Air Force One to be ‘maxed out’ after security concerns
Air Force One will be taken out of service to undergo "maxed out" upgrades, Donald Trump has said.
The US president said the Qatari-donated jet would be sent off for a month to be upgraded after questions were raised about its security capabilities.
Concerns over the Boeing 747-800's defensive systems emerged after Mr Trump was forced to leave the Nato summit in Ankara earlier this month on the older Air Force One.
The Secret Service advised him to leave from Ankara aboard the older model because renewed fighting with Iran had increased threat levels, and the newer plane was not equipped with full security features.
Asked why he was travelling on the $400m (£296m) aircraft if it lacked missile defence systems, Mr Trump told reporters as he returned from the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday: "It has a lot of capability.
"But as I understand it, in about a month or so, they're going to send it to have it maxed out. It'll take about a month."
It remains unclear what specific upgrades the aircraft will receive or whether the proposed month-long timetable is achievable. The Telegraph has approached the White House for more details.
Donald Trump said the new Air Force One will be taken out of service to undergo upgrades - Win McNamee/Getty
The Nato summit marked the aircraft's first international trip, but security concerns meant Mr Trump was forced to switch back to the older Air Force One for his departure from Ankara.
The president changed planes at RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, and continued his journey on the new Air Force One.
The New York Times reported that the new aircraft lacked the same security counter-measures, including anti-missile defences. Its reporters were later subpoenaed by the Trump administration.
The Secret Service said the decision to swap planes was precautionary rather than in response to a specific threat.
Initially, Mr Trump had denied that security fears were behind his brief stop in the UK, but later said: "I have a threat all the time. I'm number one on their list."
The old Air Force One is understood to be equipped with a system that can blind incoming anti-aircraft missiles, along with "chaff" defences that could be deployed to mislead a missile.
The aircraft swap in Ankara raised questions about whether the speed at which the new plane was rushed into service allowed for adequate time for it to be retrofitted with the security measures expected of a presidential plane.
Qatar's royal family donated the jet last year after Mr Trump complained about the state of the two planes that have served as the US presidential plane since 1990.
The president flew on the new Air Force One, which is equipped with Elon Musk's Starlink communications technology, for the first time on July 1. The aircraft features a new Trump-designed livery in red, white and navy blue, in a change from the previous white and light blue livery.