NAVAIR Says Photos Were Taken In September

If you've been wondering what the new Marine One helicopter may look like, some newly-released photos will give you some idea.

Fox News reports that the images show a prototype of the new helo landing on the White House Lawn. A NAVAIR spokesman said that the photos were captured during testing on September 22. NAVAIR is leading the development of the new aircraft.

The images show a Sikorsky VH-92A helicopter in the traditional Presidential airlift livery. The spokesman told Fox News that "there isn't a part of that helicopter that isn't tested, down to the paint. We took delivery from Sikorsky in August and began testing."

The aircraft, designated Engineering Design Model (EDM 1), is the first of six that will participate in the flight test program, which will include design, certification and testing of the replacement helicopter "to support the Presidential world-wide vertical-lift mission."

The Drive cites a GAO report that indicates the aircraft's impact on the White House lawn is an important part of the test regime.

The NAVAIR spokesman told Fox News that the texting program "is going exceptionally well." Deployment of the aircraft is expected in 2020.

The Marine Corps currently operates eleven VH-3D and eight VH-60N helicopters. Both models are military-certified aircraft modified to perform the specific mission. The VH-3Ds were originally placed in service in 1974 and the VH-60s entered service in the 1980s. Both aircraft are well past their original twenty-year service life expectations. Safe operations have been sustained with a comprehensive overhaul cycle at relatively short, three-year intervals.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Hunter Helis)

FMI: Source report, www.navair.navy.mil