The Trump administration is set to accept a luxury plane from the Qatari royal family that will be retrofitted and used as Air Force One during the president’s second term, two people familiar with the agreement told CNN.
...
Given the massive value of a Boeing 747-8, the move is unprecedented and raises substantial ethical and legal questions. A Qatari official said the plane is technically being gifted from the Qatari Ministry of Defense to the Pentagon, describing it more as a government-to-government transaction instead of a personal one. The Defense Department will then retrofit the plane for the president’s use with security features and modifications.
The plan is for the plane to be donated to Trump’s presidential library after he leaves office, ensuring he can continue to use it, according to a person familiar.
That's bad enough, but I also wonder whether an upgrade is cheaper than building AF1 from scratch. Could it be that there's no savings for the US?
Then, why the donation to "the Library"? Why doesn't the US retain it for AOC or whoever? Building AF1 from scratch will have to happen, regardless. Thus, there's no savings at all. DonOLD will gain the Qatari "donation" (bribe) AND the cost of the upgrade paid for by US taxpayers.
He's drunk with power and desperate at the same time.
How would this even work? I'm all for lower medical costs for Americans. But I'm genuinely curious, what mechanisms does he even have to make this happen?
He can affect Medicare price negotiations, I suppose, but I can't think of any control he has over private transactions. But through some authority, perhaps imaginary but unchallenged, Nixon put in wage/price controls in the early 70's. Didn't work. Made a bigger mess that he started with.
How would this even work? I'm all for lower medical costs for Americans. But I'm genuinely curious, what mechanisms does he even have to make this happen?
Also: "United States States of America"
Sounds like by manipulating "Most Favored Nation" policy so that it applies domestically. Idk whether that change can be made, nor whether it can be made by a POTUS with an EO.
Leaving that aside, it's about time that Big Pharma got zapped, even if this turns out to not be the way to do it. Get off your asses, Congress.
That's bad enough, but I also wonder whether an upgrade is cheaper than building AF1 from scratch. Could it be that there's no savings for the US?
Then, why the donation to "the Library"? Why doesn't the US retain it for AOC or whoever? Building AF1 from scratch will have to happen, regardless. Thus, there's no savings at all. DonOLD will gain the Qatari "donation" (bribe) AND the cost of the upgrade paid for by US taxpayers.
I wonder how much it will cost to go over that plane and make sure there's no hidden recording devices or hidden explosives or to find out if there is some built in ability for someone in Qatar to remotely disable the plane.
I wonder how much it will cost to go over that plane and make sure there's no hidden recording devices or hidden explosives or to find out if there is some built in ability for someone in Qatar to remotely disable the plane.
Millions? Tracking and missile homing devices, too. Everything is so miniaturized these days.
I wonder how much it will cost to go over that plane and make sure there's no hidden recording devices or hidden explosives or to find out if there is some built in ability for someone in Qatar to remotely disable the plane.
Millions? Tracking and missile homing devices, too. Everything is so miniaturized these days.
All that and I can't believe they could bring that plane up to AF1 standards in two years.
I'm sure DonOld thinks a lot of the stuff is unnecessary and doesn't care.
The VC-25A planes used as Air Force One are the most well-equipped and well-defended aircraft flying. Ready for business (with 85 phone lines) or wartime (they really can withstand a nuclear blast on the ground), today's Air Force One planes have 4,000 square feet of space for up to 76 passengers and a crew of 26. They each boast two galleys, with stocked fridges; a medical department; a supply of blood; and a well-stocked pharmacy.
For the president, each plane is equipped with a private suite that has a small gym, bathroom, shower and sleeping quarters. Each has a flying Oval Office and its own situation room. Their defenses include electronic countermeasures, radar jamming and flares to confuse enemy missiles. They are also protected against electromagnetic pulses.
The planes even have their own side exit doors, so they don't have to rely on airport stair vehicles.
The onboard electronics include about 238 miles of wiring (twice the amount you'd find in a normal 747). Heavy shielding is tough enough to protect the wiring and crucial electronics from the electromagnetic pulse associated with a nuclear blast.
Some of the most interesting parts of the plane -- it's advanced avionics and defenses -- are classified. But the Air Force asserts the two planes are definitely military aircraft, designed to withstand an air attack. Among other things, the plane is outfitted with electronic counter measures (ECM) to jam enemy radar. The plane can also eject flares to throw heat-seeking missiles off course. https://people.howstuffworks.com/air-force-one4.htm
Eamus Catuli~AC 000000000101010202020303010304 020405....Ahhhh, forget it, it's gonna be a while.
All that and I can't believe they could bring that plane up to AF1 standards in two years.
I'm sure DonOld thinks a lot of the stuff is unnecessary and doesn't care.
The VC-25A planes used as Air Force One are the most well-equipped and well-defended aircraft flying. Ready for business (with 85 phone lines) or wartime (they really can withstand a nuclear blast on the ground), today's Air Force One planes have 4,000 square feet of space for up to 76 passengers and a crew of 26. They each boast two galleys, with stocked fridges; a medical department; a supply of blood; and a well-stocked pharmacy.
For the president, each plane is equipped with a private suite that has a small gym, bathroom, shower and sleeping quarters. Each has a flying Oval Office and its own situation room. Their defenses include electronic countermeasures, radar jamming and flares to confuse enemy missiles. They are also protected against electromagnetic pulses.
The planes even have their own side exit doors, so they don't have to rely on airport stair vehicles.
The onboard electronics include about 238 miles of wiring (twice the amount you'd find in a normal 747). Heavy shielding is tough enough to protect the wiring and crucial electronics from the electromagnetic pulse associated with a nuclear blast.
Some of the most interesting parts of the plane -- it's advanced avionics and defenses -- are classified. But the Air Force asserts the two planes are definitely military aircraft, designed to withstand an air attack. Among other things, the plane is outfitted with electronic counter measures (ECM) to jam enemy radar. The plane can also eject flares to throw heat-seeking missiles off course. https://people.howstuffworks.com/air-force-one4.htm
I was thinking about this today while dog walking.
The supposed price tag is seven hundred and fifty million dollars in upgrades. They are going to have to strip every wire out and replace them with hardened wires to withstand EMP's and such. Basically it will be stripped down to it's shell and rebuilt.
Just like the two Boeing jets.
We can basically double the cost estimate and the time, because that's typical for the Pentagon. And they'll all come on line at roughly the same time.
Then we have three AF1's? Operating costs of $500,000 an hour?
WTF for?
P.S. Qatar has been trying to offload that jet for a couple of years. They found their patsy.
Eamus Catuli~AC 000000000101010202020303010304 020405....Ahhhh, forget it, it's gonna be a while.
