President Trump’s fiscal year 2021 budget request sets aside more than $800 million for a revamped Air Force One, complete with a new red, white and blue paint job.
Defense Department budget documents include a rendering of the new presidential plane, which will feature a white top half, a darker blue bottom half, and a red stripe through the center.
The words “United States of America” will be emblazoned on the side, as is the case with the current version.
The new design, which would replace the current light blue-and-white aircraft, mirrors the changes Mr. Trump has previously called for.
The newest iteration of Air Force One would be a Boeing 747-8, replacing the current Boeing 747-200, according to budget documents.
The revamped aircraft “will provide the President, staff, and guests with safe and reliable air transportation at the same level of security and communications capability available in the White House,” the Defense Department said in its budget request.
Mr. Trump showed off images of the new prospective design last July in an interview with ABC News. He has been personally involved with the redesign and announced his intention to revamp the fleet in 2018.
“Air Force One” refers to a pair of Boeing 747-200B series aircraft. The planes include a presidential suite, a medical operating room and a kitchen that can feed 100 people at a time.
The Air Force signed a $3.9 billion contract with Boeing in 2018 to build two new 747 planes to replace the older aircraft by the end of 2024, which would be the end of a second term for Mr. Trump.
The $800.9 million requested by the Air Force for fiscal 2021 would continue the modifications to the aircraft.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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