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After X of upgrades to a fleet of notoriously cramped Sikorsky VH-3 Sea Kings , the White House has task Lockheed Martin with a dramatic , $ 6.1 - billion makeover of Marine One , the presidential helicopter , begin this summer . The goal : to fit a mobile Oval Office into the tight quarters of a pearly . The raw fleet will consist of 23 VH-71 aircraft , each of which will have 200 square feet of cabin space , nigh double the Sea King ’s 116 .
Aside from the legroom , the copter will comprise major rise to the quondam defense and communicating systems . as authoritative is that the aircraft is flight of steps - essay — the $ 110 - million bird is deduce from a European - build AgustaWestland EH101 , presently doing military service for Canada and the U.K. Here , an inside flavor at the revamped Marine One , set to gradually go into avail between 2009 and 2014 .
An illustration of the next Marine One
Fuselage : Made of high - strength reward aluminium alloy , it can withstand crash impingement in excess of 15 Gs .
locomotive : The VH-71 can shift from three 3,000 - horsepower turboshaft engines to two , whereas the twin - engine Sea King must put down if one engine fail .
rotor coil : Five flared rotor coil blade increase the slyness ’s efficiency by up to 30 per centum over formal excogitation when aviate at 150 - knot cruising f number .
Defense System : The VH-71s , like the EH101s they are model on , will believably feature radar - warn receiv - ers , laser detectors and flash dispensers to deflect anti - aircraft missile .
Cabin : assess eight feet wide and 25 feet long , the cabin will let in a lavatory and a galley kitchen . The fold - down stair spares the chairman from dodge during photogenic entrances and exit .
Communications : More way for communications hardware means the chairman will have unafraid and uninterrupted access to all White House and Pentagon computer systems and data streams .
