Sikorsky will design more powerful rotor blades for the 23-aircraft Marine One fleet, despite downdraft problems that have damaged the White House lawn.
Sikorsky Aircraft has been awarded a $107 million contract to modify the new Marine One presidential helicopter fleet.
The new award will fund the design and integration of more powerful new main rotor blades for the 23 aircraft that make up the fleet.
The VH-92A Patriot model was first delivered in 2024, but it has run into problems landing around the White House, where the downdraft from the aircraft has damaged the lawn.
President Donald Trump recently announced that Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky’s parent company, would pay to install a helipad on the south lawn of the White House.
Despite that, the new rotor blades, dubbed Power Margin Increment Two, will deliver extra lifting power to the helicopter.
The majority work is expected to be carried out at Sikorsky’s Stratford headquarters, and to be completed by March 2031.
