What Happened
US Air Force Expands Training Fleet Amid Delayed Air Force One Program
The US Air Force has announced the acquisition of two Boeing 747-8 aircraft for approximately $400 million to support training and sustainment for the future presidential airlift fleet. The aircraft will be used to establish a training, test, and sustainment program for the VC-25B fleet, which has been delayed due to supply chain disruptions and workforce constraints. The Air Force currently operates two VC-25A aircraft, modified Boeing 747-200s that have been in service since the early 1990s. This acquisition is intended to strengthen readiness and ensure continuity of presidential airlift operations as the transition to the VC-25B fleet continues. The purchase was announced by the Air Force on December 16, 2025, and comes as the program remains several years behind its original schedule. The Air Force has emphasized that the presidential airlift mission requires aircraft capable of serving as a secure airborne command center, with communications and defensive systems comparable to those of the White House itself. The acquisition is part of several interim measures taken to manage the aging presidential fleet, including the conversion of a Boeing 747-8 previously operated by the Qatari government into an executive transport aircraft.