Experts warn Trump’s new Air Force One may lack key missile defenses

WorldPolitics
10 Jul 2026 • 9:06 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Experts warn Trump’s new Air Force One may lack key missile defenses

A luxury jet, gifted by Qatar and upgraded by the U.S. Air Force, is being used as a presidential plane, with modifications costing an estimated $1 billion.

Industry experts and former Air Force officials warn the aircraft may lack advanced antimissile capabilities, potentially leaving it vulnerable outside U.S. airspace.

The president used the plane for trips to North Dakota and Turkey, but returned from Turkey on an older Air Force One due to Secret Service concerns over renewed threats from Iran.

Former officials expressed alarm, stating that the one-year retrofitting period was insufficient to install all necessary security modifications for presidential travel.

While White House officials assert the plane is state-of-the-art and secure, lawmakers have questioned whether security upgrades were compromised for personal comfort.

IN FULL

Qatari jet that flew Trump to Nato summit lacks key defense features of old Air Force One, report says

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