The Presidential Helicopters Program Office (PMA-274) delivered and installed a retired and refurbished VH-3D helicopter, bureau number 159351, to the United States Secret Service at the James J. Rowley Training Center in June 2025. The aircraft serves as a new training asset for Secret Service agents preparing to protect the President and Vice President.
The delivery fulfilled the Secret Service’s requirement for an updated training helicopter capable of supporting current protective tactics and procedures. Bureau number 159351, a VH-3D model, underwent demilitarization, inspection, maintenance, and refurbishment to achieve a showroom condition while retaining necessary tactical features for training. Industry partners and contract support assisted PMA-274 in the transfer process.
Discussions between the Secret Service and the United States Marine Corps about replacing the agency’s aging training asset began in 2022. In early 2025, PMA-274’s maintenance department at the Presidential Helicopter Support Facility performed initial demilitarization on the aircraft. It then spent weeks in refurbishment, during which ground training features requested by the Secret Service were installed. After completion, the helicopter was transported to the James J. Rowley Training Center, where it replaced an unserviceable retired U.S. Navy helicopter previously used for training.
The previous training asset, manufactured in October 1963 and painted to resemble Marine One—the call sign for any helicopter carrying the President—was no longer suitable for safe and effective instruction. It lacked adequate space and layout for new trainees assigned to protective details. That aircraft has since been transported to Arizona for shredding and recycling.
Bureau number 159351 provides accurate seating configuration aligned with the VH-92A Patriot, the current helicopter operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron One for presidential transport. Trainees can now conduct threat reaction drills and tactical procedures both inside and outside the aircraft, enhancing realism for presidential and vice presidential protection missions.
Col. Erica Mantz, PMA-274 program manager, stated, “Our teams have collaborated diligently to make this transfer possible. This effort to deliver BUNO 351 has greatly strengthened our partnership with the U.S. Secret Service and contract support team.”
Deputy Special Agent In Charge Troy Sarria said, “Not only is VH-3D BUNO 351 a significant improvement for our training requirements, our visitors to JJRTC have the opportunity to view a Marine One on tours of the training facility. The new helicopter draws even more attention as an officially retired and demilitarized VH-3D – once flying Presidents and Vice Presidents.” Sarria also added, “We are grateful for the helicopter’s capability and awed by the quality of the final product.”
During the January dedication ceremony inducting the aircraft as a Secret Service training asset, Mantz noted, “This aircraft served nearly 50 years, supporting nine U.S. Presidents throughout its distinguished history. Now 351 will continue to serve our great nation in a different, but equally important capacity.”
The VH-3D entered service with HMX-1 in July 1975 and was decommissioned in October 2024 after carrying Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. PMA-274 logistics and sustainment teams managed the end-to-end demilitarization and transfer, including proper accounting of government inventory.
The helicopter is positioned near a half-scale mock Air Force One at the training center, creating a realistic setup that replicates real-world scenarios for more effective instruction. The James J. Rowley Training Center, located in Prince George’s County near the Anne Arundel County line, supports Secret Service operations and draws regional interest as a key federal training facility in Southern Maryland’s broader security landscape.
PMA-274 continues to provide aircraft, capabilities, and support to HMX-1 for presidential missions.