Sikorsky bags $1.24B presidential helicopter test aircraft contract

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has picked up a $1.24 billion contract to support the overhaul of the presidential helicopter fleet.

The contract tasks Sikorsky with handling the engineering and development phase of the Presidential Helicopter Replacement program (VXX), which will include the procurement of six test aircraft along with support and training equipment.

Funds in the amount of $42 million, none of which expires at the end of the current fiscal year, were obligated at the time of the award.

Sikorsky will be updating the presidential helicopter fleet, which is operated by the Marine Corps, by replacing the aging VH-3D and VH-60N aircraft with a VIP version of its S-92 helicopters.

Despite the project’s enormous value – with this contract coming in at $1.244 billion – Sikorsky was the only bidder.

Questions and delays surrounded the project, with an initial $11 billion price tag prompting a scuttling and re-boot of the Marine One overhaul program in 2009 and 2010.

Northrop Grumman-AgustaWestland and Bell-Boeing had submitted bids in prior iterations of the program.