Trump says new Air Force One needs security upgrades

Donald Trump announced that the new Air Force One, a Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar, will be sent for security enhancements. The decision follows concerns about the aircraft's safety features after the president traveled on an older plane following a NATO summit in Turkey.

Trump told reporters that the new aircraft, which he first flew on July 1, will be sent for upgrades to "boost it to the maximum." He did not provide specific details about the planned improvements. Doubts about the plane's security systems emerged when Trump departed a summit in Turkey on an older aircraft on July 10, with reports suggesting the new plane may not carry the same countermeasures, particularly missile defenses, as its predecessor.

The luxurious Boeing 747-8 was a gift from the Qatari royal family last year. Trump had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the presidential aircraft, which have been in service since 1990 and are considered aging. Two additional Boeing Air Force One aircraft are scheduled for delivery later this decade, though the program has faced delays and cost overruns.

Trump, returning to Washington after attending the World Cup final in New Jersey, downplayed earlier concerns about the presidential jet. He had previously stated that he sent the plane back from the Turkey summit so it could be displayed to soldiers at an airbase in the United Kingdom.

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It has a lot of capabilities, but from what I understand, in about a month, they're going to send it to boost it to the maximum.