U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in the delivery of Boeing's new "Air Force One" (the presidential aircraft) and has begun modifications to a temporary Air Force One. This decision comes as the delivery of the Air Force One ordered during his first term is not expected until his second term.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 1st (local time), the Trump administration has commissioned L3 Harris, a defense contractor in Florida, to modify a Boeing 747 that was previously used by the government of Qatar. President Trump is reported to want to use this aircraft as Air Force One starting in the fall.
L3 Harris is a company formed by the merger of defense contractor L3 Technologies and Harris in 2019, and is responsible for the communication system work needed to convert the Boeing aircraft, previously owned by Qatar, into a presidential aircraft. Air Force One must be equipped with special communication and defense systems to serve as the command and control platform for the U.S. president.
In 2018, during his first term, President Trump signed a contract worth $3.9 billion (approximately 5.52 trillion won) to introduce two new Air Force Ones from Boeing. However, delays in delivery continued due to supply chain issues and technical defects, and last November, Boeing informed the U.S. government that the new Air Force One would not be delivered until around 2035.
President Trump has harbored strong dissatisfaction with Boeing. In February, The New York Times (NYT) reported, "Trump, who views Air Force One as a symbol of power and prestige, is enraged at the prospect of starting his second term aboard an aging plane like the one used by President George H.W. Bush." At that time, President Trump visited Palm Beach International Airport in Florida to inspect the technical features of the Boeing aircraft on the tarmac.
According to WSJ, President Trump considered canceling the new Air Force One contract out of dissatisfaction with Boeing even before taking office. He is also said to have discussed ways to file a lawsuit against Boeing after taking office. The previous Biden administration also explored ways to collaborate with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus instead of Boeing due to the delivery delays, WSJ reported.
The aircraft currently being modified is expected to operate alongside the existing two Air Force Ones. WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the U.S. Air Force has long sought a third aircraft that can be used when one of the two existing Air Force Ones is undergoing maintenance. This is due to the likelihood that the existing Air Force Ones, which are over 30 years old, will require more maintenance as they age, thus restricting the president's movements.
However, it remains uncertain whether President Trump's plan can be realized. Due to the complex processes required to modify it into a presidential aircraft, it seems unlikely that the modifications will be completed by this fall, as President Trump hopes. Andrew Hunter, the former Deputy Minister of Technology and Logistics of the U.S. Air Force, noted, "While the communication system upgrade may be possible by the end of the year, anything beyond that will be difficult."