President Donald Trump said July 19 the Air Force will pull the VC-25B Bridge aircraft, his Boeing 747-8 interim presidential transport, from service this fall for approximately one month to receive defensive upgrades.
“It has a lot of capability,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, following his return from the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey. “But as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re gonna send it to have it be maxed out. It’ll take about a month.”
Trump did not specify what the upgrades will include. He is expected to fly the legacy VC-25A, in presidential service since 1990, while the newer aircraft is offline.
The New York Times first reported on July 9 that the Bridge aircraft lacks the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system, citing multiple officials briefed on the conversion.
Defense Security Monitor noted LAIRCM, an infrared jamming technology designed to defeat Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS), has been standard on military transport and head-of-state aircraft for more than 20 years.
The shortfall became operationally significant on July 8, when the Secret Service advised Trump to depart the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, aboard the legacy VC-25A rather than the new jet, citing concerns linked to escalating tensions with Iran.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had shared intelligence with the U.S. indicating a fresh Iranian plot to target the President, which directly influenced the decision to switch aircraft.
The Trump administration responded by subpoenaing the New York Times journalists responsible for that story, the newspaper reported.
The White House has stated the aircraft carries high-level security features but has not confirmed whether LAIRCM installation is part of the planned package. The VC-25B Bridge is a temporary platform while Boeing completes two fully outfitted VC-25Bs under a program facing years of production delays.
