New Air Force One Faces Security Doubts After 1-Year Conversion of Qatari 747
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 10
New Air Force One Faces Security Doubts After 1-Year Conversion of Qatari 747
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 10
Summary
A 35-year-old older Air Force One carried Trump from Turkey this week while the newly introduced Qatari-donated 747 sat unused, sharpening questions about whether the replacement is ready for high-threat missions.
About 1 year of modifications appears far short of the 3 to 4 years former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said would be needed to match current Air Force One standards for secure communications, medical support and self-protection.
Visible features have fueled the doubts: aviation observers said the aircraft appears to lack tail-cone changes linked to infrared missile defenses, and it also lacks aerial refueling capability present on the older fleet.
The White House said the jet was fielded faster with essential systems and no added security risk, but experts said many critical upgrades are internal and impossible to verify publicly because Air Force One specifications are classified.
The scrutiny has widened beyond engineering to politics, with some Republican senators warning of security and legal risks tied to accepting the Qatari plane and Trump's plan to send it to his presidential library.