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Trump switches from new VC-25B Air Force One mid-trip amid security concerns
During his July 2026 NATO summit trip, President Trump swapped from the new VC-25B to an older VC-25A jet on return leg, citing a troop exposition but media reports suggest security risks.
The gist
President Trump used the new VC-25B Air Force One to Turkey but returned on an older VC-25A due to reported security concerns during tense Iran-US relations.
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US President Donald Trump’s recent international trip marked the debut of the new VC-25B Air Force One aircraft, a converted Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar and modified by L3Harris for presidential use. The aircraft entered service in early July 2026 and carried Trump domestically, including flying in the Independence Day air show over Washington, DC. For his attendance at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on 7–8 July, Trump initially used the VC-25B as his primary transport.
However, the president did not complete the international journey aboard the new VC-25B. On the return from Turkey, Trump boarded a classic VC-25A, the older blue-and-white presidential 747s, for the leg from Ankara to RAF Mildenhall, UK. There, he and his entourage transferred back to the VC-25B for the Atlantic crossing to the United States. This unexpected mid-trip aircraft switch raised questions about the cause.
Officially, the president explained that the new VC-25B was sent early to a U.S. military base in Europe as a public exposition for American troops, and a photo was shared showing the aircraft on the ramp at RAF Mildenhall surrounded by Air Force personnel and families. After the return flight aboard the VC-25B, Trump denied that the change was due to security concerns, emphasizing the aircraft’s role as a morale booster for troops at the base.
Contrary to these public statements, media reports, including The New York Times, indicated that serious security concerns prompted the swap to the older VC-25A. The sensitive geopolitical backdrop included escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, reopened hostilities in the Persian Gulf, and unresolved threats linked to Trump’s prior targeting of senior Iranian officials such as General Qasem Soleimani and former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Unverified intelligence suggested that Iran may have been plotting an attack against Trump around the time of his visit, motivating his Secret Service protection detail to recommend the use of the more established VC-25A jets for enhanced security. The VC-25B, while new, lacks some of the comprehensive defensive and mission systems fully integrated into the two forthcoming VC-25B jets contracted from Boeing for delivery in 2028.
The VC-25B Bridge aircraft underwent a 10-month conversion from a Qatari Boeing Business Jet by L3Harris and was cleared by the USAF to be free from espionage risks. L3Harris president Jason Lambert confirmed extensive security measures and assured the aircraft was very secure. Nonetheless, the USAF acknowledged that some of the less commonly used mission sets included on the future Boeing-built VC-25Bs were omitted on the Bridge aircraft as tradeoffs.
These omitted systems may affect operational capabilities and possibly factored into the decision to revert to a VC-25A for the more sensitive segments of Trump’s international travel. The precise nature of these mission set trades and their impact on security protocols have not been publicly clarified by the Air Force.
The timing coincided with a week-long state funeral in Iran for Khamenei, attended by large crowds and used to galvanize support amidst a volatile regional environment. This confluence of developments underscores the critical interplay between presidential transport security and rapidly evolving geopolitical risks.
Frequently asked questions
- Why did President Trump switch from the new VC-25B Air Force One to an older VC-25A jet during his trip?
- Although publicly said to showcase the VC-25B to troops in Europe, media reports indicate the switch was due to Secret Service security concerns amid increased tensions with Iran.
- What are the differences between the VC-25B Bridge aircraft and the older VC-25As?
- The VC-25B Bridge is a newly converted Boeing 747-8 lacking some less common mission systems found on older VC-25As and future Boeing-built VC-25Bs, which may affect its operational security capabilities.
Read more
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