The White House confirmed Tuesday that the newly modified Air Force One will be taken out of service for a month this fall to undergo unspecified "enhancements." The grounding is primarily aimed at removing several tons of radar-jamming equipment to make room for more flattering cabin lighting.
WASHINGTON — The White House confirmed Tuesday that the newly modified Air Force One will be taken out of service for a month this fall to undergo unspecified "enhancements." The grounding is primarily aimed at removing several tons of radar-jamming equipment to make room for more flattering cabin lighting.
The $3.9 billion Boeing 747 has faced intense scrutiny from sources close to leadership over whether it possesses sufficient defensive capabilities to make President Donald Trump look adequately vibrant during high-altitude press briefings. According to a senior aide speaking on background, the current military-grade fluorescent fixtures have repeatedly compromised the administration’s messaging by washing out the commander in chief’s bronzer while over the Atlantic.
To address the tactical vulnerabilities, the Air Force will spend four weeks stripping the aircraft's advanced directional infrared countermeasures—systems designed to blind incoming surface-to-air missiles—to accommodate a custom array of soft-focus ring lights and amber diffusers.
While the ability to evade a heat-seeking projectile is certainly a nice-to-have, our primary threat assessment dictates that the President cannot appear pallid when doubling down on social media posts from the sky.
The month-long grounding has prompted unease on Capitol Hill regarding the physical safety of the executive branch, though the administration has firmly rejected the criticism. Following a closed-door meeting with defense contractors, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that the administration had rigorously weighed the optics of the aircraft being shot down over international waters against the optics of the President appearing tired on camera, and had adjusted the plane’s defensive payload accordingly.
The Department of Defense has reportedly authorized a secondary wave of structural modifications for early next year, which will see the aircraft’s encrypted nuclear command-and-control suite permanently dismantled to expand the soft-serve ice cream staging area.