Trump flies partway home in an old Air Force One after Iran strikes

Key Points:

• President Trump flew partway home from the NATO summit on an older Air Force One plane instead of the newly retrofitted Qatari-gifted jet, citing nostalgia and a stop at RAF Mildenhall to show the new aircraft to service members.
• The switch raised security concerns as the new plane lacks some missile detection and countermeasure systems present on the older jets, though the Air Force stated the new aircraft still meets high-level security protocols.
• Trump denied that threats from Iran influenced the decision to switch planes despite ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions and military strikes, while the older plane’s transponder was temporarily disabled during the flight, a typical security measure in high-risk situations.
• The new Qatari jet, known as the "bridge" aircraft, is considered less equipped for international flights and is intended as a temporary replacement until the permanent Air Force One jets, delayed until 2028, are delivered.
• The older Air Force One planes have extensive security features including anti-missile countermeasures and nuclear blast hardening, which the new jet currently lacks due to rapid retrofitting and intentional exclusion of some complex modifications.