Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel

Uncommon card · No. 192524

The Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel was a variant of the AgustaWestland AW101 helicopter that was being manufactured to replace the United States Marine Corps' Marine One U.S. presidential transport fleet. Originally marketed for various competitions as the US101, it was developed and manufactured in the US by a consortium headed by Lockheed Martin, consisting of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration – Owego (LMSI), AgustaWestland and Bell Helicopter. In January 2005, the US101 was selected for the VXX Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program, and was promptly re-designated as the VH-71. However, development was subject to delays, cost overruns, and engineering issues; Lockheed attributed much of these issues to unanticipated and extensive modifications being demanded by the government that had been absent from the request for proposal (RFP) issued. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report in 2011 also recognised that a lack of flexibility and compromise on the part of the government...

Read on Wikipedia · Image taken by Test and Evaluation Squadron TWO ONE (HX-21), refer to ticket, Public domain