New Air Force One Lacks Defensive Countermeasures

[applegrove]

New Air Force One Lacks Defensive Countermeasures

July 10, 2026 at 5:50 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 36 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2026/07/10/new-air-force-one-lacks-defensive-countermeasures/

“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, according to multiple officials who have been briefed on how the jet was retrofitted,” the New York Times reports.

“Experts say the absence of those capabilities on the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which was donated by Qatar, creates potential risk in using the jet abroad, a dynamic underscored by the abrupt decision on Wednesday for Mr. Trump to leave Turkey on the old Air Force One at the urging of the Secret Service.”

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. He tried getting the taxpayers to upgrade his old jet at the beginning of his first term

The Secret Service said absolutely not.

Now he has the SS staffed with lickspittles there is no one to say no.

[sarisataka]

2. Why wouldn't they have been added

during the retrofit?

[HappyH]

8. Time

Donnie wanted his luxury jet and he wanted it now!

[jmowreader]

10. Four reasons

They're extremely expensive.

They're built specifically for every aircraft model they're fitted to - an F/A-18 or an F-15 wouldn't need the same kind of countermeasures a Boeing 747 would, and since there aren't a huge number of 747s that need them they have to be built from scratch. "Why not use one of the sets destined for the 747s Boeing would have finished by now if Trump hadn't screwed around in his last term?" Because they're probably already attached to the planes and getting them off would ruin them.

Putting them on an already-assembled aircraft would require more disassembly than they had time for to meet Trump's ridiculous schedule. Trump's ridiculous schedule has caused lots of problems...witness the Reflecting Pool.

Those systems are highly classified. The plan for this aircraft is for it to haul Trump around until the end of his term then hand it over to the hotel that'll be Trump's library. In the case of something like the 707 in Reagan's library the defensive systems are outdated technology that can be safely declassified; since the two 747s Boeing is working on are the same model as the one Qatari Intelligence gifted to Trump the defensive systems will be current.

There is, of course, an easier and cheaper way to solve this problem: paint a picture of JD Vance on the tail then paint this inscription on the fuselage: if you shoot this plane down, the couchfucker whose picture is on the tail will be president and he doesn't like you.

[Bettie]

3. Probably doesn't need them for him

he's actively working on destroying the US. It's like he works for anyone who's against the US.

[Lovie777]

4. WTF...................

[applegrove]

5. It is fine if he wants to be slobby about his own welfare

but the staff and the reporters on AF1 deserve to be secure.

[ALBliberal]

6. Just another rushed grift ffs

[durablend]

7. *shrug* Gotta go sometime....

[Goonch]

9. ;-{) HIGH PRIORITY BALLROOM

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

11. "Do not look a gift jet in the fuselage."

[Kingofalldems]

12. I think it's all about those stairs.