December 08, 2004

Associated Press

Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Conn., unveiled a new production hanger Wednesday that the company said will house the development of the new VH-92 helicopter, with the hopes that the aircraft will be used as the president’s Marine One transport.
Members of Congress gathered at the Main Street plant for the opening ceremony.

Sikorsky is competing against a team led by Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp. and AgustaWestland, the British-Italian helicopter company owned by Finmeccanica, for the right to build the next presidential fleet. The Navy is expected to announce the winner of the Marine One contract next month.

The fierce competition for the $1.6 billion contract has been dominated by arguments over which aircraft will be safer and provide the president with the secure, mobile Oval Office facilities needed in the post-Sept. 11th era.

But it has also been clouded by a debate over which aircraft has more American content and “buy America” issues.

Sikorsky has argued that its Super Hawk is 100 percent American-made, while Lockheed has said its US101, which is based on AgustaWestland’s EH101 Merlin, will be more than 80 percent American-made.