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NAVFAC to Build Test Facility for President's New Helicopters

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050207-14
Release Date: 2/7/2005 5:36:00 PM

By John Verrico, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy is building a new facility to test and evaluate a new helicopter fleet to support the President of the United States.

The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) has selected Hensel Phelps Construction Company of Greeley, Colo., to build the Presidential Helicopter (VXX) Program Support Facility at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River in Southern Maryland. The VXX program will integrate the latest communications, navigation, and mission systems technology with a new helicopter for the Presidential support mission to replace the current fleet of VH-3D and VH-60N aircraft.

"We are honored to be directly supporting the Presidential helicopter program with this fast-track project," said Lt. Cmdr. Nick Yamodis, deputy resident officer in charge of construction at NAS Patuxent River. "We have a great team assembled and are looking forward to breaking ground in the coming months."

The Presidential Helicopter Programs Support Facility at NAS Patuxent River is split into three separate, but intertwined construction projects. The 202,000 square feet hangar facility will house the entire VXX team, to include engineering, aircraft maintenance, logistics, program management, and flight test and evaluation spaces. In addition to the VXX hangar, a new 11-story air operations control tower will be built to replace the current tower, which was originally constructed in 1943. An air operations annex will be demolished, and an addition to another existing air operations facility will be constructed as part of this contract.

Preliminary scope and design development started in 2004, with construction scheduled for completion in the summer of 2006.

Hensel Phelps Construction Company will work closely with NAVFAC, the VXX program office and NAS Patuxent River during the design and construction of these facilities. This contract will be incrementally funded as authorized by Congress with the initial funding now of $36.8 million, and the total cumulative value not to exceed $84.4 million.

Hensel Phelps was competitively selected through NAVFAC's e-solicitation Web site based on technical evaluation and a competitive negotiation process.