter transportation; this requirement was given the designation of
VXX
VXX, officially the Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program, is a procurement program to replace aging Marine One helicopters that transport the President of the United States. The current VH-3 helicopters have aging airframes, having e ...
, or the Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program. Two companies, AgustaWestland and
Sikorsky Aircraft responded to the VXX RFP; additionally, that had been interest in a potential
Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventio ...
-based bid, however the rotorcraft was deemed to be non-transportable by military airlift and thus unsuitable to qualify.
[
Sikorsky had proposed the VH-92, a variant of the H-92 Superhawk, in partnership with ]FlightSafety International
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from which it invests the float (the retained premiums ...
, L-3 Communications
L3 Technologies, formerly L-3 Communications Holdings, was an American company that supplied command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ( C3ISR) systems and products, avionics, ocean products, training d ...
, Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...
, Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins was a multinational corporation headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, providing avionics and information technology systems and services to government agencies and aircraft manufacturers. It was formed when the Collins Radio Comp ...
, Vought Aircraft Industries, and GE-Aviation
GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, outside Cincinnati. GE Aviation is among the top aircraft engine suppliers, and offers engines for the majority of commercial aircraft. GE Aviation is part of th ...
. During the bidding process, Sikorsky attacked the US101 for its foreign origins; in December 2004, Sikorsky VXX programme manager Nick Lappos derided the bid as: ""What is a socialist country and a socialist company going to teach us about competition?". The selection was originally to occur in April 2004, however programme officials decided to postpone their decision for a further eight months to conduct more analysis on the bids.
On 28 January 2005, the Department of Defense announced that it had selected the US101 as the winner. It has been speculated that the US101's three engines had been a decisive factor over the rivaling twin-engined VH-92. John Young, the USN's assistant secretary for acquisition technology and logistics, stated of the selection: "The Lockheed team probably started with a helicopter that needed less. They more closely met the requirements we had laid out, and that allowed them to table less work that had to be completed to get to the finish line and deliver a product". The US101 team was awarded a US$1.7 billion contract for the System Development and Demonstration phase.["Lockheed Martin to Build New Presidential Helicopter"]
. U.S. Department of Defense, 28 January 2005. In July 2005, the US101 received the military designation ''VH-71 Kestrel''.["US101 (VH-71A) All Weather Medium Lift Military Helicopter"]
. Airforce-technology.com. Retrieved: 28 June 2010.
Program problems and delays
Delays and engineering issues plagued the VH-71's development. By 2007, the estimated cost of developing and modifying the aircraft had risen by 40% to $2.4 billion and had passed the $4.2 billion expected for the production of the fleet.[Warwick, Graham]
"Presidential Helicopter Costs Soar"
. ''Flight International'', 22 May 2007. In March 2008, the program cost had risen and was projected to cost a total $11.2 billion, or about $400 million per helicopter.[Baker, Peter]
''Washington Post'', 17 March 2008.
During dialogue over the CSAR-X (in which the EH101
The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter in military and civil use. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the United Kingdom and Agusta in Italy in response to national requirement ...
was LMSI's offering), the Air Force Source Selection Authority (SSA) stated the program's performance had been "unsatisfactory". In March 2007, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, upholding Sikorsky and Lockheed's protests against Boeing's HH-47, mentioned "LMSI had received a little confidence rating for past performance due to unsatisfactory performance under its current contract for the VH-71 Presidential helicopter, which was evaluated as the most highly relevant to this procurement." The SSA stated that LMSI had "show that it could not reliably meet important schedule requirements and had difficulty in systems engineering flow-downs to their subcontractors." Lockheed responded that government insistence on extensive modifications, unanticipated in the RFP, as the source of cost overruns.[ A GAO report in 2011 concluded that the VH-71's development was not allowed flexibility or trade-offs considered by the customer.
