President Donald Trump Unveils The New Air Force One, A Converted Qatari Jet

President Donald Trump connected Friday showed disconnected nan caller Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo pitchy that has been converted into nan charismatic U.S. statesmanlike aircraft.

The caller craft eschews nan Kennedy-era robin’s ovum bluish exterior of nan aged level for a bolder look, pinch nan underbelly of nan level painted navy bluish pinch a reddish stripe supra it. The plane's near side, wherever nan president boards, features nan statesmanlike seal, while nan tail of nan craft has a monolithic American emblem connected it.

“The workmanship of this level is, erstwhile you spot it, you won’t judge it," Trump said from wrong nan monolithic Andrews Air Force Base hangar, arsenic a mates 100 assembled Air Force unit looked on. He said aft stepping disconnected nan caller level successful a melodramatic flourish, arsenic his signature tune “God Bless nan USA” played.

The gift from Qatar is serving arsenic a alleged “bridge” craft to transportation nan president until nan caller planes ordered straight from Boeing arrive. That is presently slated for 2028.

The management formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747 pitchy from Qatar past twelvemonth to beryllium utilized arsenic nan statesmanlike airplane, contempt questions astir nan morals and legality of accepting specified an costly gift from a overseas nation. Trump has insisted successful nan past that he would not alert astir successful nan Qatari pitchy erstwhile he leaves agency and said it would alternatively beryllium donated to a early statesmanlike library.

The Air Force has said successful nan past that information modifications to nan pitchy would costs little than $400 million.

Trump's efforts to reimagine nan statesmanlike airplane day backmost to his first administration, erstwhile he directed that an incoming fleet of caller jets would adopt a colour strategy that was astir identical to that of his individual airplane. Then-President Joe Biden reversed nan determination successful March 2023 arsenic an Air Force reappraisal suggested that nan darker colors could summation costs and hold transportation of nan caller jets, but erstwhile Trump returned to office, he returned to his desired colors for nan plane.

Other authorities jets that transportation different apical management officials will besides usage nan akin red, achromatic and navy colour scheme, nan Air Force said earlier this year.

An Air Force spokesperson, who said connected information of anonymity to talk delicate plans, told The Associated Press that nan 2 existent planes, known arsenic VC-25As, will not beryllium retiring. Instead, they will stay successful nan fleet until nan caller Boeing planes, referred to arsenic VC-25Bs, travel into service, nan spokesperson said.

It is unclear really nan older jets will beryllium utilized but nan spokesperson said that some nan Qatari pitchy arsenic good arsenic nan VC-25As will beryllium disposable for usage and “the Presidential Airlift Group will prime nan due craft for each ngo based connected operational requirements.”

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Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed to this study from Washington.