The new Boeing planes were supposed to be ready by last year but now aren’t expected for several more years.
What makes Air Force One, Air Force One?
What’s planned for the next generation of Boeing Air Force One planes?
The plan to replace the current Air Force One fleet has been long in the works, with Boeing winning the contract back in 2016 under then-President Obama.
In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers the plane would need “significant modifications.”
At a San Antonio airport, a luxury jetliner that Qatar gave as a gift is presently waiting for a specialized overhaul to become the next Air Force One.
According to the Defense Department, the Air Force has been entrusted with upgrading the Boeing 747-8 so that it can serve as a new aircraft for President Trump. The United States formally accepted the aircraft on Wednesday.
Independent watchdogs and Democratic lawmakers claim the gift is in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which forbids public servants from accepting gifts from other nations. Trump claims that it would be given to the DOD as a gift and that he would keep it in his presidential library after he leaves office.
The aircraft has an estimated value of hundreds of millions of dollars. Considering that it could be swiftly modified to be used as a presidential aircraft, Trump declared that he would be “stupid” to reject it. However, experts caution that modifying the aircraft to meet the current Air Force One standards would take years, regardless of how opulent it is.
Journalist Ken Walsh, who has written a book on Air Force One and covered the White House for decades, says, “It just seems to me an interesting dream that President Trump has to bring this plane online very quickly.” Walsh has flown on the renowned aircraft more than 200 times.
“The technology is constantly advancing, and anyone familiar with Air Force One’s history and these aircraft knows that they are challenging to build. They are not merely present at your airport. “They must be constructed,” he states.
The next generation of Air Force One will be created by customizing two new Boeing 747-8 aircraft, a project that has been in the works for years and is prone to delays. The new Boeing aircraft, which were supposed to be ready by last year, are now anticipated to take several more years to complete.
The managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory and aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia told NPR’s Morning Edition that Boeing’s “poor execution” is partially to blame for the delays. However, a portion of that is simply because of the enormous amount of work and requirements required to wire a commercial jet for war. “,”.
He called Trump’s idea that the gifted plane might be ready in the near future a “fantasy.”. “.”.
What distinguishes Air Force One from the others?
Technically, “Air Force One” refers to any aircraft that transports the president. However, in more widespread usage, it refers to specific Boeing 747-200B aircraft that are outfitted with advanced defense and communications systems.
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies’ executive director, Doug Birkey, describes it as a “mobile White House.”. “No matter what, including going to war, the president must carry out all of his duties in it. “.
He claims that the Air Force One aircraft has an “incredibly robust command and control suite” and is equipped with defenses against everything from nuclear explosions to surface-to-air missiles.
According to him, “It’s meant to withstand the very worst days.”.
Beyond that, according to Birkey, is the plane’s special design, which includes a highly particular arrangement of seats and offices to keep the president as safe as possible while performing his duties in midair.
Although many details about Air Force One are not made public, a technical order that the Air Force inadvertently posted online in 2006 provided a glimpse of the basic layout of the three-level aircraft as it was at the time: the bottom level was used for cargo, the middle level for nearly all presidential functions, and the top, smaller level was used for crew and communications.
“Everything, as I say, for the president’s convenience, to help him do his job,” Walsh says, referring to a large presidential suite with office space capable of live video and audio broadcasting, a medical area with basic surgery equipment, a conference room, two galleys that can prepare up to 100 meals at once, multiple areas for Secret Service agents, and media seating in the very back.
What are the plans for the upcoming Boeing Air Force One aircraft?
Under then-President Obama, Boeing was awarded the contract in 2016, marking the beginning of the long-term plan to replace the current Air Force One fleet. In 2018, during his first term, Trump signed a deal.
Trump has been keen to pressure Boeing to complete the new generation of aircraft because the two existing aircraft, which have been in service since 1990, are beginning to show signs of wear and tear. But according to experts like Birkey, it goes beyond appearances.
He states that “there are serious issues about parts availability and all of that,” adding that it is even more difficult to replace malfunctioning parts because of extremely strict security regulations regarding what can truly enter the aircraft. “You have no intention of simply picking up a spare generator or something similar from an aircraft junkyard. “,”.
The newest model will be a Boeing 747-8, which is also the model of the Qatari gift plane. Boeing claims that the 747-8 is the world’s fastest commercial jet, reduces carbon emissions by about 16 tons per trip, and has a range of about 1,000 nautical miles more than the 747-200. Additionally, it is longer and wider than the current model.
According to Department of Defense documents, there are planned upgrades to the aircraft’s electrical and communications systems, military and combat-ready electronics, additional self-defense systems, and autonomous systems for loading and releasing baggage. However, many of the planes’ specifics have not been made public.
Why would the Qatari plane need to be gifted?
According to marketing materials preserved on the Internet Archive, the Qatari 747-8 plane that was given as a gift is undoubtedly luxurious, featuring large leather seats, wood inlay, several lounges, a bedroom suite, and a private office. After buying the aircraft in 2012, the Qatari government unsuccessfully tried to sell it for a number of years.
However, the specifications only mention an anti-intrusion system for when the aircraft is left unattended, and the communications system mentioned is for simple entertainment. They make no mention of security or defense systems on board.
According to Birkey, the aircraft from Qatar likely has a more opulent appearance and feel than the Air Force One aircraft that is currently in use or that is planned.
However, he adds, “I doubt it has any of that in it right now.” Other things include self-defense, a communications suite, and other things. Furthermore, installing those is a difficult task. To do that, the aircraft must be deconstructed quite a bit, I mean. “.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink informed lawmakers during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday that the aircraft would require “significant modifications.”. “.”.
Trump may decide to relax the current security requirements for Air Force One in order to expedite the plane’s readiness, according to congressional members and experts.
Given that the plane has been in a foreign nation for over ten years, it is also possible that it contains malware or listening devices.
Aboulafia notes that this would make the conversion process even more difficult. “You can’t rule out the presence of bad actors in this whole process,” she says.
Basically, you would have to tear this plane down to its component parts in order to be positive that there were no listening devices on board. “.
How much may it cost?
Despite Trump’s insistence that the plane from Qatar was free, a number of experts NPR spoke with concurred that outfitting it to modern Air Force One standards would probably end up costing a substantial sum of money.
An U. S. . An official who asked to remain anonymous because they were not permitted to discuss the issue in public told NPR that the conversion would probably cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
That should worry taxpayers, according to Aboulafia, because the current Air Force One upgrade program was signed under a fixed contract with Boeing, which means that Boeing and its investors are paying for all project extensions.
He states, “It’s likely that a lot more money will be spent on this jet than it is worth.”. All of this adds up to, to be honest, a waste of taxpayer money on this extra vanity project. “.
