[SandRat]

Yeah!!!! New Choppers to come down the line.

[A.A. Cunningham]

'"... On average, it costs approximately $15,000 and requires 44.1 maintenance man-hours for each flight hour,” Gold said.'

The Marine Corps' CH-53E has the highest operational support cost of any aircraft in the fleet.

[anymouse]

A "Cost Plus Award Fee" contract for the System Development and Demonstration phase, estimated to be approximately $2.9 billion, is expected to be signed with Sikorsky in March 2006.

Wouldn't you like to get $2.9 Billion worth of business guaranteed plus a sizable award fee on top of it. One would think the taxpayers (and our service men) would be better served by competitively procuring these helicopters based on performance and price.