Converting a Qatari Boeing 747 aircraft into a new Air Force One for US President Donald Trump will involve installing several top-secret systems, cost more than $1 billion, and take years. This was reported by UNN with reference to NBC News.
Details
Three aviation experts told NBC News that retrofitting the 13-year-old commercial aircraft would exceed its current value of $400 million. The project may also not be completed by the end of Trump's term in 2029, when the aircraft is expected to be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Fund.
Commercial and military aviation analyst and consultant Richard Aboulafia said he believes it will cost billions and take years to convert the Qatari jetliner into Air Force One.
Aviation experts call Air Force One the most sophisticated aircraft on the planet. The aircraft is designed to be used as a secure communications center in the sky, including command and control of nuclear weapons, and to allow the president to issue orders to military and government agencies in the event of war or other emergency.
Experts said the idea of a reconstruction makes no financial or practical sense, given that Boeing has been retrofitting two 747s for years to replace the current Air Force One aircraft. They noted that the contract to upgrade the Qatari 747 is likely to go to Boeing as its original manufacturer.
Part of the work may be performed by L3 Harris, which specializes in such work. They will likely be performed in Greenville, Texas.
Recall
Donald Trump is negotiating with Qatar to transfer a luxury Boeing 747. The plane is planned to be used as the new "number one board".
Earlier it was reported that the Trump administration is preparing to accept an aircraft Boeing 747-8 from the Royal Family of Qatar. It could become the most expensive ever offered to the United States by a foreign power.
Such an unprecedented gift may raise questions about its legality, as American law prohibits government officials from accepting such expensive gifts.