[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Will President Trump's Exclusive Helicopter Be Replaced This Year?

U.S. President Donald Trump is arriving at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on the 7th. 2017.11.7

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] Will U.S. President Donald Trump's presidential helicopter change this year? The United States has been pushing forward a replacement project for the presidential helicopter, 'Marine One,' since 2013, and the first unit is expected to be introduced within this year, drawing attention.

The aircraft used by the U.S. president is called 'Air Force One,' and the presidential helicopter is called 'Marine One.' The U.S. has been pursuing a purchase project for 23 helicopters since 2013 to replace the presidential helicopter. The first unit is expected to be introduced this year. At that time, only one company challenged the U.S. presidential helicopter bid: Sikorsky Aircraft, founded by Russian-born engineer Igor Sikorsky.

Marine One has been virtually monopolized by Sikorsky Aircraft. Currently, all of the U.S. Marine One helicopters are large models VH-3D (Sea King) numbering 11 units and smaller models VH-60N (Nighthawk) numbering 9 units, all manufactured by Sikorsky. However, during the 2013 helicopter replacement project, Sikorsky proposed a VIP version of the S-92 helicopter to replace the VH-3D or VH-60N.

The S-92 is a multi-purpose helicopter with four main rotor blades, measuring 17.17 meters in length and 4.71 meters in height, with a fuselage length of 17.1 meters and fuselage width of 5.26 meters. Its maximum speed is 306 km/h, cruising speed is 280 km/h, and maximum range is 999 km. It uses General Electric engines. The price per unit was $32 million. The crew consists of 2 members, and it can carry up to 19 passengers.

Lockheed Martin had no intention of partnering with Sikorsky from the start. Its first partner was AgustaWestland. In 2005, it won the Marine One replacement project, beating Sikorsky. However, as White House requirements increased, costs ballooned like a snowball, and after nine test aircraft were delivered in 2009, the project was canceled. The cost for replacing 20 units was $13 billion, equivalent to about 14 trillion Korean won.

The U.S. Marine One was originally the UH-34 model. In 1954, President Eisenhower, feeling discomfort with the helicopter, ordered a change, and the presidential helicopter was switched to the UH-34 model. The first to use the UH-34 model was President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy, a former Navy officer, entrusted the management, operation, and protocol of the presidential helicopter to the Marine Corps.

Since then, the presidential helicopter has been called the Marine Corps' No. 1 helicopter, or Marine One, continuing to this day. The aircraft is about 22 meters long with a maximum speed of 240 km/h. It is equipped with three engines, so even if one fails or is damaged by enemy attack, flight is not affected. Marine One is equipped with various communication facilities, anti-air missile warning systems, and anti-ballistic missile defense systems. However, due to severe aging of the model, a replacement project was initiated.

Marine One also visited South Korea in 2017. It was used when U.S. President Donald Trump visited Pyeongtaek's Camp Humphreys from Osan Air Base. Marine One was airlifted from the U.S. using a transport plane, arriving with some propellers and parts of the fuselage disassembled, then reassembled for use.

Marine One is the call sign used by the U.S. Marine Corps for the president, operated by the 1st Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1, Nighthawk), using the older VH-3D Sea King helicopter or the smaller newer VH-60N White Hawk. Generally, the VH-60N White Hawk is used during overseas trips. The performance of Marine One (VH-60N White Hawk) is top secret, but some known details include a top speed of 295 km/h, maximum altitude of 5,790 meters, all-weather day and night operation, and self-navigation capabilities. It is equipped with AN/ALQ-144A systems to defend against heat-seeking missiles with flares, radar-guided missiles with chaff, and infrared-guided missiles, as well as electromagnetic wave attack defense capabilities.

South Korea also has a presidential helicopter. The South Korean president's helicopter belongs to the Air Force and primarily used AS-330 Puma and UH-60 models, but in 2007, during the late President Roh Moo-hyun's administration, three Sikorsky S-92 helicopters were purchased and are still in use. They are equipped with radar warning receivers, infrared jamming devices, missile tracking decoys, and digital automatic flight control systems (AFCS) necessary for self-defense against various weapons. The maximum speed is 295 km/h, range is 702 km, endurance is 3 hours, and it is known to carry up to 18 passengers.