The US government must accept a luxury plane from Qatar’s royal family, which will be adapted and used as a presidential aircraft during President Donald Trump’s second term, they told the CNN Two people familiar with the agreement.
The news arrives a day before Trump boarded for his first major trip abroad, which includes a stop in Doha, Qatar.
Given the enormous value of a Boeing 747-8, the measure is unprecedented and raises ethical and legal questions.
A Qatar authority stated that the plane is being technically donated by the Ministry of Qatar Defense to the Pentagon, describing it more as a transaction between governments than as a personal transaction.
The Department of Defense will then adapt the plane for use of the president, with security resources and modifications.
The plan is that the plane is donated to Trump’s presidential library after departure from office, ensuring that he can continue to use it, according to a person familiar with the subject.
“Reports that a jet is being presented by Qatar to the US government during President Trump’s next visit are inaccurate,” said Al-Anari, Qatar’s press attitude in the US.
“The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use like Air Force One [avião da Presidência dos EUA] It is currently being considered between the Ministry of Defense of Qatar and the US Department of Defense, but the matter remains under analysis by the respective legal departments and no decision has been made, ”he added.
ABC News was the first to report the possibility of new plane delivery.
“Security nightmare,” says Fonte
In the US secret service, the possible donation of an airplane by a foreign government for presidential use is being seen as a “safety nightmare,” a source told CNN.
“THE [Força Aérea dos EUA] It would have to dismantle it in search of surveillance equipment and inspect the integrity of the plane, ”said the source.
Trump and advisors visited the plane earlier this year at Palm Beach, Florida, and it is expected to be in operation within two years, a source has pointed out to CNN.
After this visit, Trump boasted to the people around him over the luxury of the plane.
“President Trump is visiting a new Boeing plane to check out the new hardware/technology,” commented White House Communications Director Steven Cheung in a statement at the time.
Problems with Boeing Air Force One
Boeing has been working on the renovation of two 747 jets to turn them into state-of-the-art presidential aircraft, but the process has been harmed by delays.
The aircraft were scheduled to be delivered by 2022 and now should not arrive before 2027.
Cheung argued earlier this year that Trump’s visit to the plane on Palm Beach “highlights the project’s failure to deliver a new Air Force One within the promised time, as they are 5 years delayed.”
Boeing’s $ 3.9 billion contract to replace the two US presidential jets, known as Air Force One (Air Force), has become an expensive and embarrassing burden.
The company has reported damage totaling $ 2.5 billion with the program, known as VC-25B, since it agreed to be responsible for what has become an exorbitant increase in costs.
The two jets currently in use, which have the lyrics of Code VC-23A and take the designation Air Force One when the president has been on board, have been on duty for almost 35 years, since the term of President George HW Bush.
Replacing aircraft has been a priority for Trump, which is deeply frustrated with delays.
“I am not satisfied with the fact that I took so long. There is no excuse for that,” Trump said to reporters aboard the Air Force One in February.
He said he would not use Boeing’s European rival, Airbus, but would consider buying a used 747 and hiring another company to reform it and use it as Air Force One.
Challenge to transform plane into a presidential aircraft
The challenge is not the basic jet, but what is needed to turn a common Boeing 747 into a command post and communications, said Richard Aboulafia, Aerodynamic Advisory, Aerodynamic Advisory, aerospace consulting company, said CNN.
They must be able to protect their occupants of missile attacks or even the shock waves of a nuclear explosion.
“You can have a jet anytime, but it takes a lot of work to have encrypted communications and manage the Armed Forces and the federal government from anywhere in the world, under any circumstances,” he said.
*Betsy Klein, Kylie Atwood, Chris Isidore and Josh Campbell, from CNN, contributed to this report
This content was originally published in Trump must accept Qatar’s luxury jet and use it as a presidential plane on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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