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Trump’s rushed Air Force One left behind massive safety featiures: NYT
Alternet • • world
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump was reportedly angry when he had to switch planes due to safety concerns with a luxury Qatari gift jet, which required extensive and costly upgrades.
- The White House and Pentagon rushed to retrofit the Boeing 747-8 jet in about eight months, far shorter than the several years experts said were needed, leading to increased costs and compromised safety features.
- Key security elements present on traditional Air Force One planes, such as advanced antimissile systems and backup power units, were missing or reduced on the upgraded jet according to Air Force records and photos.
- The Pentagon concealed much of the retrofit's cost from Congress by using funds from a classified nuclear modernization budget, with total expenses including pilot training and additional aircraft purchases reaching hundreds of millions of dollars beyond the initial $400 million estimate.
- To meet the accelerated timeline, the Air Force leased and purchased additional 747-8 aircraft for pilot training and spare parts, adding roughly another $400 million to the overall program costs.
