Overview
- The Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8 sits in San Antonio, Texas, awaiting a classified contract to retrofit it into Air Force One.
- Pentagon officials have classified the refurbishment cost, refusing to disclose figures to Congress or the public under a black-budget designation.
- A $934 million transfer from the over-budget Sentinel ICBM modernization program appears to underwrite the plane’s overhaul and leaves the nuclear upgrade technically fully funded.
- Air Force Secretary Troy Meink estimated in June that retrofitting would cost under $400 million; engineers and analysts warn true expenses could approach $1 billion.
- Republican and Democratic lawmakers have demanded an audit of the funding reallocation, legal review of potential Emoluments Clause conflicts.