Amid secrecy and scrutiny, US Air Force begins work on Qatar-gifted 747  

The US Air Force has quietly started converting a Boeing 747-8 donated earlier this year by the government of Qatar into a specialized aircraft for executive transport. While the Pentagon has confirmed the handover, much of the scope, cost, and contracting arrangements for the conversion project remain classified, fueling political debate in Washington. 

President Donald Trump formally accepted the Qatari 747-8 in early 2025. The jet, previously outfitted for VIP travel and valued at about $400 million, was transferred to the Air Force for use in what officials are describing as “executive airlift support.” Trump has said publicly that he intends for the aircraft to serve as a future Air Force One, before ultimately being displayed at his presidential library. 

Despite those statements, the Air Force has avoided discussing the precise role for the aircraft and has provided few details. In a rare acknowledgment, the service issued a short statement confirming the project: “As directed by the Secretary of War, the Air Force is modifying a Boeing 747 aircraft for Executive Airlift support. Details related to the contract are classified.” 

The classified nature of the conversion has raised eyebrows, particularly since the ongoing VC-25B program — Boeing’s effort to replace the two aging VC-25A presidential transports with new 747-8s — remains unclassified. Boeing has suggested those aircraft could be delivered as soon as 2027. 

By contrast, details of the Qatar 747 program are being kept quiet. Neither the contractor responsible for the work nor the specific scope of modifications has been publicly confirmed. The Wall Street Journal has reported that L3Harris Technologies is leading the project, though the company has not commented.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told Congress in June that the money to begin the conversion was drawn from the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program. That program is in the midst of a schedule change, leaving early-year funding available for outfitting the 747. 

Converting a commercial jet into a presidential aircraft is no small task. The process involves stripping existing systems and installing advanced communications suites, hardened defensive countermeasures, and other equipment capable of supporting the president and national security staff during crises. Agencies including the Secret Service, CIA, NSA, and the White House Communications Agency are expected to play roles in ensuring the aircraft meets stringent security and counterintelligence requirements. 

The unusual origins of the project have stirred debate. Critics have questioned whether accepting and modifying a foreign-donated aircraft introduces new security risks. 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) argued in May that the Qatari aircraft “poses significant espionage and surveillance problems.” Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, similarly warned of “immense counterintelligence risks” tied to repurposing a jet formerly belonging to another government. 

Supporters counter that the conversion gives the Air Force an additional widebody aircraft for high-level missions, potentially easing pressure on the existing presidential fleet while Boeing continues work on the VC-25B. 

What remains uncertain is just how extensively the former Qatar jet will be modified and how it will fit alongside the VC-25B fleet once those aircraft are delivered. If the Air Force follows through on Meink’s projected timeline, the converted jet could be ready as soon as 2026, well ahead of the first new VC-25Bs. 

For now, the aircraft is being transformed in a cloak of secrecy, with funding diverted from one of the Pentagon’s most sensitive weapons programs and with oversight largely out of public view. Whether it ultimately serves as a stopgap Air Force One or a supplemental executive transport, the Qatari gift has already become a flashpoint at the intersection of diplomacy, politics, and military procurement. The post Amid secrecy and scrutiny, US Air Force begins work on Qatar-gifted 747   appeared first on AeroTime.

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