mogwai: blog 
mogwai's blog
pricey new marine one - $400 million a pop
Published Jul. 18, 2008
John McCain and Barack Obama both vow to reform the nation's defense procurement if elected president, yet each is unwilling to take a firm stand against the skyrocketing cost of a plum White House perk: the new Marine One helicopter.
Originally carrying a hefty price tag at $6.1 billion, the fleet of 28 helicopters being built to fly the next president is now projected to cost $11.2 billion.
At $400 million apiece, the helicopters far exceed a prime example McCain uses on the campaign trail to rail against congressional pork-barrel spending, a $230 million "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska.
The British have bought the same base model helicopter for $57 million each.
In separate interviews with The Associated Press, the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates both pledged to look at the program but stopped short of saying whether it should be canceled. Any review after the next president takes office in January would butt up against the first deliveries of the helicopters, slated for 2010.
close18 Comments
(3 votes) paratrooper shot, killed at fort bragg
Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.
You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.
GOLO member since October 18, 2007
July 18, 2008 11:32 p.m.
And guess what; because Americans will not stoop to do such a lowly job as assembling helicopters, we will have to bring in Guest Workers to get it done. Probably putting them up in hotels and feeding them adds a million or two per bird.
GOLO member since October 18, 2007
July 18, 2008 11:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, Sikorsky's entirely domestic (and somewhat cheaper) bid was declined.
One has to wonder why ...
GOLO member since July 4, 2008
July 18, 2008 10:02 p.m.
GOLO member since August 22, 2007
July 18, 2008 10:02 p.m.
True, but the $57 million base model is already a cutting edge military aircraft with all sorts of neato features and space age coolios. What could they possibly be adding that costs $343 million per helicopter?
GOLO member since July 4, 2008
July 18, 2008 10:00 p.m.
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 18, 2008 9:58 p.m.
GOLO member since July 3, 2007
July 18, 2008 9:55 p.m.
It's not the same helicopter. There is a lot of things on Air Force One that properly belong in a science fiction movie when it comes to what we have access to use.
GOLO member since July 3, 2007
July 18, 2008 9:54 p.m.
GOLO member since May 2, 2008
July 18, 2008 9:53 p.m.
GOLO member since July 4, 2008
July 18, 2008 9:36 p.m.
Please log in to add comment.