The New Lockheed Marine One

Lockheed Martin won a fierce battle with Sikorsky this afternoon for a $6 billion contract to build a new fleet of 23 high-tech, high-security presidential helicopters, designated Marine One. (This represents a major blow to Connecticut-based Sikorsky, which has built and maintained the current Marine One fleet for nearly 50 years.)

The US101 team was led by Lockheed Martin, English-Italian partnership AgustaWestland, and Bell Helicopter Textron, who will manufacture the fleet in Texas (to be delivered from 2009-2014). However, there is some controvery over the fact that the US101 is based on a European design (the AgustaWestland EH101), and will be comprised of many European-built parts (British fuselages and rotor blades, and Italian drivetrains and gearboxes).

But it sure looks cool.

(More details available from the Associated Press and Reuters.)