Granite Helipad for Marine One to Protect White House Lawn
A new granite helipad is being built on the White House South Lawn to accommodate the Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot, the helicopter that will take over the Marine One mission
The US President has unveiled a partly built granite helicopter landing pad on the White House South Lawn. This pad is being constructed to protect the lawn from damage caused by the Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot, the new helicopter that will be used for the Marine One mission.
## Background to the Problem The VH-92A has not met a key performance requirement to land without damaging the surface beneath it. This issue was first reported by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) in April 2018. During a training event in September 2018, the VH-92A's exhaust damaged a landing zone. Program officials stated that this event did not represent a typical operational scenario because the lawn was exposed to exhaust for longer than it would be under normal operating conditions.
The GAO listed three possible fixes to this problem: changes to operational procedures, changes to the helicopter, and lawn surface treatments. Sikorsky has flight-tested a prototype auxiliary power unit exhaust deflector. The VH-92A is a derivative of the commercial S-92A and has been procured by the Navy to replace the VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N White Hawk.
## New Marine One Enters Service The US Marine Corps declared initial operational capability for the VH-92A in December 2021. The Pentagon's Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) assessed the type as operationally effective and suitable in a January 2023 report. However, the new helicopter has not been used for arrivals and departures on the South Lawn due to the damage it causes.
## Funding for the Helipad The cost of the helipad is estimated to be around $6 million. The President initially stated that Sikorsky would cover the full cost, but later said that the company would pay much of the bill, with additional donations from others, including himself. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson confirmed that the company's contribution was made to the National Park Service. The finished pad will be able to accommodate any helicopter in the world and has been redesigned to be raised to level, adding about a week and a half to the schedule.
The following table summarizes the key details of the VH-92A procurement: | Category | Details | | --- | --- | | Number of airframes | 23 | | Operational aircraft | 21 | | Engineering development models | 2 | | Initial operational capability | December 2021 | | Operational effectiveness assessment | January 2023 |
