The problems of the VH-92A Patriot, the new US Marine One presidential helicopter

@DefAviation ES 8·20·2024 · 22:07 0

On August 19, Joe Biden debuted a new Marine One, the name given to the helicopters that transport the US president.

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The new presidential helicopter is the Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot, and its debut by Biden took place on a flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Soldier Field in that city, from where the US president was transferred by ground to the United Center, where the Democratic National Convention is taking place. The first VH-92A Marine One was the helicopter with registration number 169186 and serial number 92-0334.

The VH-92A Patriot is a purpose-built presidential transport version of the Sikorsky S-92 civilian helicopter. The civilian model, developed from the Sikorsky S-70 (the civilian designation of the famous UH-60 Black Hawk), made its maiden flight on December 23, 1998, and about 300 units have been built to date. The VH-92 was ordered by the Obama administration in May 2014 and made its maiden flight on July 28, 2017, a few months after Donald Trump became president of the United States.

The VH-92H program cost $5 billion for 23 helicopters, two test helicopters and 21 production helicopters. Coincidentally, yesterday the delivery of the last of the VH-92As manufactured to the Marines was announced, whose squadron, Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1), is in charge of operating the helicopters that transport the US president. The flights are handled by a unit subordinate to that squadron, the Executive Flight Detachment, known as "Whiteside", whose helicopters are distinguished by having their tops painted white, which is why they are known as the "White Tops".

Currently, HMX-1 Whiteside operates 9 VH-92As (the remaining 12 are pending qualification to serve as presidential transports), 10 Sikorsky VH-3D Sea Kings (introduced in 1976 and derived from the famous SH-3 naval helicopter) and 6 VH-60N White Hawks (introduced in 1988 and are the executive transport version of the UH-60 Black Hawk). These helicopters are transported on Boeing C-17 aircraft that accompany the Boeing 747-200B Air Force One (the plane in which the US President travels) on his trips.

The remainder of HMX-1, known as "Greenside," operates 12 Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor planes, used in support roles (such as transporting Secret Service agents, escorting the U.S. president) and which have green tops.

The new VH-92A Patriot has given the HMX-1 a few headaches. The helicopter first landed at the White House on September 22, 2018, almost six years ago. How is it possible that Biden hasn't used it in all this time? The explanation came to light in November 2021 with a report from the US Department of Defense, which noted that "failing to meet the reliability, availability or maintainability threshold requirements."

The report stated that the VH-92A was "operationally effective" for "administrative" missions, but not in an "contingency operation mission," adding: "instability, cabin interior flaws, frequent maintenance inspections and rear air-stair door components contributed to low aircraft availability."

Furthermore, it was revealed that on its first flight to the White House, the helicopter had burned the grass in the landing zone on the South Lawn of the presidential residence, burns caused by engine exhaust, redirected toward the ground by the helicopter's main rotor, but also due to fluid discharges, "limiting the number of available landing zones".

The VH-92A Patriot is intended to replace the aircraft used until now by the "Whiteside", both the VH-3D and the VH-60N. It should be noted that the VH-92A is the largest Marine One helicopter used by the US president, since it measures 17.12 meters in length, being slightly larger than its predecessor, the VH-3D (whose fuselage measures 16.69 meters). In addition, it is the first presidential helicopter with a rear ramp.

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Main photo: Naval Air Systems Command.