The US is in need of a stopgap Air Force One, and up steps the country of Qatar, which is gifting a $300 million Boeing 747-8. The current Air Force One airplane, Boeing VC-25A, is quite old, and the White House can’t risk a capability gap.
The US President is still flying on a 35-year-old aircraft, and the delivery date for the new aircraft, Boeing VC-25B, has been delayed from the original timeline of 2024 to 2027–2029 due to logistical and production challenges. Therefore, the United States will now have to use the aircraft delivered by Qatar, reconfigured for presidential missions.
Notably, the aircraft will be modified in Texas and delivered this summer. However, there is one big caveat. Departing from the usual trend of the modern presidential fleet, the aeroplane will not have an air-refueling system, as it is being built for efficiency and speed rather than all the military safety features typically associated with a significant aircraft like Air Force One. So, let’s explore the reasons why the mid-air refueling system was given a miss for this rapid modification aircraft.
Why is the Boeing 747-8 not being fitted with an air-refueling system?
First of all, in-flight refueling doesn’t fit the timeline for delivering the aircraft. Developing such a complicated system would require years of engineering work and extensive flight-test campaigns involving thousands of test hours.
Furthermore, scope is the second issue. L3Harris Technologies, the American aerospace company, is already tasked with installing secure communications, special mission systems, protected power and cooling, living quarters, and defensive equipment.
The workload is already massive, and mid-air refueling would also require structural changes to the aircraft, demanding even more resources. Besides, spending so much money and manpower on such a specific feature for a temporary bridge plane doesn’t make sense.
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Additionally, mid-air refueling is a complex and risky maneuver that requires flying just meters behind a tanker and involves extremely demanding test campaigns. Meanwhile, the re-modeled Qatari jet will fulfill all the President’s practical necessities. The aircraft is capable of nonstop intercontinental flights, and the likelihood of the President staying airborne for days at a time is extremely low, making mid-air refueling largely redundant.
Most of the Qatari VVIP interior will be left untouched, making it the most luxurious Air Force One in history. The aeroplane is palatial, fitted with private bedroom suites, marble-clad bathrooms with full showers, expansive lounges, wood paneling, tailored carpets, and even a grand staircase linking the decks.
According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, Trump is expected to decommission the aircraft at the end of his term, with plans for it to be donated to his presidential library.
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