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Swap After NATO Summit
President Donald Trump flew partway home from a NATO summit in Turkey on an older baby blue Air Force One instead of the new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, white and navy blue jet he arrived in, with the change coming as the U.S. and Iran once again began trading strikes.
“The Secret Service advised that President Trump take the old Air Force One to leave Turkey”
The Secret Service urged the White House to fly on the old plane to leave Turkey “as a security precaution,” according to CBS News sources briefed on the situation, while the White House insisted the new aircraft was fitted with “high-level security protocols.”
Trump told reporters the swap had nothing to do with security concerns, saying “No, no,” and he also said the old plane was used “for old time’s sake” as the trip included a stop at Royal Air Force Mildenhall.
After departing Turkey aboard the older Air Force One, Trump switched back to the new Qatari-gifted plane in the United Kingdom and then flew to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, where he arrived early on July 9.
The Qataris gifted the $400 million plane last year, and U.S. officials told CBS News the jet was hurried into service and is lacking some desired capabilities compared with the older Air Force One.
Competing Explanations
While Trump denied security concerns were behind the aircraft swap, he repeatedly framed himself as a top target of Iran, telling reporters “I’m number one on their list, before you,” and he added “If I go, you go. Right? So, perhaps someday you want to change professions.”
Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, defended the new aircraft as safe and secure, saying “the new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols.”
CBS News reported that the Secret Service recommendation was not based on a specific or credible threat, but rather as a precautionary measure amid the ongoing war, and it said it was unclear if the Boeing 747-8 Qatari jet had been equipped with older Air Force One laser technology to blind an incoming missile.
The Air Force said “No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications,” and it described trades on “some of the less commonly used mission sets” that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years.
NPR reported that images of the Qatari-gifted jet captured since its unveiling show it is not equipped with some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems as the older jets, while Trump said he was not asked to close his own window blinds during the flight.
What Comes Next
The aircraft swap has raised questions about how the Qatar-gifted plane will be used for presidential travel, including whether it will remain the “new Air Force One” after the accelerated retrofitting period and what defensive capabilities it will ultimately carry.
“The plane, which is supposed to be a temporary Air Force One for the next two years”
USA Today reported that the plane is supposed to be a temporary Air Force One for the next two years, and it said the move drew widespread criticism from Democrats after the $400 million donation from a foreign country.
The Guardian reported that the itinerary change prompted questions during a news conference at the NATO summit in Ankara, where a reporter asked Trump to address speculation that he was leaving Ankara not in the new Air Force One because of security concerns involving Iran.
In response, Trump said “I’m No 1 on the kill list for Iran,” and he added that the new plane was going to Europe so soldiers could tour it while he said the trip back would be “going home by normal methods.”
As the U.S. and Iran continued trading strikes, the swap also unfolded alongside reports that the U.S. launched strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets, according to the US Central Command, and imposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales.
