Summary
- Air Force One is a call sign for any Air Force aircraft carrying the President.
- Air Force One is part of a fleet of aircraft accompaniments.
- The replacement Boeing 747-8Is for Air Force One will outclass the current aircraft.
The Boeing 747-200B, designated VC-25 (popularly known as Air Force One), is one of the world's most expensive and complicated aircraft. There is much to know about Air Force One from their defense capabilities to how they are used to their replacement. Few things are as iconic of the White House Presidential administration as the jets they fly. Little is known about the replacement Air Force One jets, but it is safe to say they will be even more advanced and capable.
1 Not the only 'one'
Any military service aircraft the President flies on gets the call sign "one" plus service branch - Army One, Marine One, etc.
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Presidential Air Force call sign: |
Air Force One |
|---|---|
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Presidential Marine call sign: |
Marine One |
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Presidential Army call sign: |
Army One |
Air Force One is a call sign, strictly speaking it just means that the President of the United States is traveling on an aircraft operated by the Air Force. Because the President typically travels on the famous two specially configured Boeing 747-200Bs (Air Force designation VC-25), the term has become associated with those particular aircraft. As the Air Force states "When the president is aboard either aircraft or any Air Force aircraft, the radio call sign is 'Air Force One.'"
When the President visited Ukraine on 20 February 2023 to mark the anniversary of Ukraine's war for independence, he traveled on Boeing C-32s that typically carry the Vice-President. In this case, Air Force One was the proper call sign for the Boeing C-32s. When the vice president is on board, it is called "Air Force Two." The call sign is repeated for all services, e.g., if the President is on a Marine aircraft, it's "Marine One," if it's an Army aircraft, it's "Army One," if it's a Coast Guard aircraft, it's "Coast Guard One," etc.
What Are The Main Differences Between Air Force One & Air Force Two?
Air Force One and Air Force Two are call signs but have become associated with some of the most iconic presidential aircraft.2 The Air Force One fleet
The Presidential aircraft is typically accompanied by other aircraft.
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In front: |
Cargo aircraft with the motorcade |
|---|---|
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Behind: |
"Doomsday" plane |
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Escort: |
fighter jets (only if needed) |
The President doesn't just fly in a single-modified Boeing 747-200B by itself. Instead, it is part of a small aircraft fleet accompanying the President. In the front flies a cargo plane that carries the President's bullet-proof motorcade. Behind follows the National Airborne Operations Centers (NAOC) aircraft dubbed the "Doomsday" plane. It is something of a nuclear-proof bunker and command center for a worst-case scenario.
Sometimes, the Presidential fleet is accompanied by fighter jets - although this is actually quite unusual. Armed escorts are provided to Air Force One only if there is deemed to be a particular security need for them. According to the Washington Post, in the wake of 9/11, Air Force fighter escorts flew with the Presidential aircraft almost every day.
3 A comprehensive improvement
The new Boeing 747-8Is will outclass their predecessor 747-200Bs in performance.
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Range: |
7,730 nautical miles |
|---|---|
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Speed: |
Mach 0.855 |
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Length: |
250 feet and 2 inches |
According to Boeing, the new Jumbo jets being prepared as the replacement Air Force One aircraft will improve on the capabilities of the older aircraft. The new 747-8I will have an extra 1,000 miles of range (flying 7,730 nautical miles instead of 6,735 nautical miles). They will also fly slightly faster at Mach 0.855, making them the fastest commercial jets in the world.
The replacements will also be larger. The new aircraft will have a 29-foot larger wingspan (225 feet and 5 inches vs the older 195 feet and 8 inches). They will be the longest commercial jets in the world extending 18 feet and 4 inches longer than the existing jets (250 feet and 2 inches vs 231 feet and 10 inches).
New Air Force One Jets Now Put Boeing $2 Billion In The Red
The program is now four years behind schedule and about $2 billion over budget.4 Boeing's making a loss
Boeing is taking such a large loss on the replacement Air Force One that it regrets taking the contract.
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Contract price: |
$3.9 billion |
|---|---|
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Boeing's loss: |
$2.4 billion (as of October 2023) |
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Side effect: |
Boeing refuses to build Doomsday replacement |
Some think that defense companies earn a lot of profit on defense contracts. While sometimes this may be true, it is not true in the replacement Air Force One case. On these two aircraft, Boeing is incurring massive losses. The fixed contract for $3.9 billion may seem like a lot of money, but it was a lot under what Boeing needed to take to turn a profit on the contract. CNN reported Calhoun as saying, “Air Force One, I’m just going to call a very unique moment, a very unique negotiation. A very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn’t have taken, But we are where we are.”
In October 2023, Defense One reported that Boeing had lost over $1 billion on each of the two jets and over $2.4 billion on the contract. This has had consequences for Boeing and Defense contracting. Boeing is making good on this loss-making contract but is careful not to repeat it. For example, Boeing withdrew from the bid for the Doomsday plan replacement as it was unwilling to accept another fixed-price contract that Washington was demanding.