And in case someone forgets, there are ALWAYS politics involved anytime a military program of ANY nation looks at airframes from another country for their domestic needs.
Especially in a great country like the USA with only one helicopter manufacturer left, the last two out of three helicopter programs were awarded to foreign airframes.
I concur!
In light of the EADS Tanker contract somebody over in the Military Aircrew Forum acuartely pointed out, that if America want's to sell weapons to the rest of the world, they should allow foreign technology to enter their market as well.
The EH-101 might be the "not so new" technology compared to the S-92 (although their respective maiden flight lies only 8 years apart - eons in aviaton I know, so pardon my ignorance!), but if it helps as a political instrument...
Might be a long shot, but eventually even Sikorsky could benefit from opening their market - at least the public opinion in other governments would improve, helping them to sell a few more S-92's in the long run!? Maybe less prestigious but maybe - only maybe - they might even sell more military versions than they would have sold to the presidential helicopter program? I mean after all United Technologies claims to do 62% of their business internationally.
Just my two cents...
P.S: The people who have argued that the S-92 is far more superior than the EH-101 because of advanced technologies (I do not doubt that!), probably shouldn't bitch and moan about the afore mentioned tanker contract. The A330 design is after all 10 years "younger" than the 767 right? But maybe that's all politics as well, huh?