WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (AFP) - The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a 1.7 billion dollar contract to build the next fleet of Marine One helicopters Friday, picking its European designed helicopter for the signature dark green-and-white ride of US presidents.
The contract would ultimately be worth 6.1 billion dollars for the 23 helicopters that the government wants to acquire for the presidential fleet.
"This decision truly reflects the best value and capability for the American taxpayer who is funding it, and the Marines who will operate it and the future presidents who will fly in it," said John Young, the Navy assistant secretary for research, development and acquisitions.
The decision culminated an intense competition between Lockheed Martin`s European-designed US-101 helicopter and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp`s all-American entry, the S-92.
Appeals to patriotism and worries about loss of US jobs to Europe were set against personal lobbying by leaders of Italy and Britain, the United States`s most steadfast allies in Iraq.
But Young said both teams met the requirements of "buy American" provisions under US law, "and beyond that is not a factor in the source selection."
Navy officials said about two thirds of the Lockheed Martin helicopter would be built in the United States, and a third in Britain and Italy.
The primary fuselage and the main rotor blade would be built in Britain and gear boxes and other dynamic components in Italy, they said.
Friday`s contract commits 1.7 billion dollars to the development and demonstration of the helicopter.
But Young estimated that it will cost a total of 6.1 billion dollars to develop and procure 23 helicopters.
The US-101 is an Americanized version of the EH-101 designed by Augusta Westland, a British-Italian aerospace unit of Finmeccanica SpA of Italy, which teamed up with Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopters for the Marine One bid.
The S-92 is based on Sikorsky`s`s US-60 Black Hawk and SeaHawk helicopters, which are already in wide use in the US military.
The decision was a blow to Sikorsky, a unit of United Technologies Corp., which has been making the presidential helicopter since the Eisenhower administration.
The prestige of making the president`s helicopters is a valuable selling point in marketing the helicopters to the other military services.
Analysts said it could give the winner a leg up in bidding for an upcoming six billion dollar contract to provide the air force with 132 top-of-the-line search and rescue helicopters.
01/28/2005 22:42 GMT - AFP