Voice Of Post

Boeing Air Force One fleet, The U.S. military has chosen a new Boeing model to replace its current fleet of Air Force One presidential aircrafts.

The new Air Force One planes will be Boeing Co's commercial 747-8 airliner, replacing the old Boeing 747-200Bs.
The blue-and-white Air Force One has become a symbol for the President of the United States and has been the backdrop for many historic moments.

The Pentagon had considered the A380 made by European aerospace giant Airbus, but opted for home-grown talent.
'The Boeing 747-8 is the only aircraft manufactured in the United States (that) when fully missionized meets the necessary capabilities established to execute the presidential support mission,' said Air Force Secretary Deborah James in a statement.

Boeing welcomed the Air Force's decision to skip a competition and opt for the 747-8, citing its 50-year history of building presidential aircraft.

The Air Force now operates two VC-25s, specially configured Boeing 747-200Bs. It said it planned to purchase enough of the technical baseline to permit competition for maintenance during the plane's planned 30-year life.
James said the Air Force One program would use proven technologies and commercially certified equipment to keep the program affordable.

The president's plane has long been a symbol of American power and the setting for historic moments, including the somber 1963 ceremony when Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office on board -- hours after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
The plane is often portrayed in Hollywood films and inspired a 1997 thriller titled 'Air Force One' in which the US president, played by Harrison Ford, fought off hijackers.

Outfitted with secure communications equipment and other gear, Air Force One is designed to serve as a 'mobile command center' and served that role briefly after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
It also features a suite for the commander-in-chief that includes a large office, a conference room as well as a medical area that can function as an operating room.

The plane's galley can feed up to 100 people and there are additional quarters for senior aides, Secret Service agents and other staff.

Air Force One is technically the radio call sign adopted by any aircraft with the president on board but it has become identified with certain planes reserved for the president's air travel.