President Donald Trump made an unexpected decision to fly back to the United States on an older model of Air Force One, a baby blue Boeing VC-25, instead of the newly retrofitted aircraft gifted by Qatar. This change came during a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran, as both nations engaged in military strikes.
While at a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump had arrived in the newly modified jet, which features a red, white, and navy blue color scheme. However, he chose to switch planes for the return journey, citing nostalgia for the older aircraft. The decision to fly the legacy plane raised questions regarding the security capabilities of the new jet, which reportedly lacks some missile detection and countermeasure systems found in older models.
During the brief stop at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the U.K., Trump boarded the new aircraft, which had arrived earlier for a scheduled visit to allow U.S. servicemembers to tour it. He expressed enthusiasm about the visit on social media, stating that the troops were excited to see the aircraft.
Despite inquiries from reporters regarding whether security concerns influenced his decision to switch planes, Trump downplayed the issue. He remarked that he is frequently a target of threats, asserting, “I have a threat all the time. I’m No. 1 on their list,” in reference to Iran.
Trump's flight on the older Air Force One was marked by a temporary disabling of the aircraft's transponder, a security measure typically reserved for high-risk environments. In contrast, flights of other world leaders departed Turkey with their transponders active.
The new Air Force One, which is still undergoing modifications, is expected to be fully operational by 2028. The older aircraft, which has served as Air Force One for over three decades, is equipped with advanced security features, including anti-missile systems.
Reported by HarborBeat based on WMAR-2 News (source).
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