Boeing wins US Air Force contract to modify next presidential aircraft

The Air Force operates two military versions of the Boeing 747-200B aircraft that serve as Air Force One when the president is aboard. Both are nearing the end of their planned 30-year life.

By: Reuters
Bengaluru | September 13, 2017 08:51 PM IST

1 min read

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FILE PHOTO: Visitors look at models of Boeing aircrafts at the Aviation Expo China 2015, in Beijing, China, in this September 16, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo

The US Air Force said on Wednesday it had awarded Boeing Co a contract to begin modification of two 747-8 jetliners that will be the next presidential aircraft. The contract, which would be under $600 million, includes the design to incorporate a mission communication system, electrical power upgrades, a medical facility and a self-defense system, the Air Force said.

The two aircraft were initially ordered four years ago by Transaero, a Russian airline that went bankrupt in 2015, Reuters reported last month. The Air Force operates two military versions of the Boeing 747-200B aircraft that serve as Air Force One when the president is aboard. Both are nearing the end of their planned 30-year life.

The redesign of the aircraft is expected to be a long process with upcoming awards to be for engineering and manufacturing development, expected in summer next year.

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