Plans To Build A New Marine One Is 'Running Into Trouble'

A rendering of the helicopter that Sikorsky wants to build for the president. It may prove to be the only bidder. Sikorsky Aircraft

Few Suitors To Build A New Marine One -- New York Times

Wanting to clamp down on wasteful spending, President Obama halted a project to create new presidential helicopters four years ago, saying its soaring price was a symbol of government contracting “gone amok.”

But to the administration’s surprise, a new competition to build the helicopters much more cheaply is also running into trouble. Industry officials said that only one company, Sikorsky Aircraft, was likely to bid on the multibillion-dollar contract this week. And some of Sikorsky’s rivals are voicing an increasingly common complaint — that bid specifications are being written so narrowly they are driving away potential competitors.

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My Comment: Why is it that in Washington .... nothing is ever simple.