President Donald Trump said that the Qatar-gifted Boeing 747 will be taken out of service for about a month so it can be upgraded, but experts think it could take longer.
Trump's Jet May Not Be Able to Improve in a Month According to Reuters on Monday, the jet started carrying Trump on July 1, but its protection package drew attention after he changed planes mid-trip on July 8, flying an older Air Force One from Turkey to the United Kingdom as tensions with Iran climbed.
Read Also: Trump Vows Netanyahu 'Will Not Be Arrested' as Mamdani Doubles Down on ICC Threat— and a Legal Analyst Has Three Reasons Why NYC's Mayor Can't Do It Anyway Douglas Birkey, who is the executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, cited in the report, said the long-standing Air Force One fleet introduced in the 90s includes advanced defensive gear such as anti-missile technology, but he believes the White House accepted less protection on the Qatar aircraft to get it operating faster, the report said.
Birkey said any changes completed in roughly a month would probably center on non-kinetic options, including electronic jamming and infrared systems meant to disrupt heat-seeking missiles, the report said.
