en.Wedoany.com Reported - U.S. President Donald Trump has recently begun construction of a brand-new helicopter landing pad on the White House South Lawn to address the issue of the new generation Marine One helicopter potentially scorching the grass. According to a report by The Washington Post on June 30, construction crews worked overnight on the evening of the 29th, with the site shielded by large fences. The White House has not yet officially announced the project.

The new landing pad will be built near the White House South Portico, the traditional landing area for Marine One. The primary reason for this construction is that the new generation VH-92A Patriot helicopter, manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft, has downward-facing exhaust vents that emit high-temperature gases, which could easily burn the White House lawn. As a result, this helicopter, priced at $215 million per unit, has never taken off or landed on the South Lawn. Even when Trump traveled to France this month for the G7 summit, he still used the older model Marine One.

According to an official from Lockheed Martin, the company will donate $5 million to fund the construction of the landing pad. In fact, previous U.S. administrations have considered building a permanent landing pad at the White House but repeatedly abandoned the idea due to concerns about disrupting the iconic image of the president boarding a helicopter on the lawn, a tradition that has lasted nearly 70 years. Retired Marine Corps Colonel Ray L'Heureux stated that the installation of the new landing pad is an "operational necessity," and failing to use the expensive new helicopter "would not be a good sign in any respect."

This construction is another major renovation of the White House since Trump's second term. His previous renovation projects include demolishing the White House East Wing, leveling the Rose Garden, planning to build a luxurious banquet hall, and adding gold decorations to the Oval Office.