Boeing warned the Air Force that the two new 747-8 Air Force One planes would be delayed for a year — delivered in 2025 — when the 82-year-old Biden's re-election remains a question. And Boeing is asking to renegotiate the contract price. Boeing sent a letter of intent to the U.S. Air Force, which it said was due to an insolvent subcontractor and the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. The final cost of the two new 747-8 Air Force One exceeded the agreed $3.9 billion (about 24.9 billion yuan).
Since 2007, the U.S. Air Force has sought replacements for two VC-25A Air Force One aircraft. The current U.S. president's planes are two highly customized Boeing 747-200Bs, numbered 28,000 and 29,000. In January 2015, the U.S. Air Force announced that the new Air Force One would be replaced by two 747-8 aircraft. In July 2018, Boeing received a $3.9 billion contract, or about 12.9 billion yuan. The delivery date is set for December 2024.
The new Air Force One standard equipment is not limited to advanced radar systems, radar jamming systems, anti-missile flares and foil strips, and very low-frequency radio systems that can communicate with underwater submarines.
Recently, however, Boeing told the U.S. Air Force that the new Air Force One was delivered 12 months later than originally scheduled due to the impact of the pandemic and a subcontractor's "drop of the chain" and wanted to renegotiate the contract price. On June 8, 2021, Darlene Costello, Chief Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Air Force Procurement, Technology and Logistics, confirmed the news at a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee.
In April 2021, a dispute broke out between Boeing and Texas-based GDC Technics. GDC Technics, one of Boeing's subcontractors, said they had a one-year delay in fulfilling their contracts.
GDC Technics said it wanted to counterclaim, claiming that Boeing mismanaged the completion of the two Air Force Ones, resulting in a delay in the delivery of the aircraft. Even more unfortunately, GDC Technics declared bankruptcy protection at the end of April, and the entire dispute resulted in Boeing recording $318 million in pre-tax charges.
Obama ordered 747-8 when he was in office, and Trump successfully bargained for 7 billion!
In January 2015, the Obama administration announced a decision to order two Boeing 747-8s. When Boeing and the U.S. Air Force first reached an agreement, the price of the two Air Force One was $5 billion (about 31.9 billion yuan). And bargaining, no one is more good than Trump. Trump, then-PRESIDENT of the United States, said directly on Twitter that the price of the new aircraft was outrageous and said that the Air Force should "cancel the order" (maximum pressure).
The president of the United States has opened his mouth, and Boeing has to slash the price to $3.9 billion, or about 24.9 billion yuan. Cut down 7 billion at once, more fierce than Pinduoduo!
The President of the United States had his own aircraft in the 1940s, and every once in a while, the Air Force updated its fleet with new aircraft. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to fly during his presidency. In 1943, Roosevelt attended the Casablanca Conference aboard Pan Am's Boeing 314 Clipper.
Subsequently, in order to facilitate the travel of the president, the US government deliberately converted a C-87 Liberator into a presidential plane. The Air Force One call sign was not officially introduced until 1953. At that time, the main thing was to avoid confusion with the call signs of commercial flights.
In 1959, Air Force One entered the jet age. Since then, the president of the United States has provided special planes by Boeing. President El howwell approved the introduction of the first jetliner, and they modified a Boeing 707 (VC-137).
The Boeing 707 also features a new signature livery, including blue, white and gold colours. This livery was also retained on the VC-25A aircraft.
Air Force One – The White House in flight
The active Air Force One has been in service for more than 30 years, and the U.S. Air Force is also looking for new aircraft. To save costs, in 2017, the U.S. Air Force intends to take over two 747-8I aircraft that were originally sold to Aeroflot Transaero. Transaero ordered two Boeing 747-8 aircraft (registration numbers N895BA and N894BA) in 2011, but before delivery could be made, it collapsed on its own.
The 747-8 version of Air Force One was originally sold to Russian Transaero Airlines
For Air Force One, the aircraft itself may not be too expensive, but the modification is a bottomless pit of funds. Foreign media have reported that the operation manual of "Air Force One" is 100,000 pages thick. Service, testing and deployment of aircraft were also required, as well as the construction of a new hangar at Andrews Air Force Base.
Air Force One's conversion projects include:
Rugged body housing can withstand electromagnetic pulses;
Retractable stairs, when there is no boarding ladder outside, it can be automatically run;
Comprehensive anti-missile systems and missile early warning systems;
Integrated flight management system for military GPS;
Enhanced ability to take off and land steeply, as well as evasive maneuverability in flight;
Enhanced communication equipment;
Install a second auxiliary power unit (APU).