SASLess - yes, we have heard about the hangar complex - Rotorhub.com ran this story on 28th January 2005 - the $36M obviously refers to the initial tranche with the target max being $84M
US Navy awards $36M contract to build Presidential Helicopter Programs Support Facility at NAS Patuxent River
Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Chantilly, Va., is being awarded a $36,800,000 firm-fixed price contract for the Presidential Helicopter Programs Support Facility at Naval Air Station (NAS), Patuxent River. This contract will be incrementally funded as authorized by Congress with the initial funding today; the total contract amount is not to exceed $84,422,000. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed by July 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Phase I was competed via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with 12 offers received, and based on the results of the technical evaluation, three of the 12 firms who submitted Phase I proposals were invited to participate in the Phase II competitive negotiation process. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N40080-04-C-0161).
Source: US Dept of Defense
=================
Flying Lawyer - the "71" is merely part of an ongoing numerical series which has in recent years featured.........
AH-66 Comanche - now consigned to history
TH-67 Creek - the NTH "new training helicopter" aka Bell 206
MH-68 Stingray - the HITRON Coast Guard interdiction heli aka A109E
??- 69 omitted from sequence
AH-70 - ARH "Armed Reconnaissance helicopter" based on the Bell 407
VH-71 Kestrel - VXX presidential helicopter aka EH-101
UH-72 Lakota - Army LUH "light utility helicopter" program - aka EC145