The plane offered to President Donald Trump by Qatar may be subjected to flight restrictions outside the U.S. and require a military escort because it’s not prepared to safely carry the president.
Despite politicians and the public having intense reservations over accepting the gifted jet, Trump has made it clear he plans to utilize the airplane. If the plan goes ahead, the plane would have to undergo massive renovations to be outfitted with the correct security and communication systems to serve as Air Force One.
In the meantime, the plane may face limitations in order to ensure the president’s safety, such as no international travel or flying with military escort jets, former officials told Reuters.
Air Force One is designed to ensure the president’s safety while traveling and allow the team to communicate securely. Those planes are outfitted with state-of-the-art defensive equipment, in-flight refueling capability and specific communications technology, current and former officials told the Washington Post.
For the plane offered by Qatar, a Boeing 747-8, to meet those same standards, it would need to be ripped apart in a costly and lengthy renovation.
Or, to avoid that and allow Trump to use the plane sooner, the president would likely have to disregard current security measures or find alternative methods to make up for security concerns. As commander-in-chief, Trymp could wave any and all safety requirements, however, an Air Force official told Reuters.
Richard Aboulafia, the managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm, told Reuters that a military escort may be necessary because the plane doesn’t have “the electronic warfare and missile warning system and whatever else you associate with survivability on Air Force One.”
He added that travel in the plane could also be limited to domestic flights since the U.S. cannot ensure the same level of security in international air spaces.
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, reiterated how intense the security measures on Air Force One are supposed to be.
"Air Force One is designed to be survivable in all kinds of environments, including a nuclear war," Cancian told Reuters.
Air Force One does not typically fly alongside fighter jet escorts.
Cancian expressed doubt over the feasibility of short-term upgrades allowing the president to use the Qatari jet.
“I don’t think it’s possible,” Cancian added.
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