President Trump announced that the Qatari-donated interim Air Force One will be pulled from service in about a month for a comprehensive month-long upgrade, including missile defense systems, according to Israeli journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12). The move follows a journalist's question about the plane's lack of missile defense capabilities.
President Trump said Monday that the Qatari-donated interim Air Force One will be grounded in about a month for a comprehensive upgrade, including missile defense systems, after a New York Times journalist raised concerns about the aircraft's lack of such defenses. The announcement clarifies the timeline: the plane will be sent for upgrades that are expected to take roughly one month, after which it will return to service. The aircraft, a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar, entered operational readiness last week and has been the subject of security scrutiny. As The Zioneer reported earlier today, Trump initially stated the plane would be upgraded in about a month; the new reports add detail that the upgrade itself will last a month. The plane is currently in service but will be temporarily replaced or stood down during the refit.
4 developments
- DevelopingTrump's interim Air Force One enters operational readiness
- StrongReport: Trump's Qatari aircraft lacks missile defense systems
- StrongTrump displays Qatar-gifted interim Air Force One in New York
- StrongUS administration investigates journalists over leak that Qatari plane was not secure enough for Trump, HaRadar reports
Source and signal
- Internal intake