Obama: Marine One helicopters under review

[unhappycamper]

Obama: Marine One helicopters under review
By Donna Borak - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Feb 23, 2009 20:48:16 EST

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama never had a helicopter, which he says might explain why he’s perfectly happy with the current White House fleet and doesn’t need a more costly one.

At the conclusion of a fiscal summit Monday, Obama faced questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, including his former presidential rival, Sen. John McCain.

McCain bemoaned cost overruns in military procurement. The new fleet of 28 Marine One helicopters being built by Lockheed Martin Corp. — now over budget at $11.2 billion — will cost more than Air Force One.

Obama said the helicopter he has now seems adequate, adding that he never had a helicopter before and “maybe I’ve been deprived and I didn’t know it.”

Obama said he has already talked to Defense Secretary Robert Gates about reviewing the program and its ballooning costs.


Rest of article at: http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_marine_one_obama_022309/%2e

[HillbillyBob]

1. These 28 helicopters are made by the Italian firm Finemercia(Sp?)

the same company that makes the choppers for Ayatollah One and several other security threats.
Now why would GWB buy choppers from such a company and re-brand them?
Is this pay back for the Italian security service forgery of the 'yellow cake' papers.
I don't say this out of conjecture. I did read about it here I think and I can't remember.
These choppers are also older technology fuel greedy and are heavy and hard to handle.
This according to a long time Marine One pilot.
Plus why do they need 28 of them? We have one president and a vp..at most we need 3 so there is a spare , currently there are 2 Marine One choppers.

"McCain bemoaned cost overruns in military procurement. The new fleet of 28 Marine One helicopters being built by Lockheed Martin Corp. — now over budget at $11.2 billion — will cost more than Air Force One."
The Lockheed Martin name on an Italian chopper is another ( * ) counterfeit.
I guess like anything else having to do with the ( * ) crime family its all in the 'branding'.

[unhappycamper]

2. You are correct.

The Italian contract for these helicopters was payback for the yellow cake documents.