By Bo Erickson and Jarrett Renshaw
WASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday that Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary that builds Marine One helicopters, will fund a new White House landing pad intended for the next-generation aircraft.
Trump said Sikorsky would spend about $5 million to $6 million on a granite landing pad on the White House South Lawn, saying the more powerful helicopters have damaged the lawn during landings.
"They didn't tell us how powerful these helicopters
were and they felt a little bit guilty," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Marine One, the call sign for Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president, commonly refers to the fleet of presidential helicopters.
The president said that after learning Sikorsky was paying, he asked for the helipad to have a carved seal of the White House.
In a statement, Lockheed said it could confirm the contribution range shared by Trump. The company did not provide a specific cost.
"This specific contribution was made to the Trust for the National Mall, the National Park Service’s non-profit organization," a Lockheed Martin spokesperson said in a statement.
"Our engagement with the federal government is guided by rigorous ethics and compliance standards and conducted in full accordance with all applicable laws and regulations."
In 2024, a fleet of new Marine One helicopters was completed, meant to increase performance and payload, according to the U.S. Navy.
"When you land on the grass, it's not that the grass gets discolored, it gets ripped out," Trump said.
(Reporting By Bo Erickson and Jarrett Renshaw; editing by Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu and Howard Goller)
