What will replace Air Force One 747?

Two Boeing 747-8s will be modified to replace the existing fleet of presidential 747-200s, which are designated VC-25A by the Air Force. The planes are expected to enter service by 2027 and will be designated VC-25B. Here is how the old and new compare.



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Other aircraft designated as Air Force One have included another Lockheed Constellation, Columbine III, three Boeing 707s, introduced in the 1960s and 1970s, and the current Boeing VC-25As.

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The Gulfstream jets, known as C-20Cs to the U.S. Air Force, are meant to ferry a traveling President of the United States to safety during a crisis. The planes typically follow Air Force One, landing at an airbase or airport an hour or less from the President's location.

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Some high profile aircraft, such as Air Force One are not displayed. Most other aircraft subject to restriction are shown as anonymized by aircraft type.

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And while the plane features a private residence, meeting rooms, a medical facility, and Secret Service agents, there are no weapons onboard. With an essential role of transporting US officials, let's look at how the Boeing VC-25 can thwart any attack despite being unarmed.

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But after five decades, customer demand for the 747 eroded as Boeing and Airbus (AIR.PA) developed more fuel efficient two-engine widebody planes. When Boeing confirmed in July 2020 that it would end 747 production, it was already only producing at a rate of half an aircraft a month.

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Flugzeuginfo.net notes that the range of a Boeing 747-200 is 12,700km - equating to a maximum of 14 hours of flight at cruising speed. Of course, the VC-25As are modified, and their range will vary slightly from this.

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The presidential suite, located in the quiet forward area of the plane, contains an office, a bedroom, and a lavatory.

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When VC-25A or the currently under development VC-25B are in the air but not carrying the president, air traffic controllers may refer to them by their tail numbers, Special Air Missions (SAM) 28000 and 29000, or by a call sign of their choosing.

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The aircraft are based on the same Boeing 747s as the VC-25s used by US President. There are four identical aircraft performing this function in the US. The bulge on the top is a radome that houses a steerable SHF SATCOM antenna, as can be seen in the following image.

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