The next Air Force One from Qatar? Trump wants to accept a gift of a Boeing 747, which experts say poses a security threat
US President Donald Trump wants to accept Qatar's offer of a secondhand Boeing 747 aircraft intended for use as Air Force One. The $400 million aircraft would have to undergo costly modifications and thorough security checks, and security and ethical issues surrounding the Gulf emirate's plan are now emerging across the political and security spectrum. The move has raised concerns not only among experts but also within Trump's own Republican Party. According to the president, it would be "foolish" to reject Qatar's offer. Currently, two specially modified Boeing 747-200s, nicknamed the Flying White House, are used for the US head of state, but despite renovations, they are reaching the end of their service life. A successor is therefore being developed, which should take to the skies for the first time next year.
Donald Trump has just completed a tour of the Middle East, and in addition to strengthening relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he has decided to revive relations with Qatar. During his last presidency, he supported a proposal for an economic blockade, and the US and Qatar had virtually no communication for many years. But that is now over, and in addition to massive investments in the aviation industry, with Qatar planning to purchase over a hundred Boeing aircraft for hundreds of billions of dollars, there is also a rapprochement on a personal level and through aviation industry ties. The sheikhs offered the US head of state a valuable, albeit controversial, gift: a used Boeing 747 aircraft that would serve as Air Force One during Donald Trump's presidency and later become the property of the Trump Library Foundation.
"The Department of Defense is receiving a gift, free of charge, of a 747 aircraft that will temporarily replace the 40-year-old Air Force One in a very public and transparent transaction," Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social, emphasizing that this is not a gift directly to him, but to the Department of Defense, which is responsible for the presidential fleet by law. Trump described it as 'foolish' not to accept the gift, calling it a very friendly gesture.
However, the new announcement is a thorn in the side of both Democrats and Republicans, as well as security experts. According to former CIA agent Darrell Blocker, this is a "counterintelligence nightmare" and he likened the situation to a Trojan horse. "If you look at history, almost anything that a foreign government gives as a gift, there are regulations, restrictions, and guidelines to ensure that there is no eavesdropping or leaks, and the plane would be an absolute nightmare if we had to confirm that this is not the case," Blocker said in an interview with ABC News, recalling the circumstances surrounding the construction of the US embassy in Moscow in the 1980s. American field agents had to dismantle the building almost to its foundations because the Russians had installed listening devices in every room and piece of equipment. "From an intelligence perspective, it's not the smartest move. (...) I think the people of Troy, when they accepted the horse, regretted it afterwards," added Darrell Blocker, a former long-time CIA agent and deputy head of counterterrorism operations.
"Even under the best circumstances, the military will have to make a significant effort to ensure that the aircraft is manufactured securely, that it is not compromised in terms of the intelligence capabilities it carries, and that it is built to provide sensitive communications and countermeasures using the technology found on any Air Force One aircraft. To do this properly will not happen quickly," former Department of Homeland Security official John Cohen told ABC News, adding that it would also be necessary to dismantle such an aircraft into its smallest components.
Political rivals from the Democratic Party traditionally do not mince words with the current president and call the Qatari gift illegal and a threat to national security. However, they have been joined by prominent Republicans who share similar concerns. "I don't think we should accept it. I think there are national security concerns that need to be addressed, regarding eavesdropping devices, security specifications, and potentially other issues," Republican Senator Todd Young, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, commented, according to The Hill. "I'm not a fan of Qatar. I think they have a really troubling pattern of funding theocratic lunatics who want to murder us — Hamas and Hezbollah. And that's a real problem," another Republican senator, Ted Cruz, pointed out the regional ties in an interview with CNBC.
The current pair of Boeing 747-200B aircraft, also known as VC-25, reached the end of their service life almost ten years ago, but necessary renovations extended their service until last year and this year, respectively. Despite being in service since the late 1980s, they are considered the safest aircraft in the world, equipped with everything the president and his team need to exercise power. Each can carry 70 passengers, fly 12,600 km without refueling, and be refueled in flight. For understandable security reasons, the Americans do not disclose the specific technology used on board by the intelligence services, but it is believed to be a combination of some of the most advanced surveillance and communication equipment, unmatched in any similar transport aircraft anywhere in the world. The military has already ordered two replacements for the Boeing 747-8, which will be called VC-25B and, after delays, are scheduled to enter service in March next year.
