Reply #10: I wondered why Sikorsky didn't get the contract (Blair & Berlusconi)

[IndianaGreen]

Now we know!

Posted 1/28/2005 5:29 PM

Lockheed Martin wins presidential helicopter contract

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lockheed Martin will build the new presidential helicopter fleet, the Navy announced Friday, putting an end to a fierce competition that had both political and international overtones.

The White House had pushed for a new Marine One fleet. The president "needs a more survivable helicopter while the nation engages in the global war on terrorism," said John Young, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, in making the announcement.

The $6.1 billion contract to buy 23 high-tech, high-security aircraft, is relatively small in the military budget. But it is emblematic of two important issues: the outsourcing of American jobs and the question of how open the U.S. military market is to foreign contractors.

Maryland-based Lockheed and its European partners had waged a major public relations campaign, with the help of political leaders from England and Italy.

http://yahoo.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-28-presidential-helicopter_x.htm?csp=1