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| For 57 years, Sikorsky has been trusted with the critical responsibility of building and supporting a safe and reliable helicopter fleet for the President of the United States. We are ready to develop the next generation of ‘Marine One’ based on the trusted, proven & reliable S-92® platform and, alongside our teammates, deliver the world’s most advanced executive transport helicopter on time and to cost |
Wednesday, May 07, 2014
Marine One goes to Sikorsky. Another win....
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And I thought F-35s were expensive.
ReplyDeleteSikorsky Aircraft Co. and the U.S. Department of Defense announced the $1.24 billion contract for six test aircraft, the first to be delivered by 2020. Twenty-one aircraft will be built for the presidential fleet, with most of the work to be done in Connecticut.
That's $206 million each.
That's half the price of Lockheed Martin prime-contracted Kestrel, which was $400 million a copy.
DeleteThat's not only a Win for the DoD and the USMC. It's also a Win for Sikorsky and all those hard workers who build those helicopters and bring home money to the family. That's giving them stable employment.
ReplyDeletethats who i was referring to...Sikorsky, not the DoD. we know this contract won't get canceled.
DeleteWe know the guys and gals on the factory floor at Sikorsky are going to have plenty of more jobs in the near future as well.
DeleteThere is nothing to be won. Sikorsky was the sole bidder.
ReplyDeleteyou have to show up to compete, if you compete you win. Sikorsky showed up, it competed and it won. the DoD could have simply canceled the contest. they didn't so there you have it.
DeleteSikorsky WON!
OK, game on ... anyone willing to guess what the total cost of this will be for all 21 aircraft.
ReplyDeleteAs a guide - the Kestral started at 6.1B for 28 aircraft (218m each) and ballooned to 13B (464m each) [approx.]
You're right in that it won't get cancelled, but will it be on-time and on-budget like all military contracts ;)
it matters on what the DoD does. now that the contract has been awarded will they make any changes? will they want to add different tech now? if not i can see it doing well. if they do then it will be a repeat of the Kestral debacle.
DeleteAgree with your statement, changes are always expensive as this is where suppliers usually make most of their margin. So, given the end users are really the self entitled politicians who previously were demanding private jet levels of comfort and not just a safe-from-terrorists transport, and also add in the usual close relationship between DoD and Industry, I believe you have a perfect storm setup for having those changes coming thick and fast.
DeleteI remember a story about the air force wanting (maybe actually got, I forget now) luxury 1st class style boxes to fit into the C17s for VIP transport. Now the elite have seen the new Etihad 1st class 'apartment' on their planes, got knows what they are now thinking is possible.
... guess only time will tell. It'd be funny to watch if it wasn't our money!
Oh, love the image at the top of the page of the guy with the skeletor mask - I assume french.
OK, not french. Just seen the next item. I saw french in Africa in similar masks.
DeleteIt depends on everyone does with requirements creep. In the last program the Secret Service kept leveling more and more requirements onto the program, EMP proof, 6 foot doors and ceilings, Microwave Oven, most advanced communications suit of all time, ect. Hopefully because it was President Obama that approved the cancellation of the previous aircraft he will remember this and tell his Secret Service to stay in their box this time.
ReplyDeleteI imagine they're confident that they can piggyback some of this development off the Cyclone project. They've spent the last ten years re-engineering the S-92 for higher weight and military specs. That may help things go a little more smoothly.
ReplyDeleteI hope this works out, we in Canada are still waiting. IOC for 2015 and FOC for 2018 with no idea on its initial and final capabilities or deficiencies. Electromagnetic (E3) problems remain problematic due to the lack of embedded copper mesh a carryover from its civilian heritage. Weight, power, and range compromised from SOR. Rotor run dry time has not been confirmed either. Last I heard there was no night flights or flights over water. Hopefully the addition of American orders will provide Sikorsky with the necessary impetus to get things back on track
ReplyDelete