Spinning Marine One

THERE'S SOMETHING ALLURING about flying in a private jet, even if you're sitting backwards, crammed alongside other reporters. Maybe it's because you walk directly onto the tarmac, up the stairs to the Lear, no lines and no need to remove your shoes. Maybe it's the leather chairs and wood paneling. Or maybe it's the free scotch and Snickers bars. Not that I imbibed on the 9:00 a.m. flight to Owego, New York, courtesy of Lockheed Martin. (You would think the largest defense contractor in the world could afford a Gulf Stream. Or a stealth bomber.) Still, it was a treat--and the only thing Lockheed wanted was a story praising the US101 as the helicopter best suited for the president of the United States.

Not that the case couldn't be made. During our trip last October to Owego, home of Lockheed's Systems Integration facility, communications director Michael Drake explained that with the US101's three engines, "you have a choice of where to land. With two, you have to land immediately." In addition, the US101 is battle-tested: Its Royal Marine equivalent, the EH-101, has been serving honorably in Iraq. Said Stephen Ramsey, vice president and general manager of the US101, "What you don't want to offer is a helicopter that is unproven." Officials dubbed it an "Oval Office in the sky." When it comes to systems integration, Lockheed is arguably the best.

So why would you choose anything else?

Two months after the trip to Owego, I was flown to Stratford, Connecticut, home of Sikorsky Aircraft, the long-time maker of the president's current helicopter. We flew on a luxurious Hawker 800, which offered more space than the Lear. "The key," said a British journalist, "is if you can stand up in the aisle." (You can.)

Could Stratford exist without a Sikorsky? It's hard to imagine, what with some 6,000 employees working there. Besides their own Marine One prototype--the VH-92--Sikorsky builds the Blackhawk helicopter, a staple of U.S. presence in Iraq. Touring their plant, it's hard to miss the American flags, proudly hanging on the walls and in the hangars. There's a plaque honoring factory employees who are on active duty in the Middle East. The message is clear: Shouldn't the president of the United States fly in an American-made helicopter? Would the president drive around in a Mercedes?

INDEED, only 65 percent of the Lockheed model is American. The other 35 percent comes from Italy and Great Britain (AgustaWestland). In a post-9/11 environment, Sikorsky makes a valid argument as to whether the gearboxes and rotor blades manufactured abroad will be as secure as something made here. Many Sikorsky employees (though not all) have "Yankee White Clearance"--meaning top secret access, which British and Italian workers lack. Besides which, the aircraft has other merits, which program manager Nick Lappos (himself a veteran helicopter pilot) explains impressively. The VH-92 is an outgrowth of the Blackhawk, which has logged more than 7 million flight hours, he says. Also, three engines are actually a burden on the lift, resulting in less payload and less range--and besides that, with either two engines or three, if something is damaged, you land regardless. And while the US101 claims to be longer, the VH-92 is wider.

IN THE EARLY MONTHS of the competition (known as VXX), Sikorsky Aircraft officials stressed the "Made in America" aspect, while Lockheed maintained that VXX was about getting the best helicopter, not the most American. "Which is the better helicopter?" asked Lockheed's Stephen Ramsey. "Our competitor wants to divert attention away from that and talk about how American they are. Frankly we think the first question ought to be 'Shouldn't the president have the best helicopter?'" And besides, "If our key allies are good enough to shed their blood, sweat, and tears with us on the battlefield, why isn't the product of their industrial labor good enough for our president?"

Sikorsky insisted that long before the "Buy American" argument was made, their rivals were politicizing the issue at a much deeper level. To wit, a letter sent to President Bush in January of 2003 that read in part:

Dear George,

I understand that you intend to accelerate the replacement of your Marine Corps Executive Transport helicopters. I wanted to draw your attention to the significant capabilities offered by the US101 helicopter for this role . . . . With many thousands of flying hours behind it, the US101 is a low risk solution with the additional safety and security provided by the latest technology (including U.S. defensive measures) and three engines . . . . I hope that you will be able to look favorably on this proven "off the shelf" product.

Yours ever,

Tony

The "Tony" in question is one Prime Minister Tony Blair.