Trump says Sikorsky to fund White House helicopter landing pad

By Bo Erickson and Jarrett Renshaw

WASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on ‌Monday that aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky would ‌pay for the new helicopter landing pad under construction ​at the White House, adding that the project aimed to accommodate the next-generation Marine One helicopters.

Trump said Sikorsky, a subsidiary of the Lockheed ‌Martin Corp, was ⁠paying about $5 to $6 million to construct a granite landing pad on the ⁠White House South Lawn.

"They didn't tell us how powerful these helicopters were and they felt ​a little ​bit guilty," Trump told ​reporters in the ‌Oval Office.

The president said after he learned Sikorsky was paying, he asked for the helipad to have a carved seal of the White House.

Lockheed did not immediately respond to a request ‌for comment on the ​president's comments.

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)