Why The Us Won't Ditch Boeing For An Airbus Air Force One

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Air Force One isn't a regular airliner pinch VIP seating. It's a hardened, classified, and highly customized bid halfway built into a plane. That intends whoever builds it needs top-level entree to delicate subject systems and intel (despite President Donald Trump being unfastened to slacking disconnected connected information clearances if it gets him a caller level faster). Boeing, based successful nan U.S., already has that infrastructure successful place. Airbus doesn't, and ne'er will, nether existent laws. U.S. defense protocols restrict sharing definite technologies pinch overseas companies, moreover allies. That's why Airbus has ne'er been a superior contender.

Trump himself made it clear, telling nan BBC that moreover though he's disappointment pinch Boeing's delays and costs overruns, "I would not see Airbus." Instead, nan U.S. will refurbish a used Qatari 747 fixed arsenic a gift to beryllium a stopgap Air Force One at a costs that whitethorn deed $1 billion, and a timetable of a twelvemonth aliases two. But switching to Airbus would hold nan programme moreover further, possibly by years. That's a logistical and ineligible nightmare.

Even Boeing is struggling to meet nan specs of 2 caller Air Force Ones it's nether statement to build. The Air Force is still modifying requirements successful nan hopes that nan institution tin deed a 2027 transportation target. If nan U.S. can't get Boeing — a home institution pinch decades of acquisition — to enactment connected track, it's difficult to ideate handing nan occupation to Airbus.

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There's besides organization inertia. Boeing has been building subject craft for nan U.S. for decades. The Air Force relies connected nan institution for everything from nan B-52 to nan KC-46. The existent Air Force One fleet (VC-25A) is simply a brace of Boeing 747-200s, and nan replacement VC-25B is based connected nan 747-8i. That history matters for maintenance, training, parts sourcing, and semipermanent logistics.

L3Harris, nan defense contractor now tasked pinch overhauling nan Qatari 747 for impermanent statesmanlike use, is a Boeing partner successful different projects. That tells you something. Even erstwhile nan U.S. steps distant from Boeing directly, it still chooses vendors already wrong Boeing's orbit.

Sure, Airbus makes awesome planes. But building Air Force One is astir much than formation scope aliases spot count. It's astir building a unafraid level for nuclear-level decision-making. The Department of Defense needs a vendor it already knows tin grip it. And Boeing, for each its caller stumbles, is still nan astir viable (and trusted) choice.

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If nan optics of riding successful a 35-year-old 747 fuss Trump, ideate nan headlines if he flew an Airbus. "America First" isn't conscionable a slogan. It drives decisions for illustration this. Airbus is simply a European institution pinch heavy ties to governments crossed nan EU. For immoderate U.S. president, particularly Trump (no matter really hopeless he is to alert connected a caller Air Force One), having "Made successful France" aliases "Assembled successful Germany" stamped connected Air Force One would beryllium a nonstarter.

In s Trump's view, nan U.S. deserves not conscionable a newer jet, but a awesome of nationalist pride. That's why he pushed for a caller red, white, and bluish overgarment scheme, ditching nan classical robin's ovum blue. Even Trump Force One (his individual 757) is decked retired successful patriotic colors and golden trim.

Whether you work together pinch nan authorities aliases not, nan consequence is nan same: Airbus was ne'er successful nan running. The risk, cost, and clip progressive would beryllium massive, and nan backlash would beryllium worse. For amended aliases worse, Boeing owns this job. The U.S. mightiness grumble. Trump mightiness threaten. But erstwhile it comes down to it, Air Force One, on pinch Boeing's "Doomsday" plane, will stay all-American.