{"id":61479,"date":"2017-09-13T17:29:43","date_gmt":"2017-09-13T17:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/13\/boeing-lands-600m-contract-to-design-new-air-force-ones\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:30:09","slug":"boeing-lands-600m-contract-to-design-new-air-force-ones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/air-force-association\/2017\/09\/13\/boeing-lands-600m-contract-to-design-new-air-force-ones\/","title":{"rendered":"Boeing lands $600M contract to design new Air Force Ones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday awarded Boeing a contract worth just less than $600 million to begin the preliminary design of the next Air Force One planes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Republican presidential candidate, President Donald Trump critiqued the cost of the program, bringing much public attention to one of the Air Force\u2019s smaller procurement efforts. But while the service has stated that it was able to get a good deal on the two Boeing 747-8s that will become the next Air Force Ones, it reiterated that cost-saving work will continue during the preliminary design phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maj. Gen. Duke Richardson, the program executive officer of the Presidential Airlift Recapitalization effort \u2014 the service\u2019s name for the Air Force One replacement program \u2014 said the preliminary design phase marks \u201cthe next major step forward toward ensuring an overall affordable program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force added in a statement to reporters: \u201cThose [cost-saving] opportunities identified will be reviewed to ensure mission capabilities are not degraded. The entire preliminary design effort will keep a focus on affordability. \u2026 The Air Force is committed to working with Boeing to ensure the PAR program meets presidential airlift mission requirements, as well as the president\u2019s affordability expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the attention from Trump, the Air Force and White House worked together to re-evaluate the Air Force requirements with an eye on shearing off expensive and non-vital capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service has disclosed some changes to the overall design, such as nixing a requirement for aerial refueling. However, for the most part, it has kept mum about how requirements have changed and how much money has been saved on the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\t