"The workmanship of this plane is — when you see it, you won’t believe it," said President Donald Trump at the delivery ceremony of the new Air Force One plane on Friday at Joint Base Andrews, Md.
Rapid Transformation of a Qatari 747
A new Air Force One plane, originally a 747 jumbo jet gifted by Qatar, will be available to transport the president beginning in July, following a 10-month sprint by L3Harris to deliver the plane. The company executive, Jason Lambert, president of L3Harris’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance division, revealed that a team of about 400 employees worked 24/7 to deliver the plane in 10 months, which normally would take several years.Modifications and Challenges
The Air Force tasked L3Harris to modify the Qatari jet by the July 4 deadline, resulting in a highly accelerated timeline. To meet this deadline, L3Harris had to scale back the typical upgrade package for the presidential transport aircraft. The company provided a secure communications system with connectivity to classified and unclassified networks, as well as performed modifications to the interior of the aircraft. The interiors were reworked with the US presidential seal, new wood and leather furnishings, but larger changes were eschewed to have the plane ready by the president’s deadline.Security and Inspection
Lambert confirmed that the aircraft underwent a rigorous process to ensure it was safe for the mission. The foreign-gifted aircraft was thoroughly inspected by security professionals to ensure no listening devices or compromising electronics were slipped inside before it arrived in the US. "The aircraft underwent a very rigorous process, really in advance of us even working on it, performed by our electronic warfare experts in conjunction with the US government’s leaders in cybersecurity to fully inspect and ensure that everything within that aircraft was safe for the mission," he said.What this means for the Air Force, L3Harris, and the White House
The delivery of the new Air Force One plane will "relieve pressure" on the two legacy VC-25A aircraft that currently alternate serving as Air Force One. The Air Force said that the new plane will allow them to maintain the high standards expected of the presidential mission. For L3Harris, the successful delivery demonstrates their capability to work under accelerated timelines. The White House will now validate that the aircraft can hit its mission objective targets and finalize protocols associated with transporting the president during its initial commissioning flights.Next Steps
The aircraft will move into its initial commissioning flights, during which the White House will validate that the aircraft can hit its mission objective targets and finalize protocols associated with transporting the president. The Air Force Secretary, Troy Meink, said, "From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission."Read the original story: How L3Harris transformed a Qatari 747 into a new Air Force One plane before July 4
