The ‘Air Force One’ is actually a pair of widebodies that fulfill the role of the US presidential aircraft. Currently, the type in use is the Boeing 747-200, called VC-25A by the US Air Force.
Delivered in 1991, during the George H. Bush administration, these aircraft have already accumulated more than 30 years in service, therefore, which makes the need for them to be replaced increasingly urgent, especially considering the safety and technology demands required to transport the US president.
In 2018, then-President Donald Trump contracted Boeing to replace the current aircraft with a new model, the VC-25B. However, this project faces a series of delays and logistical and financial challenges that have delayed the debut of the new aircraft.
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With an estimated cost of US$3.9 billion and an initial entry into service forecast for December 2024, the VC-25B program now expects the aircraft to be ready only in 2027 and 2028.
The first aircraft is expected to make its maiden flight in 2026, according to a recent update on the program made by Boeing.
From Russia to the US
The VC-25B project involves the conversion of two Boeing 747-8i, aircraft originally designed for passenger transport, to meet the safety and operational specifications required for Air Force One.
These planes were originally manufactured for the Russian airline Transaero Airlines, which went bankrupt before it could begin operating them.
Stored at an airport for years, the jets were returned to Boeing to be converted under a fixed-cost contract with no room for increase.
However, unexpected costs and technical complexities have caused the company considerable losses, of around US$ 2 billion.
Converting these aircraft to presidential standards is not a simple process, as it involves the installation of a series of advanced security and communication systems, in addition to structural adaptations that go far beyond those of a common commercial aircraft.
These modifications include:
- Secure communications: Military and security communication systems to ensure the protection of sensitive data, even in flight;
- Defense systems: Equipment that makes the aircraft resistant to threats, such as electronic countermeasures and armor systems;
- Extended autonomy: Unlike conventional aircraft, the current Air Force One has the ability to refuel in flight, although this functionality is not planned for the VC-25B model, due to the additional costs.
Will the paint job proposed by Trump be back?
Newly elected in a dispute with Democrat Kamala Harris, Republican Donald Trump will assume the presidency in 2025 and, without further delays, will debut the VC-25B, which he ordered six years ago.
And with his return to the White House, the drastic change in the colors of Air Force One proposed by Trump is back in the spotlight, abandoning the traditional blue and white scheme for a more intense combination of red, white and blue, reminiscent of the American flag.
As soon as he took office, current President Joe Biden put the idea aside and presented a classic color scheme, but there was no time for either plane to receive the pintae.
It remains to be seen whether Donald Trump will now stick to his proposal for new colors for the aircraft.
