WASHINGTON – A year after 9/11, the White House set out to build a fleet of Marine One helicopters for the al-Qaeda age that would be safer, faster and more reliable than the iconic white-topped aircraft that have landed on the South Lawn for decades.

But the al-Qaeda age has met the military acquisition process. Six years later, the cost of the new helicopters has nearly doubled, production has fallen behind schedule, and the bulk of the program has been put on hold while the government tries to figure out how to salvage it.

The Pentagon confirmed this month that the cost of the fleet of 28 new super-sophisticated helicopters has jumped from $6.1 billion when the contract was signed in 2005 to $11.2 billion today.

Outfitted with cutting-edge communications equipment, anti-missile defenses and hardened hulls, each of the VH-71 helicopters, to be dubbed Marine One whenever the president is onboard, will cost $400 million. That price tag is more than for the most recent Boeing 747 jetliner outfitted to serve as Air Force One when it was delivered in 1990, even when adjusted for inflation.

"You don't think of it in terms of, 'What's the cost of the individual helicopter?' " said Jacques Gansler, a former undersecretary of defense for acquisition who has been asked to review the project for the Defense Science Board. "You think of it as, 'What do we need to do to protect the president?' "

Why the cost has risen so much since the contract was signed with a team led by Lockheed Martin remains in dispute. The company declined to comment but has complained to supporters that the Navy added 1,900 specs for the helicopters. The Navy denies that, saying nothing was added after the contract was signed.

"The Navy and industry team did not clearly realize the full implications of the White House requirements," John Young Jr., the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, said in a written response to questions. To meet those requirements and retrofit a commercial aircraft to Navy standards, he said, "the Navy and industry teams are having to complete substantial redesign" of the helicopter.

The White House has insisted that the project go forward.

"We took a look at what is the best thing to do for future presidents but also looking at it from a cost-benefit analysis," spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

Peter Baker,

The Washington Post