The U.S. Military-Industrial Complex Fought And Won WWII In Less Time Than Boeing’s Delay On Air Force One
On Sunday it was reported that President Donald Trump accepted an Qatar’s offer of a jumbo jet to serve temporarily as Air Force One after Boeing failed to deliver the long-promised replacement aircraft. But the real story here is that Boeing, the Department of Defense’s premier contractor, has been delayed years on a project vital to national security.
“We’re very disappointed that it’s taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One,” Trump said on Monday morning during a press conference. “You know, we have an Air Force One that’s 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it’s not even the same ballgame.”
“When I first came in, I signed an order to get [the new Air Force One fleet] built,” Trump said. “I took it over from the Obama administration, they had originally agreed. I got the price down much lower. And then, when the election didn’t exactly work out the way that it should have, a lot of work was not done on the plane because a lot of people didn’t know they made change orders.”
Qatar is slated to gift the U.S. a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet valued at $400 million from the Qatari royal family. In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump said the Department of Defense would be getting the gift “FREE OF CHARGE,” pointing out that despite the hysteria, it is a “very public and transparent transaction.”
But the real scandal here isn’t Trump’s temporary jet or Qatar’s diplomatic overture. The buried lede is that an elite American defense contractor can no longer deliver a presidential plane in a timely fashion. It reflects a deeper rot in the U.S. military-industrial complex — one that used to win world wars in less time than it now takes to build a new plane.
Boeing’s delivery of the new Air Force One fleet is a part of the VC-25B program (begun under the Obama administration), which “will replace the United States Air Force Presidential VC-25A fleet.” The government awarded Boeign the contract in 2018 with a target delivery date for 2024. But that date has since been pushed to 2027, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine.
As CNN previously reported, “Boeing’s $3.9 billion contract to replace the two Air Force One jets has become an expensive and embarrassing albatross. Boeing has reported losses totaling $2.5 billion already on the program … since it agreed to be responsible for what has become soaring cost overruns.”
Some issues facing Boeing include Boeing’s need to “resolve technical and certification issues in the previous supplier’s design,” according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published in 2023.
“Wiring design and fabrication was slower than planned,” the report continued. “According to program officials, Boeing identified a large number of unexpected design errors, which led to suspension of wiring fabrication in March 2022. … Boeing experienced aircraft mechanic workforce limitations due to a competitive labor market, according to program officials. … Lastly, the program officials reported that Boeing’s test plans will likely not be completed by first flight — currently scheduled for April 2024. This increases the risk of testing delays.”
Six presidents have used the current Air Force One aircraft since President George H.W. Bush put them into use in 1990 and 1991.
Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2
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