9 December 2016 11:12 am
The secrets of Air Force One has been divulged, revealing some of the amazing features that make 'the Flying White House' the most high-tech - and most luxurious - aircraft in the world.
The official presidential plane can carry more than 100 people, with space for 26 crew, as well as 76 passengers.
The plane carries two pilots, as well as a flight engineer, a navigator, and cabin crew.
It has a whole variety of rooms inside, including a conference and dining room, kitchens, and a communications suite.
At the back of the plane there is space for the press corps, with designated blue carpet, and business class seats.
Every seat is equipped with its own flat screen TV on which journalists can choose from 20 on demand films and hours of music, which they can listen to through the Bose headphones that come in every seat pocket.
The presidential suite at the front of the plane contains two twin couches, which turn into beds. The suite has blinds that come down over the portholes at the push of a button, and it was kitted out with a special Wii games console and television for when the Obama children were travelling.
There is also an attic that runs almost the entire length of the plane, packed with classified defence equipment including radar jammers and sensors to track cyber attacks or incoming heat-seeking missiles.
Air Force One usually flies in convoy with several cargo planes, containing surplus stores, and fighter jets. It also has a refuelling nozzle at the front, and the plane's ability to refuel in midair means it can stay in the skies for as long as there is food and water. (dailymail)
Trump complained about the current presidential planes as he campaigned for president, typically when he criticized President Barack Obama for flying to Hawaii in Air Force One – with its 'ageing engines' that 'spew stuff' into the environment – following remarks about carbon emissions and global warming.
Congress set aside $1.65 billion last year to cover the entire Air Force One replacement program through 2019. This year that number grew to $2.9 billion through 2021.
It is unclear where Trump's $4 billion number came from, and White House press secretary Josh Earnest disputed his numbers during a briefing with reporters aboard the current Air Force One, saying that 'some of the statistics that have been cited, shall we say, don't appear to reflect the nature of the financial agreement between Boeing and the Department of Defense'.