Cost of presidential helicopters ripped (The Washington Times)

[Rotor_Head]

An internal Navy document shows that new plans to replace the president's fleet of helicopters will cost taxpayers more and take years longer to deliver than a recently scrapped contract, a New York Democrat said Wednesday. Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey said the Pentagon's plan to abandon aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Corp. and buy a new fleet with similar capabilities at a cost of up to $22 ...

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/searc...copters-ripped/

 

[Ttailfan]

An internal Navy document shows that new plans to replace the president's fleet of helicopters will cost taxpayers more and take years longer to deliver than a recently scrapped contract, a New York Democrat said Wednesday. Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey said the Pentagon's plan to abandon aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Corp. and buy a new fleet with similar capabilities at a cost of up to $22 ...

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/searc...copters-ripped/

If I'm not mistaken, hasn't the contract shifted from USA based Lockheed Martin to some European manufacturer?

We parcel off our national security by killing the KC767 in favor of an EU product. We do it again with the Marine One fleet. What's next...AF1?

I realize we are in a global supply chain world. And I am not about "isolationism" with my comments. But it seems that when it comes to our military...why are we putting ourselves in a position to be held "hostage" by replacing US designs with European ones? Eventually, parts, support, deliveries, etc. could be withheld because the US isn't in favor of some "pile of crap" program or agenda the liberals in Europe think we should support.

We CANNOT allow our military assets to be in a position of "compromise" like that. Its our national security we're talking about. And that includes our fixed and rotor wing aircraft the President uses.