Air Force Accelerates Delivery of New Presidential Jets to 2028

The first of the new presidential transport aircraft, designated as VC-25B, is now projected to be delivered by mid-2028, ahead of earlier estimates. Boeing’s Air Force One program has faced ongoing scrutiny from the Trump administration, which has spurred efforts to expedite the timeline. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed this updated delivery date to Defense One on Friday.

As part of this acceleration, the Air Force will allocate an additional $15.5 million to Boeing for upgrades to the communications systems on the two VC-25Bs. The spokesperson explained that these costs are linked to the integration of new communication capabilities necessary to meet evolving mission requirements. “This modification can be accomplished within the current program schedule,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Contractual Details and Challenges

The latest modifications are distinct from the existing firm-fixed-price engineering and manufacturing development contracts, bringing the total value of the contract to over $4.3 billion. The communication upgrades are expected to be completed by December 2023.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink has expressed optimism regarding the project’s timeline. At the Air & Space Force Association’s annual conference in September, Meink stated, “I think we’re able to deliver them when the President needs them.” His remarks reflected confidence in the contractors’ ability to maintain the schedule.

The initiative to replace the current VC-25s, which have been in service since 1990, began in 2015 when Boeing won the contract to provide two new 747s for an estimated cost of $4 billion. However, the project has faced multiple delays, particularly after a December 2016 tweet from then-President-elect Trump, who inaccurately claimed the program was over budget and called for its cancellation.

Initial efforts to repurpose two 747s built for a defunct Russian airline began in 2020. Yet, these plans were hindered by significant shortages of workers and parts, causing the projected delivery dates to shift from 2026 to 2027, and finally to 2028 or 2029 by May 2025.

Recent Developments and Future Plans

This summer, Trump accepted a luxury Boeing 747 from Qatar, which is also being converted into a version of Air Force One. The cost of retrofitting this aircraft is estimated to be less than $400 million. Secretary Meink later revealed to Congress that funds had been reallocated from the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program to finance these modifications. He indicated that the retrofit process is expected to take “just short of a year.”

With these developments, the Air Force continues to push for a timely rollout of the new presidential jets, navigating both logistical challenges and political pressures. As the timeline accelerates, the focus remains on ensuring that the new VC-25Bs are equipped to meet the demanding requirements of presidential travel.