The impressive 747 aircraft that Trump is eagerly awaiting as a gift from Qatar is a major security concern, experts say.
President Donald Trump praised Qatar on Monday for gifting his administration a luxury aircraft, but current and former officials from the military, defense, and U.S. intelligence services have stated that the U.S. President will likely have to forego existing security specifications to be able to use the aircraft, as reported by Washington Post.
Trump said he would be "a fool" not to accept the gift of a $400 million Boeing 747-8 and called this gift "a great gesture" from Qatar. He mentioned that he intends to use the aircraft "for a few years" while his administration waits for a pair of Boeing planes to be completed to strict military standards suitable for the Air Force One role.
A White House official stated that it is premature to say how long the modernization of the Qatar aircraft could take. The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue and spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to say when the Trump administration expects to take possession of the aircraft.
Flight records show that the two-deck aircraft, originally purchased for use by the Qatari royal family, was moved five weeks ago to San Antonio International Airport, suggesting that preparations for upgrading the aircraft may already be underway.
Trump emphasized on Monday that the Qatar-provided jet is significantly newer than those currently available to the President. Although equipped with state-of-the-art defensive countermeasures, in-flight refueling capability, and secure communication equipment, these were inherited from the George Bush administration in the '90s.
"You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old. And if you look at that compared to the new plane… it's not the same game. You look at some of the Arab countries and the planes they have parked next to the United States of America's plane – they look like they're from a different planet," Trump explained to reporters.
The aircraft provided by Qatar is a true "palace with wings": it features two full bathrooms, nine toilets, a master bedroom, a guest bedroom, multiple lounges, a private office, and cream and brown leather seats on both decks, according to interior photographs provided by the Swiss aviation company AMAC Aerospace.
However, it lacks the crucial communication and security features provided by an American presidential aircraft, and modernizing this 13-year-old aircraft to current Air Force One standards would require years of work and billions of dollars, say current and former U.S. officials. Such a task would be impossible to complete before Trump leaves office, the American newspaper reports.
An Aircraft That Needs to Be "Thoroughly Examined"
The President's aircraft has a series of high-security, communication, and support requirements with a very high level of secrecy, the implementation of which has proven costly and cumbersome.
"This is a flying nuclear command post. It needs to have secure multi-level capacity," said a former American official familiar with Air Force One operations. The Air Force would need to "strip down" and rebuild the entire Qatar aircraft – which has flown for years in the service of other countries and individuals – to bring it up to standards, he said.
Counterintelligence is also a concern, said former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. "We need to make sure that no one has planted bugs on the plane," he said.
Top communications need to be protected from jamming, cyber-attacks, and nuclear explosions, former and current officials mentioned. "You have to strip the plane down to the skeleton and rebuild it. The security of each individual component is a big issue," said Mac Plihcik, a retired Secret Service agent who worked for President Barack Obama.
Trump Has Given Work to Foreign Spies
Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service agent who was a supervisor in Trump's first administration, stated that rigorous inspections are carried out after all presidential transport vehicles leave the production line. An aircraft gifted by a foreign government would likely justify an even more thorough check, Eckloff said.
"They will do this by going inch by inch and saying, 'Is this nut here, is this bolt here?'" Eckloff rhetorically asked.
Trump can waive any of these obligations. He is the commander in chief. The only way he will fly with this aircraft while he is in office is to waive many of these requirements," Kendall said.
"Donald Trump is receiving an aircraft equipped for an emir," said Garrett Graff, a historian who has written about presidential security, referring to the Qatar aircraft. According to him, the President would likely refuse to dismantle some of the luxurious accommodations on board and replace them with government-provided equipment, Graff said, describing the gift as a counterintelligence nightmare.
He noted that Trump has signaled interest in the aircraft as early as February, offering intelligence services from hostile countries a few months to find ways to penetrate and spy on it.
A Major Security Concern
Setting aside ethical concerns, the idea of the aircraft becoming Air Force One would be problematic for several reasons, according to Richard Aboulafia, an expert in military aircraft and managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory.
"It all hinges on a embarrassing misunderstanding of what Air Force One is meant to do," Aboulafia states. "If it's a gold-plated flying palace and nothing more, fine. If it's a real tool to be used in an unpleasant situation like nuclear war, then it's not the case," he said, to Defense News.
Air Force One is not only used to transport the President of the United States around the world but is also a flying version of the "situation room," the White House command center from which the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces leads military operations and the U.S. government during a major disaster.
Air Force One aircraft have been continuously enhanced with new capabilities, including secure communication systems, military-grade power systems, and classified self-defense systems to protect the President against hostile attacks, as well as a medical unit.
Air Force One aircraft have "some of the most sophisticated communication equipment on the planet. It operates as a command and control center in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable. Every day, it is hyper-connected," said Doug Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
Moreover, Air Force One aircraft have been built in such a way that critical systems can continue to function if something malfunctions, as well as to survive and continue to operate during a nuclear war, Aboulafia pointed out.
"If (Trump) wants all the capabilities and features of Air Force One, this would be a step back."
In his view, providing an aircraft from the Qatari royal family is extremely concerning, and the aircraft should be thoroughly examined to detect any listening devices. "It would be a major security problem," the expert adds.
Trump is Upset with Boeing
Boeing was initially set to deliver the two new Air Force One aircraft in 2024, under the VC-25B program. However, the deadline has been repeatedly missed due to pandemic-related issues, supply chain disruptions, and other problems affecting the company.
The Air Force first announced that two 747-8s would assume the role of presidential aircraft in 2015. But the cost displeased Trump, and his first administration engaged in tough negotiations with Boeing to lower the price. Trump grew impatient with Boeing delays and expressed dissatisfaction with the company.
The new Air Force One may not be ready until 2029 now, after Trump leaves office, but an Air Force official told lawmakers last week that some changes to requirements are currently being considered that could allow the aircraft to be delivered in 2027, the publication cited.