While there’s nothing inherently wrong with the U.S. military accepting used equipment from another country, Donald Trump’s plan to use a Boeing 747 from Qatar as a new Air Force One and then keeping it for his own personal use after leaving office has too many problems to fly.
From appearance’s sake to security concerns to the proprietary of using what would be a U.S. government asset for private benefit, the deal should never take off.
The Air Force now operates twin 1990-vintage 747s with tail numbers 28000 and 29000 for presidential travel. The aircraft designations are known as VC-25A. Two replacements, VC-25B, have long been on order from Boeing, with Trump during his first term in 2018 agreeing to a $3.9 billion price for the pair for a 2024 delivery.
2024 didn’t happen and the current delivery date is now 2029, during the next presidential term. But in testimony last week to the House Armed Services Committee, Darlene Costello, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics, said that planes could be ready in 2027.
The new planes on back order are the last version of the famed widebody, the Boeing 747-8i. The “i” is for intercontinental, for passenger airliners, as opposed to the 747-8f, which is a freighter for air cargo.
So enter the Qataris. They have a surplus 747-8i, from 2012, outfitted as a flying palace that they want to unload. So they would donate this aircraft to the Pentagon, which would upgrade the security and communication equipment needed to transport the president and it would be the new Air Force One. That call sign is for any Air Force craft carrying the commander in chief, just like helicopters or planes with the president aboard are called Marine One or Navy One or Army One or Coast Guard One.
Under the proposed arrangement, in 2029, when Trump departs office (we hope he does) and the new jets from Boeing arrive, the ex-Qatari airliner would be transferred to Trump’s presidential library and museum, presumably for him to keep flying as a private citizen.
Do we want the U.S. government to be using hand-me-downs from the oil and gas rich Gulf state? And what would the Qataris expect in return (which is not money)?
And even if those weren’t issues, in order to provide the total privacy and security needed as a flying White House, every bolt would have to be removed and examined for possible eavesdropping bugs. It would be too risky to let a foreign power have the potential to listen in to everything being said on Air Force One.
And even if the technical hurdles could be managed (which they probably can’t), handing the plane to Trump as a parting gift is unacceptable. If such a plane in the Pentagon’s inventory had no future value to the government, then sell it off at a surplus auction.
Trump says that this is a great deal. But that’s only because he doesn’t mind being in debt to the Qataris and he doesn’t mind being exposed to security breaches and he sees nothing wrong with him getting to keep the 747 for his personal retirement travel.
So while it’s a good deal privately, it’s a no-go for the public.