In December 2007, DoD officials met with the ]White House Military Office
The White House Military Office (WHMO) is a department within the White House Office that provides military support for White House functions, including food service, presidential transportation, medical support, emergency medical services and ho ...
to discuss the program's future; the Pentagon had apparently wanted to terminate the VH-71 due to setbacks, budget issues, and design problems. The White House overruled a decision to cancel; the program was effectively placed on hold while options were considered.["VH-71 Presidential Helicopter on Hold"]
''Defense News'', 14 December 2007. In July 2008, the VH-71A (also called Increment 1) was to reach operating capability in 2010. The second phase of the development, VH-71B (Increment 2) was expected to start entering service in 2017.[O'Keeffe, Niall]
"VH-71A to gain obtain operational capability in 2010"
. ''Flight International'', 18 July 2008.
In October 2008, while commenting on defense programs likely to be cut following the change in government, John Young, the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, stated that the VH-71 "is very high on that list". The rising cost of VH-71 program contrasted poorly with President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
's stance on curbing government spending; during a White House gathering in February 2009 President Obama commented that the procurement process had "gone amok and we are going to have to fix it." He additionally stated that "The helicopter I have now seems perfectly adequate to me." In March 2009 the projected total cost for the planned 28 VH-71s was over $13 billion. On 6 April 2009 the proposed Defense budget announced by Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush a ...
had not included funding for the VH-71. On 1 June 2009, the U.S. Navy announced that the contract was officially canceled, and that remaining funds were to be reinvested in upgrades to the existing fleet of VH-3D and VH-60N helicopters.["US Navy Terminates VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Contract".]
flightglobal.com, 2 June 2009. Nine VH-71s had been completed at time of the cancellation.
The aircraft's cancellation provoked commentators to speak out about its impact on future acquisition contracts with European businesses. The failure by the U.S. Department of Defense acquisition process as demonstrated by the VH-71 may scare away potential partners. Around March 2009, a coalition of lawmakers encouraged the Administration to continue a variation of the VH-71 program. A letter issued by several members of Congress urged the President to support a VH-71 program. On 22 July 2009, the House Appropriations Committee approved $485 million to make five VH-71As operational.
Options and restructuring
The Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a public policy research institute of the United States Congress. Operating within the Library of Congress, it works primarily and directly for members of Congress and their committees and staff on a ...
(CRS) estimated that shutting down VH-71 production, upgrading the existing fleet, and later implementing a successor program would cost $14–$21 billion. It was reported not only that a new fleet would not be available until 2024 (at which point the existing helicopters would have remained in service while being over 50 years old), but that terminating the existing program would waste more than $3 billion in sunk VH-71 costs. Following the President's decision to terminate the program a variety of lawmakers, think tanks and media outlets publicly concluded it would be more cost-effective and less time-consuming to continue with a variation of the existing VH-71 program.
In 2009, the CRS proposed four options: Option 1 was to continue the VH-71 program with Increment I and II versions; the additional cost was estimated at $10 billion and the entry into service date was 2019. Option 2 was to restructure the program to provide 23 Increment I aircraft; at an additional cost of $6.4 billion and would be operational by 2012. Option 3 was a restructure to provide 19 Increment I aircraft to replace the current fleet; the additional cost for this option was estimated at $5.6 billion and the entry into service by 2012. The last option was to upgrade and extend life of current fleet at a cost of $1.4 billion; however this would not meet the standards required for future presidential helicopters, and would require replacement sooner.
In addition to the cost of a new procurement program, industry officials stated that to merely extend the operating life of the current fleet is a risky choice because it is both less secure and costly to maintain.["Objections to VH-71 Cancellation Grow Louder"]
. ''Aviation Week'', 5 June 2009. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including Senator Chuck Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, an ...
(D-NY) and Representative Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett Jr. (born June 3, 1926) is an American politician who was U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a member of the Tea Party Caucus. At the end of his tenure in ...
(R-MD) have been outspoken critics of the Pentagon in the matter—Bartlett recently claiming that "they had this conversation outside the partnership and we regret that."[ Loren Thompson, an analyst for the ]Lexington Institute
The Lexington Institute is a center-right think tank headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United States. It focuses mainly on defense and security policy.
