A new era for Marine One: Inside the new helicopter fleet

Air Force One is one of the widely recognized symbols of American power. Although this name is given to any aircraft with the president on board, the presidential means of transport are usually two Jumbo Jets in a special presidential variant VC-25A (in a few years, they will be replaced by the more modern VC-25B).

A slightly less known flying means of transport is Marine One. This is the presidential helicopter, used for shorter trips and in situations where the ability to take off and land vertically facilitates delivering the president to the destination.

The first "presidential" helicopters were the sparsely equipped Sikorsky UH-34 Seahorse. Still, this role was quickly taken over—and performed until the third decade of the 21st century—by the modified, marine Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopters in the VH-3 variant (gradually modernized from version A to D). Over time, they were supplemented by a few smaller VH-60N helicopters, a "presidential" variant of the Black Hawk.

The requirements concerning lift capacity, communication systems installation, and security meant that the VXX program was launched as early as 2002 to acquire a next-generation helicopter for U.S. presidents. At that time, two designs entered the competition: Sikorsky's S-92 and the AW-101 offered by AgustaWestland in collaboration with Lockheed.

The modernization and reconstruction of this helicopter to the standards required by the American administration went down in history as an example of gigantic waste and exceeding the planned costs.

The winning aircraft cost— in its basic variant— 28 million dollars (CAD 39 million). In 2005, it was assumed that the cost of building 28 new generation presidential helicopters, along with the necessary modifications and additional equipment installation, would be capped at 1.7 billion dollars (CAD 2.35 billion).

However, costs started to climb rapidly along with the list of expected modifications. According to the manufacturer, there were over 1,900 of them. The amount exceeding 2, then 4 and 6 billion dollars transformed into a final budget in 2009 of 11.2 billion dollars (CAD 15.5 billion).

One new VH-71 Kestrel would cost 400 million dollars (CAD 555 million), more than five Jumbo Jets. Before a final decision was made—after the intervention of then-President Barack Obama—to cancel the super expensive helicopters, nine units managed to leave the production line.

The program was cancelled, and the produced Kestrels were sold to Canada for 164 million dollars (CAD 227 million). They were used there not for flying but as parts donors for the CH-149 Cormorant fleet.

History then came full circle because in 2014, Sikorsky was awarded the contract to build presidential aircraft, offering the same S-92 helicopter as in 2002. However, the provider's ownership did not change, as in 2015, Lockheed also acquired Sikorsky.

The machine developed based on the S-92—Sikorsky VH-92 Patriot—was first flown in 2017, and the unit cost of each of the 23 ordered helicopters was slightly over 200 million dollars (CAD 227 million).

Nonetheless, things did not go without problems. During tests, it turned out that the VH-92 did not meet the requirements in terms of reliability. When landing, it contaminated the ground with fuel leaks and burned it with a discharge of hot exhaust, which was considered unacceptable given frequent landings on the iconic lawn in front of the White House.

Problems with the encrypted communication system were also detected, resulting in an almost two-year delay in introducing the new helicopters into service.

However, these defects were rectified, and in August 2024, the Marine Corps received the last of the 21 helicopters intended for flights. The other two units—in the same configuration as the machines designed for American VIPs—are to be used for various types of tests.

The VH-92 Patriot helicopter is about 17 metres long, has a takeoff weight of just over 12,250 kilograms, and offers a range of nearly 1,000 kilometres. It is operated by a four-person crew consisting of two pilots, a commander, and a communication systems operator.

The helicopter has been additionally armoured and protected against the effects of weapons of mass destruction. It is equipped with necessary encrypted communication means and can accommodate up to 14 passengers.

After takeoff, it often moves in a formation of 3-5 identical machines to complicate any potential attack on the helicopter carrying the president. In case of a threat, the machine can defend itself using, for instance, the AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis system, which disrupts infrared-guided missiles.

The first VH-92 flight as Marine One took place on August 24, 2024. Joe Biden flew this machine to a rally where Vice President Kamala Harris was announced as the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States.