CNN
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Converting a luxury jet gifted by Qatar to President Donald Trump into a replacement for Air Force One could potentially cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and it could take up two years to install the necessary security equipment, communications and defensive capabilities for it to be safely used by the commander in chief, current and former officials told CNN.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said Tuesday that the plane “poses significant espionage and surveillance problems.” Across the aisle, Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said accepting it would pose “immense counterintelligence risks by granting a foreign nation potential access to sensitive systems and communications.”
Trump exclaimed in a social media post on Sunday that the Defense Department would be receiving a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily.” The move would raise numerous ethics questions given the value of the jet, but it also raises serious questions about the security of an aircraft that could be used by the president to ensure continuity of government in an emergency situation.
It has been estimated the jet is worth $400 million, but a person a person familiar with the details of the potential plan said the value of the Qatari aircraft is closer to $250 million. Overhauling it, according to administration estimates the person has been briefed on, could cost as much as three times that, or more.
Even if used temporarily as Trump has said he would, US agencies would need to ensure there were no security vulnerabilities by essentially stripping the aircraft down to its frame and rebuilding it with the necessary communications and security equipment.
“You would want to check the airplane out completely – strip it down, check for bugs, things like that, harden it to make sure nobody could hijack the electronics on the airplane … The ability for the president to command and control his military in the worst days, that takes a lot,” a retired senior military official familiar with Air Force One told CNN.
That process could take anywhere from several months to two years, the retired senior military official told CNN. Another official familiar with the situation voiced concerns that the White House is not entirely aware of how much work would have to be done on the jet, which will involve multiple intelligence agencies.
Upgrading the Qatari jet would likely not exceed what has already been spent on the long-delayed Air Force One upgrade program, but Trump has made clear accepting the Qatari jet would only be a temporary solution.
Boeing has a $3.9 billion contract to replace the two Air Force One jets, but it already reported losses totaling $2.5 billion since it agreed to be responsible for what has become soaring cost overruns.
Last week, CNN reported that Boeing’s jets might be delivered by 2027 in time for Trump to use them, according to a top Air Force official.
A Secret Service official familiar with the situation told CNN that the two 747-800s ordered from Boeing were “already built” when they were ordered.
While the Air Force would largely oversee the stripping of the Qatari aircraft and rebuilding it to meet security requirements the project would also involve a slew of government agencies, including the Secret Service, Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and White House Communications Agency.
“I don’t see how you do this with an acceptable level of risk in a reasonable amount of time, if you can do it at all,” a former senior counterintelligence official said.
The work required to get the luxury jet up to snuff is largely dependent on what requirements Trump would approve. But if the intention is to have the jet function as Air Force One does now, it would need to be retrofitted with a number of capabilities, including highly secure communication systems allowing the president to access intelligence and communicate with the military, necessary defensive systems, and the ability to shield against an electromagnetic pulse.
A conventional 747 aircraft does not have the ability to refuel mid-air, which would be necessary if Trump wants to be able to remain airborne for a substantial amount of time — a crucial capability in the event of a nuclear attack, for example.
“This is the central point of the US nuclear command and control network to ensure that we have second strike capability … If there were nuclear strikes and you can’t land, or if you land you might be vulnerable because you’ll be seen by satellites, staying up in the air could be the safer option,” said Stacie Pettyjohn, director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).
The potential transfer from Qatar’s Ministry of Defense to the US Defense Department has also resulted in an active legal back and forth including the Department of Justice and Qatari lawyers working through the thorny legal questions.
Concerns about the security of the aircraft aside, it remains unclear when the jet would be handed over to the US or to what extent it will be used. The Secret Service official told CNN they “highly doubt” the administration takes the jet. Qatar’s media attaché to the US, Ali Al-Ansari said Sunday that the “possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One” is “under consideration.”
