By Michelle L. Price and Konstantin Toropin
The Associated Press
July 8, 2026 - 1:25 pm
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump flew location from a NATO acme successful Turkey connected an aged babe bluish Air Force One level alternatively of the caller Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, achromatic and navy bluish pitchy helium arrived in, a astonishment swap that came arsenic the U.S. and Iran erstwhile again began trading strikes.
Trump offered small clarity connected the swap, alternatively saying helium would alert connected the bequest craft “for aged time’s sake,” and indicating that some craft would marque a antecedently unscheduled halt connected the mode backmost to the U.S. astatine Royal Air Force Mildenhall, a basal utilized by U.S. troops.
The question power raised caller information questions astir the caller craft that the U.S. spent $400 cardinal to retrofit. Images of the Qatari-gifted pitchy captured since its unveiling amusement it is not equipped with immoderate of the aforesaid rocket detection and countermeasure systems arsenic the older jets.
The swap was besides announced little than a time aft the U.S. subject conducted a bid of ample strikes successful Iran successful retaliation for its attacks connected merchant shipping successful the region. Iran shares a borderline with Turkey.
Trump archetypal announced successful a societal media station that the gleaming caller level helium had proudly shown disconnected a time earlier would alternatively sojourn the U.K. basal connected the mode location truthful subject members could “tour the Aircraft.” Trump said helium alternatively would beryllium flying location successful an older level antecedently utilized arsenic Air Force One.
When asked aboriginal during a quality league if information concerns had played a relation successful the switch, Trump didn’t straight reply but said that erstwhile it came to Iran, helium was “No. 1 connected the database for killing.”
When different newsman followed up, Trump said he’d beryllium “going location by mean methods” portion the caller level would beryllium shown disconnected to troops.
When asked if the missing countermeasures systems played a relation successful the pitchy being swapped out, the U.S. Air Force directed questions to the White House. The White House did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.
Trump departed Turkey aboard 1 of the older Boeing VC-25As that person carried presidents for 3 and a fractional decades. Consumer formation trackers were incapable to show its transponder aft takeoff, suggesting it had been disabled by the unit — a information measurement utilized erstwhile ferrying the president to and from high-risk environments similar warfare zones, not a large NATO state hosting a long-scheduled summit.
Other satellite leaders’ flights departed with trackable transponders, including those from Germany and the U.K.
The luxurious Boeing 747-800 talented by Qatar, that was modified to transportation Trump, departed earlier Wednesday from Turkey and landed astatine RAF Mildenhall connected Wednesday afternoon, formation trackers showed.
Iran has respective missiles and drones successful its inventory with capable scope to marque the astir 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) formation from its ain borders to Turkey, including immoderate of its Shahed drones and Shahab ballistic missiles.
However, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Iran does not person weaponry that would beryllium susceptible of efficaciously striking England astatine a scope of astir 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers).
The U.S. Air Force, which oversees the moving of the fleet of craft utilized by each president, had antecedently said that they had to prioritize making lone immoderate of the indispensable upgrades and changes successful bid to present the Qatari pitchy — besides known arsenic the “bridge” craft — into service.
The Air Force argued that the accelerated conversion of the pitchy was done “without accepting immoderate hazard regarding security, safety, oregon unafraid communications,” but did concede that “several highly analyzable engineering modifications required for the last (Air Force One aircraft) were intentionally excluded from the Bridge aircraft.”
Jeremiah Gertler, a elder expert for Teal Group, an aviation and defence consulting firm, antecedently told The Associated Press that the lack of countermeasure systems, arsenic good arsenic a seemingly smaller fig of communications antennas, suggested that the Qatari pitchy was amended suited to lone enactment arsenic a home aircraft.
Trump’s archetypal formation connected the caller Qatari pitchy was to North Dakota past week.
The archetypal Air Force One planes were built from scratch adjacent the extremity of the Cold War and they were hardened against the effects of a atomic blast and included a scope of information features, specified arsenic anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room.
The jets are besides equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities for contingencies, though it has ne'er been utilized with a president connected board.
The brace of Boeing jets that are presently being modified to enactment arsenic the imperishable upgrades to the Air Force One jets person been delayed, and are expected to beryllium delivered successful 2028.
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
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