The Naval Air Systems Command Contracting Office issued a stop work order Friday for all activities associated with the VH-71 program. Nearly 800 people at Lockheed's Owego plant work on the program.

Lockheed was contracted to build 28 new presidential helicopters to replace an aging Marine One fleet. Earlier this year, President Obama dropped the program from his budget, citing rising costs.

The stop work order essentially puts an end to any hope of keeping the program going at Lockheed. The Navy says it will now begin to develop other options for replacing the helicopters.

The president's budget includes money to prolong the life of the current helicopters, which were built in the 1970s.

As for what will happen with the nine helicopters already built by Lockheed, the Navy says it will review its options, including selling them to other interested parties.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey expressed frustration with the Pentagon for issuing the stop work order.

Hinchey called it an irrational and fiscally irresponsible step, saying, "It makes no sense for the Pentagon to cancel the presidential helicopter program and in the same breath acknowledge the need for the very project it just canceled. The stop-work order calls for a new presidential helicopter construction plan to be developed within 30 days, which is unrealistic. There is no way a new plan can be developed in 30 days that can possibly compete with the current, mature project that's been underway for four years."

Hinchey says he and other members of Congress are committed to fighting for funding for the project to continue at Lockheed, urging the White House to consider a less costly version of the new helicopters instead of scratching the project all together.