Reuters reports that a credible and imminent threat that Air Force One could be targeted by a shoulder-fired missile led the Secret Service to secretly move President Donald Trump to a smaller C-32A plane during his departure from Turkey last month. Trump and aides were transferred via a supply truck while the main Air Force One departed separately with senior officials and the press pool. A security expert assessed the threat may have involved a heat-seeking MANPADS capable of targeting aircraft engines without emitting detectable signals.
Reuters reported Thursday morning that a credible and imminent threat that Air Force One could be targeted by a shoulder-fired missile during President Donald Trump's departure from Turkey last month prompted the Secret Service to secretly move the president to a smaller C-32A government aircraft.
According to a source familiar with the operation, Trump and a small group of aides were transferred from the presidential plane via a supply truck in a last-minute deception designed to conceal his movements. Air Force One then departed separately carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House staff, and a 13-person press pool. Trump flew without incident to the United Kingdom on the smaller plane.
A second source told Reuters there was no clear action plan for an attack but a defined intention existed that allowed both planes to depart. A security expert assessed that the threat may have involved a heat-seeking man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) capable of targeting aircraft engines without emitting detectable radio signals.
The report adds new operational details to a story that has been covered extensively over the past month. The Zioneer previously reported that Israeli intelligence provided the critical warning that disrupted an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Trump using shoulder-fired missiles. The White House later confirmed a 'credible' Iranian missile threat forced the president to switch planes, and Trump himself acknowledged the security maneuvers, saying he followed Secret Service instructions.
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