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A Boeing rendering of the future Air Force One or VC-25B. The aircraft is the same type of jet as the donated Qatari jet that President Donald Trump is using as a temporary Air Force One.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
Boeing<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he exits Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., after attending the World Cup final soccer match, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/p>\n
Jacquelyn Martin\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Without millions more in upgrades, the pair of new Air Force One jets being built<\/a> at Port San Antonio<\/a> may be obsolete before they\u2019re delivered, the Pentagon says in a\u00a0newly released report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Air Force officials in charge of transforming the two Boeing 747-8s into presidential jets said the program\u2019s\u00a0years of delays<\/a> have rendered the communications setup they planned to use as \u201cnot viable past CY 2028 due to cybersecurity and obsolescence issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The jets are expected to enter service by the middle of 2028 and 2029 respectively, four years later than originally scheduled.\u00a0<\/p>\n RELATED: Boeing\u2019s Air Force One project in San Antonio adds $280M in losses<\/a><\/p>\n The high-tech gear should let the jets act as an airborne White House and military command center, but without additional upgrades it\u2019s now outdated and likely unable to connect to the secure networks needed for presidential business, according to a Defense Department report to Congress about the program that was released this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n San Antonio Express News Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The report also highlighted problems with the jets\u2019 passenger windows and a lack of spare windshields that could slow progress on the jets. Window vendor\u00a0GKN Aerospace<\/a> hasn\u2019t been able to deliver windows without defects, and the original windshield maker shut down. Boeing has contracted with PPG Industries to restart production of the windshields.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Officials also warned that ground and flight testing plans won\u2019t meet their timelines if the jets aren\u2019t completed on schedule. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The latest problems with the program known as VC-25B<\/a> come as the 2027 defense budget is stalled in the Senate. The Pentagon has requested $555.2 million for the program in 2027, nearly $102 million or 23% more than previously planned.<\/p>\n AIR FORCE ONE NEWS: Trump\u2019s Qatar jet likely headed to Texas for security upgrades<\/a><\/p>\n Some of that amount is expected to go toward the communications tech refresh, on top of $36.7 million, half the amount requested, that Congress approved for the tech upgrade last year.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n If the systems aren\u2019t updated, the \u201cunmitigated risk will drive an inability for (the president) to connect and operate on vital national security systems required for presidential communications,\u201d wrote Air Force Brig. Gen William\u00a0Ottati and Guy Spencer, the program\u2019s leaders.\u00a0<\/p>\n The disclosures came in a new \u201cModernized Selected Acquisition Report\u201d about VC-25B, the first such assessment since 2023<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At 32 pages long, the latest acquisition report is about half the length of the 2023 version, which was 57 pages. The unclassified paper has fewer details than the prior edition about risks to the program.\u00a0<\/p>\n Like the last report, details about the aircraft technical performance and the program\u2019s schedule were redacted. It called that material \u201ccontrolled unclassified information,\u201d a quasi-classification that the Pentagon has increasingly used to limit public access without marking the material as secret.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n It shows that taxpayers are now on the hook for about $6 billion to develop the new jets, about $266 million over the original baseline amount.<\/p>\n While costs have risen for taxpayers, Boeing will take the biggest hit on the deal that was negotiated by President Donald Trump during his first term. The $3.9 billion contract for the jets, which was touted as a bargain for taxpayers, is expected to ultimately cost Boeing $8.1 billion, which equates to a loss of $3.7 billion. The company recently revealed it had lost another $280 million<\/a> on the project this year.<\/p>\n Boeing \u201cmade the decision to add significant resources to support the build and test schedule on VC-25B,\u201d CEO Kelly\u00a0Ortberg said last month. That will \u201chelp mitigate potential risks during certification and flight tests.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n