U.S. Navy Wants Cut in VH-71 Budget . . . Or Does It?

The U.S. Navy is proposing to cut by 50 percent, funds previously requested in the 2008 budget for the VH-71 program to build a new presidential helicopter. The funds would come from a research-and-development portion of the program budget that Navy officials said would not be used in Fiscal 2008. They do expect the money, $400 million, will be placed back in the budget when needed. The request, however, may be symbolic. The Navy apparently has $400 million in funds left over from previous years' budgets that it can roll over into the 2008 budget. Lockheed Martin, AgustaWestland and Bell Helicopter are building the VH-71, which is based on AgustaWestland's EH101. More