Aircraft Expected To Be Flying Whomever Is President In 2024

The U.S. Air Force has authorized Boeing to begin submitting design proposals for the replacement Air Force One, which is expected to be operational in 2024.

In an amendment to its Air Force One contract posted online, the USAF said that the scope of the effort will include, but is not limited to, preliminary design activities required to begin development of two Presidential mission ready aircraft, based on two Government furnished Boeing 747-8 Aircraft procured under a separate contract action on this contract. This effort will use the results up through completion of System Requirements Review (SRR) and System Functional Review (SFR) performed under a separate contract action on this contract. The PAR System will consist of two PAR Aircraft and associated data, software, Support Equipment (SE), initial spares, training program, System Integration Laboratories (SILs), mockups, services, and support infrastructure.

Respondents to this solicitation are requested to submit a capability statement or proposal within 160 days of the posting of this notice.

In January, Boeing was awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization Program Phase 1 Pre-Milestone B Activities. Contractor will conduct activities aimed at improving affordability and reducing program execution risk. These activities will include the definition of detailed requirements and design trade-offs required to support informed decisions. These will lead to a lower-risk engineering and manufacturing development program and lower life cycle costs.

This contract is being awarded on a sole-source basis. As the designer and manufacturer of the commercial 747-8 aircraft, The Boeing Company has the unique capability to perform necessary tasks to provide a Presidential aircraft. Boeing is also uniquely capable of satisfying all FAA certification requirements with the highest confidence to meet the established program operational need date. This unique capability is based on Boeing's exclusively private development of the aircraft and sole ownership of the 747-8 aircraft stress, loads, and aero design data. Boeing declined to sell or otherwise provide the United States Government or other contractors the license rights needed to conduct an adequate competition or to provide additional engineering services in lieu of data rights.

But the government has scaled back its order by one airplane, according to The Air Force Times. It had originally planned to buy three of the heavily-modified 747-8 aircraft from the planemaker, and the contract modification now calls for only two.

(747-8 pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=1e3ff4d818b2bf35db5d4c07d92f240a&tab=core&_cview=1