Marine One

The first use of a helicopter to transport the president was in 1957, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower traveled on a Bell UH-13J Sioux. The president wanted a quick way to reach his summer home, in Pennsylvania. Using Air Force One would have been impractical over such a short distance, and there was no airfield near his home with a paved runway to support fixed-wing aircraft, so Eisenhower instructed his staff to investigate other modes of transport and a Sikorsky UH-34 Seahorse helicopter was commissioned. The early aircraft lacked the amenities of its modern successors, such as air conditioning and an aircraft lavatory for use in flight. in 1961 In 1958, the H-13 was replaced by the Sikorsky H-34, which was succeeded in 1961 by the VH-3A. Not long after helicopters for presidential transport were introduced, presidential aides asked the Marine Corps to investigate using the White House South Lawn for landing. Improvements were made to both models of helicopter after their introduction, to take advantage of technological developments and to meet new mission requirements. By about 2001, it was clear that so much extra weight had been added to the helicopters that mission capability was reduced and few new improvements could be made. By 2009, there were 11 VH-3Ds and eight VH-60Ns in service for the president and other prominent individuals. As of 2009, Marine One had never had an accident or been attacked. However, in 2006, President George W. Bush boarded Marine One with his departing press secretary, but the helicopter "would not work", so the president left the White House in a car. In November 2002, the White House asked the Secretary of Defense to accelerate development of the new aircraft; the Defense Department said a new helicopter would be ready by the end of 2008, The Navy awarded the contract to Lockheed Martin in January 2005, to develop and build 28 helicopters. In June 2009, the VH-71 program was canceled because of cost overruns, Boeing said it could adapt the VH-71, if the Navy and Marine Corps wished. In July 2013, the Department of Defense waived the requirement that companies build prototypes. The department's analysis showed the cost of making prototypes was unlikely to generate benefits. The department said it was proceeding with VXX development using an in-production aircraft with existing, proven systems. A draft request for proposals was released in November 2012. Final contract award By August 2013, all interested companies, including Northrop Grumman–AgustaWestland and Bell–Boeing, had withdrawn from the VXX bidding, except Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky had partnered with Lockheed Martin, and said it intended to use the S-92 as the base aircraft. A VH-92 made its inaugural flight as Marine One on the afternoon of 19 August 2024, when President Joe Biden rode from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Soldier Field en route to the 2024 Democratic National Convention. == Current operations ==

with Presidential motorcade vehicles on the ground in Larkspur, California on June 20, 2023. Marine One is the preferred alternative to motorcades, which can be expensive and logistically difficult. The controlled environment of a helicopter is considered an added safety factor. The HMX-1 fleet is also used to transport senior cabinet staff and foreign dignitaries. HMX-1 operates 37 helicopters of four different types as of 2024. at West Palm Beach, Florida. More than 800 Marines supervise the operation of the Marine One fleet, which is based in MCAF Quantico, Virginia, with an additional operating location at Naval Support Facility Anacostia in the District of Columbia, but is more often seen in action on the South Lawn of the White House or at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility in Maryland. At Andrews, the helicopter is sometimes used to connect to Air Force One for longer journeys. Marine One is met on the ground by at least one Marine in full dress uniform (most often two, with one acting as an armed guard). According to a story told by Bruce Babbitt, President Clinton, in his final days of office, while flying over and landing in a remote area near the Grand Canyon, found a Marine waiting on the rock ready to salute him. Marine aviators flying Marine One do not wear regular flight suits during flights, but rather the Marine Blue Dress Charlie uniform. At a presidential inauguration, the Marines offer the outgoing president a final flight from the Capitol to Joint Base Andrews. This flight is customarily, though somewhat confusingly, called Executive One. Security measures As a security measure, Marine One often flies in a group of as many as five identical helicopters. One helicopter carries the president, while the others serve as decoys. Upon takeoff these helicopters shift in formation to obscure the location of the president. This has been referred to as a "presidential shell game". Marine One is also equipped with standard military anti-missile countermeasures such as flares to counter heat-seeking missiles and chaff to counter radar-guided missiles, as well as AN/ALQ-144A infrared countermeasures. To add to the security of Marine One, every member of HMX-1 is required to pass a Yankee White background check before touching any of the helicopters used for presidential travel. Long-distance transport Marine One is transported via C-17 Globemaster or C-5 Galaxy military transport planes (as is the president's limousine) wherever the president travels within the US, as well as overseas. Even if, during a foreign trip, the president does not plan to use Marine One, at least one helicopter is on standby in a hangar of a local airport or air base to depart if need be. == See also ==