History, staff, and positions
The Lexington Institute was founded in 1998 by former U.S. ...
, stated "I do not believe that the story of VH-71 is over... Secretary Gates has not made a convincing case for terminating the program, and there is no alternative helicopter that can satisfy range and payload requirements while still landing on the White House lawn."
On 19 December 2009, President Obama signed a joint House and Senate Defense Appropriation Bill for FY 2010, which includes $130 million funding for the Marine One program: $100 million to recoup technologies developed under the VH-71 Kestrel program, and $30 million for the Navy's initial studies on a new VH-XX program. In February 2010, the Navy issued a request for information to the aviation industry. In April 2010, Lockheed Martin announced they would team with Sikorsky in offering the Sikorsky S-92 instead of the VH-71. In June 2010, Boeing announced it was considering a U.S.-built licensed version of the AgustaWestland AW101 for the renewed VXX program as well as the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a convention ...
and Boeing CH-47 Chinook.
In June 2011, the nine VH-71s were purchased for $164 million by Canada for use as spare parts for its fleet of AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant
The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the Canadian Forces designation for the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly EH101), a helicopter used for air-sea rescue in Canada. Developed as a joint venture between Westland Aircraft in the UK and Agusta i ...
search and rescue helicopter, which is also based upon the AW101. The transferred VH-71s were stripped of sensitive parts, and seven remained in an airworthy condition. In 2013, media reports stated Canada is studying whether up to four of the VH-71s can be certified for operational use; manufacturer AgustaWestland has openly stated their support for the regeneration initiative. On 8 August 2018, it was reported that Leonardo S.p.A. was converting the seven airworthy helicopters into mission-ready CH-149s.
Testing
The first test VH-71A, Test Vehicle #2 (TV-2), made its initial flight on 3 July 2007 at AgustaWestland's facility in Yeovil
Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somerset's southern border with ...
in the UK. Lockheed Martin also used an EH101, designated TV-1, for initial testing in the United States; these tests included landing on the lawn of the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
.
The first production VH-71A, Pilot Production #1 (PP-1), made its maiden flight on 22 September 2008 from Yeovil. The US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sig ...
transported the helicopter in a C-17 Globemaster III
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of t ...
to Naval Air Station Patuxent River
Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River.
It is home to Headquarters, Naval Air S ...
, Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, for further testing. The first production VH-71 joined the test program at NAS Patuxent River, beginning ground testing in early December 2008."First Production VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Joins Test Program"
. Lockheed Martin & AgustaWestland North America, 2 December 2008.
Variants
;VH-71A : The initial production VH-71 aircraft or Increment one of the presidential helicopter replacement program, designed to meet an urgent need for new helicopters.[
;VH-71B : Increment two was to provide 23 operational helicopters with increased range, and upgraded navigation and communications systems that fulfill White House requirements to maintain continuity of government and allow the president to carry out the duties of the office.][
]
Other competitions
The US101 also competed for two further USAF contracts, the 141-aircraft Combat Search and Rescue Replacement (CSAR-X) project (originally won by the Boeing HH-47 on 10 November 2006, but now subject to a second procurement competition), and the 70-aircraft Common Vertical Lift Support Program (CVLSP).[
]
Operators
;
*United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
(proposed)
** HMX-1's Marine One fleet
Specifications (VH-71)
Specifications with an asterisk (*) next to them are specifically for the VH-71. All others are for AW101.
See also
References
;Citations
;Bibliography
* Gertler, Jeremiah
"VH-71/VXX Presidential Helicopter Program: Background and Issues for Congress", RS22103.
''Congressional Research Service'', 22 December 2009.
External links
"Trouble On The Takeoff"
''Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
'', 26 November 2007.
"Trouble On Air Obama"
''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', 14 May 2009.
{{good article
H-071
2000s United States military transport aircraft
2000s United States helicopters
United States military helicopters
Three-turbine helicopters
AgustaWestland aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 2007