Twenty years after White House planners decided a more robust rotorcraft was needed to transport the president, it still hasn’t been fielded. It isn’t that the new helicopter doesn’t exist: it has been developed and 23 are being produced. In fact, military tests indicate the new rotorcraft is suitable for routine operations. But a secret communications suite designed for use in emergency situations is taking longer than expected to complete, and that has delayed transition to what is called the VH-92 helicopter. As a result, the president and other senior officials are still flying on aged rotorcraft that joined the fleet several decades ago. Isn’t it time to start using the safer, more reliable VH-92, even if some interim comms solution needs to be implemented? I have written a commentary for Forbes here.
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