A model of the proposed paint scheme of the next generation of Air Force One is on display during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Oval Office of the White House June 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON: The delivery of the first new VC-25B presidential transport aircraft — better known by the callsign “Air Force One” — could occur up to three years late, the Air Force’s top acquisition official said today.
“We are anticipating at this point a delay to the previously approved program schedule on the order of 24 to 36 months — so two to three years, which is obviously quite a significant delay,” Andrew Hunter, the Air Force’s assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said during a House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee hearing.
“That means that we will have to sustain the existing aircraft for longer, and we are posturing to do that,” he said, adding that the Air Force will have to budget additional money in fiscal 2024 to bridge the gap until the new VC-25B can come online.
The major driver of the delay is the bankruptcy of GDC Technics, Boeing’s original subcontractor for the VC-25B’s interiors, and the hiring of a new interior supplier, Hunter said. Those troubles “significantly pushed the schedule back,” and while this problem has been known for some time, Hunter added that it has taken some time to understand the full impact to the schedule.
In summer 2021, the Air Force first disclosed that it was facing a yearlong delay to the first delivery of the VC-2 ..
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