Marine One Scandal May Unravel Military-Industrial Complex

President Obama promised to look into the development and acquisition of the new fleet of Marine One helicopters, and also, to reform the way that military development contracts were awarded and monitored during his candidacy. Both opportunities seem to have been dropped on The White House doorstep, and may prove to be a striking point in the unravelling of the Military-Industrial Complex.

While on the surface it would appear that the current Finmeccanica contract to supply 28 of its VH-71 helicopters to replace the aging fleet of Sikorsky Blackhawks and Sea Kings--some of which have been in service ferrying Presidents and other VIP's over 35 years--represents the typical cost-overrun defense contract, the magnitude of the contract and the reasons it went to Finmeccanica raise many questions and accusations.

When the Finmeccanica contract, which is fronted by Lockheed Martin domestically as the "straw manufacturer", ballooned from it's original allocation of $6.1Billion to over $11.2Billion Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was forced to go to Congress for a Review of the project.

Typically contracts of this sensitive nature are given only to domestic Arms Manufacturers, and Sikorsky has provided the Presidential Helicopter Fleet since it was first created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Finmeccanica seems to have been awarded the contract 6 years ago as a repayment to the Italian Government for it's support of the War in Iraq--and some have suggested, for having provided the conduit by which the faulty "Yellow Cake from Niger" claim was disseminated and blown-back into domestic media and ultimately used as a irrefutable foundation for President Bush's plan to invade Iraq.

Many assert that hidden within the maze of the Finmeccanica Contract are the roots of all of the secretive dealings that surround Pentagon Contracts, including improper lobbyist ties, poor asset management, and the hint of war crimes.

If due diligence is carried out by the Obama Administration and the Democratic-Led Congress, perhaps the veil of darkness that surrounds the Military-Industrial Complex, which President Eisenhower first named and warned the American Public of in his farewell address, can be brought into the light, and the guilty parties punished. President Obama may never get another chance this perfect for dissection.

Sources:
The New York Times, February 15, 2009,Obama Confronts a Choice on Copters, by Peter Baker
The Huffington Post, February 22, 2009,Helicopters, Cover-ups and War Crimes, by Jeffrey Klein and Paolo Pontoniere