New Air Force One lacks defensive countermeasures

newsJul 9, 202616266

The New York Times reported that the new Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, does not include the defensive countermeasures that were security features of the previous presidential plane, including advanced antimissile capabilities. Aviation experts told the paper the capability gap poses a potential risk when the president travels overseas. The White House defended the aircraft’s safety despite those warnings. President Trump flew on the donated 747-8 earlier this week to Turkey, according to reporting citing that flight. A May 2025 assessment warned converting the Qatar-donated 747 could require vast sums, take years, and introduce capability shortfalls and security vulnerabilities. News reports say the security concerns prompted a move to switch back to the original Air Force One over safety worries.

altNOAA 🇺🇸

@altnoaa.bsky.social

This is the lamest excuse I've heard from Trump about anything. I was USAF Special Operations, I never got to "take a tour" of AF1. This doesn't happen. What happened: USSS was afraid of new jet being within range of Iranian missiles. New jet doesn't have countermeasures. That's what happened!

89Yesterday

Blackironfitter4

That is exactly why he has to fly on the old one. These planes take years to build to AF1 spec. They barely had time to do a cosmetic renovation of this thing.

Nona Yerbiznatch1

Any chance he is in a Turkish hospital?

Steve Herman

@newsguy.bsky.social

NYT - The new Air Force One, which President Trump flew on earlier this week to Turkey, lacks the same defensive countermeasures that were security features of the old model, including its advanced antimissile capabilities. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/us...

483h ago

RationallyDense (they/he/she/any)12

Someone's gonna do the funniest thing possible and we'll get yelled at for laughing.

Blobert v3.03

But it does have gold, right?

duamerthrax.bsky.social1

I don't have a problem with this.

umotu.bsky.social1

Anyone else think this entire timeline is the definition of ludicrous?

Quoting this

lumberjack wharfie43

It's kinda really funny that we're pointing it out in the news.

Kathryn Brightbill ✒️8

Lolwut. Is somebody trying to get Trump shot out of the sky? Because flying the president on a jet without the security measures of the old Air Force One sure seems like somebody is trying to get him shot out of the sky. And does that somebody's name rhyme with JD Vance?

AMDO6

i don’t think that stuff is very important

Tony Clark4

So rather than use the existing AF1, which has security and defensive features necessary to protect him, until the legit replacements—which will have all that and more—arrive, he insisted on spending hundreds of millions of our dollars on the bribe plane without the features, that he now can't use.

Eric Haywood3

He should ONLY fly in this

TrumpsTaxes

@trumpstaxes.com

Insane. Turns out that Trump’s prized Bribe Force One is lacking in defensive countermeasures and as such is a threat to our national security. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/u...

272h ago

TrumpsTaxes4

And right after we get this headline about a subpar Bribe Force One - which he flew to Turkey - we get this headline about a very real threat to Trump. I know, I know, after Bibi lured Trump into this Iran debacle, Israeli intelligence is not to be trusted. But still. www.wsj.com/world/middle...

Nolan Hicks

@ndhapple.bsky.social

"New Air Force One Lacks Defensive Countermeasures of Previous Model, Officials Say: Experts said the lack of such capabilities poses a potential risk when the president travels overseas. The White House defended the aircraft’s safety." -- www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/u...

163h ago

John Schwartz

@jswatz.bsky.social

Risking his own life to fly on his blinged-out deathtrap. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/u...

213h ago

Michael Derby

@michaelsderby.bsky.social

The jet Trump took as a new Air Force 1 from a foreign donor lacks key defensive measures: "The episode is intensifying the focus on Mr. Trump’s demands to rapidly retrofit the donated 747 to replace an aging fleet that had served as the official presidential planes." Via NYT

122h ago

Whitney Curry Wimbish

@whitneycwimbish.bsky.social

Qatar giving trump a big fancy plane w/o the same defense system as the old plane is so funny man. Austin Powers ass plot

102h ago

Emma Jean Kitty

@emmajeankitty.bsky.social

I say let him fly in it. Take the other plane away. He begged for it so let it be 😀 New Air Force One Lacks Defensive Countermeasures of Previous Model, Officials Say www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/u... via @NYTimes

92h ago

Tyler King

@tyleraking.com

May 2025: “Converting a Qatar-donated Boeing 747 into a new Air Force One for President Donald Trump could require vast sums of money, take years to complete and may introduce alarming capability shortcomings and security vulnerabilities into the chief executive’s aircraft, aviation experts said.”

72h ago

Zac Estrada

@zacestrada.com

"The safety of the aircraft is critical not only for the president, but also for the large entourage of White House staff, Secret Service officials, journalists and guests who fly aboard" www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/u...

63h ago

Barbara Kaskosz

@kaskosz.bsky.social

The new Air Force One—the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which was donated by Qatar— lacks the necessary defensive countermeasures that were security features of the old model, including its advanced antimissile capabilities. No one knows how much it will cost to fix it. 🎁 www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/u...

33h ago