Marine Corps’ New VH-92 Presidential Helicopter Achieves Initial Operational Capability

Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) runs test flights of the new VH-92A over the south lawn of the White House on Sept. 22, 2018. *U.S. MARINE CORPS / Sgt. Hunter Helis*

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps’ VH-92A presidential support helicopter has achieved initial operational capability, according to the Department of the Navy.

The VH-92A, built by Lockheed Martin, has been going through testing and crew training and achieved IOC on Dec. 28, 2021. No announcement by the program office was made at the time. The IOC was announced in the Navy Department’s budget highlights book for fiscal 2023 which was published in mid-April.

The VH-92A reaching IOC was confirmed April 26 during a hearing of the Seapower subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee by Frederick Stefany, who is performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.

“We achieved IOC of the VH-92 — the presidential helicopter — and we are now starting the commissioning process with the White House to get that helicopter into the White House’s fleet,” Stefany said.

The presidential helicopter fleet is flown by Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1). Currently HMX-1 flies the VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N Black Hawk helicopters.

The fiscal 2023 budget proposal funds the VH-92A program at $45.6 million and “continues developing product improvements for incremental incorporation to the VH-92A capability baseline to include enhancements to Wide Band Line of Sight [WBLOS] communication capability, cockpit upgrades, government furnished equipment, shipboard interoperability, software upgrades and commences developing product improvements for distributed network communications and vehicle performance enhancements.”

The planned fleet of VH-92As will include 21 operational aircraft and two test aircraft. Full operational capability of the VH-92A is planned for the second quarter of fiscal 2023.