President's New Helicopter

[Tyrant]

http://www.livescience.com/technology/060507_marine_one.html

After decades of upgrades to a fleet of notoriously cramped Sikorsky VH-3 Sea Kings, the White House has tasked Lockheed Martin with a dramatic, $6.1-billion makeover of Marine One, the presidential helicopter, starting this summer. The goal: to fit a mobile Oval Office into the tight quarters of a chopper. The new fleet will consist of 23 VH-71 aircraft, each of which will have 200 square feet of cabin space, nearly double the Sea King’s 116.

While people starve and stub their toes.

 

[The Question]

So they're just upgrading a CH-53 Sea Stallion. Why the hell would an upgrade, even on that huge-ass helo, cost $6.1 Billion?

 

[Neil]

XBox 360's, an open bar, and first-run, in-flight movies.

 

[dogbert]

Did they name the helicopter Ben?