Letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

June 9, 2003
The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I am writing to request that you give the utmost consideration to selecting the US101 helicopter to meet a number of emerging needs, including the replacement of the aging HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters currently used in combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations and the replacement of the VH-3D aircraft currently used for Presidential transport.

I was pleased to recently learn that the Air Force will begin the process of acquiring a new CSAR aircraft in FY05 with an award to be made in FY06. I continue to believe need for new CSAR aircraft must be addressed as quickly as possible and have strongly supported acceleration of the operational fielding of the CSAR replacement helicopter.

I believe that the US101's mission reaction time, range, cabin space, survivability and adverse weather operability make it ideally suited to replace the HH-60 Pave Hawk as the U.S. Air Force's CSAR aircraft. In its role as the prime contractor, Lockheed Martin will lead domestic production of the US101, which is the American version of Augusta Westland's EH-101 helicopter. This medium lift helicopter is a proven performer and has been in production since 1998.

The EH-101, currently in service with the UK Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, the Italian Navy and Canadian Forces, has already accumulated 36,000 flying hours. In addition to its proven performance, because this is an "off the shelf" solution, the American taxpayer will not have to shoulder the costs of development.

I also feel that the unique capabilities of the US101 make it an excellent candidate to replace the current fleet of VH-3D aircraft used for Presidential Transport. The current VH-3D fleet, which entered service in the mid-1960's, is experiencing maintenance and performance problems that directly impact its ability to provide transportation support for the President of the United States and other high ranking government executives.

Accordingly, the Department of the Navy has accelerated its efforts to select a replacement aircraft. The US101 can provide many improvements over the existing VH-3D fleet, including lowered operating costs, improvements in safety, increased travel range and cabin space, and adverse weather operability.

I strongly support the US101 helicopter program, and feel that the capabilities of the US101 helicopter will allow it to meet the requirements of the U.S. Air Force's CSAR program and the Department of the Navy's Presidential transport program. Accordingly, I urge you to consider the selecting the US101 as the replacement aircraft for these programs.

I thank you for your attention to this request, and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer
United States Senate