The U.S. Air Force is reallocating funds from its over-budget LGM-35A Sentinel missile program to support the conversion of a Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar into a future presidential transport aircraft.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee on June 26 that the funds were not immediately needed due to the Sentinel program’s restructuring.
The program is currently being restructured after significant delays and unexpected costs drove its estimated price tag to nearly $141 billion—about 81 percent above original projections.
Meink said the Sentinel program, which aims to develop new intercontinental ballistic missiles, would not experience setbacks or delays due to the budget adjustments. “Let me be very clear, the Sentinel program is fully funded [and has] all the resources it needs to execute as quickly as possible,” Meink said.
While Meink did not confirm whether a formal contract has been signed, he noted that the agency has “discussed it” with the contractor. According to The Wall Street Journal, the administration has selected L3Harris to modify the Qatari jet.
Meink estimated the retrofit would cost under $400 million and take less than a year to complete.
The two VC-25 aircraft currently serving as Air Force One are over 30 years old, which is why the Air Force has been developing newer VC-25B models, based on the Boeing 747-8, to replace them.
President Donald Trump’s decision to accept the Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar was driven by his frustration with delays in the VC-25B development. The $3.9 billion Boeing contract, signed during Trump’s first term, has faced multiple setbacks, pushing delivery to 2029 or 2030. However, the Air Force is working to accelerate the timeline to 2028.
