A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
We wanted to learn more about what was needed to be done to make the gifted Qatari jet suitable to serve as Air Force One, so we called Richard Aboulafia. He's an analyst with experience in commercial and military aviation. He's now the managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory and had a understanding of what the plane needed before President Trump ever stepped on board.
RICHARD ABOULAFIA: Two things - one is to scan for any security risks, go through the plane with a fine-tooth comb and come up with anything that resembled a risk - some kind of listening devices planted on the plane or anything that would allow people to track the plane. Hopefully, they've been able to completely break the plane down and sweep it for those risks. And given the budget and time, I'm sure they did that. The problem is everything else they needed to do almost certainly wasn't done, given the time. So this represents kind of a massive downgrade relative to the existing Air Force One.
MARTÍNEZ: We're seeing that less than $400 million was spent on security upgrades. Does that sound like the right number, or should they have spent more?
ABOULAFIA: No. Really, integrating a 747 with the kind of battlefield commander capabilities, coupled with, well, self-protection systems, that's a several-billion-dollar job and a lot more time. And Boeing is working on those right now with other 747s. This is an interim system being provided for unknown reasons with a massive downgrade in capabilities relative to the existing jet.
MARTÍNEZ: So what kind of things are missing from this jet?
ABOULAFIA: Well, the ability to, frankly, survive a nuclear war. You know, I mean, a 747 integrated for Air Force One is basically able to protect itself in the event of conflict. It might have air-to-air refueling. And most of all, it has the ability to securely communicate with battlefield commanders around the globe with encrypted communications. This probably isn't going to have that level of capability.
MARTÍNEZ: So if it's not going to be at the level of even the older 747s that are Air Force One, I wonder how it passes any kind of standard. I mean, someone had to say, OK, this is up to par. This is up to par. This is not up to par, and if it's not, maybe we don't use it as the ride for the president of the United States.
ABOULAFIA: Ultimately, it came down to the president to say, hey, it's a newer 747 - which it is.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
ABOULAFIA: It'll have probably nicer interior features, nicer everything - kitchen, bathroom, upholstery, whatever else. But in terms of its actual ability to function as a communications node in the event of a national security crisis, no, it's a massive downgrade.
I mean, the thing is that the previous Air Force One was built and delivered in the 1980s. You know, all of the upgrades that have been provided for those jets were focused on communications capabilities or self-protection or anything like that, rather than gold lame faucets or something like that. So you see something with gold lame faucets and you say, I want that. But then you neglect the important work associated with actual national security and protective capabilities, and that's what's missing here.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, as I understand it, Boeing has been working on a new fleet of planes for transporting U.S. presidents, and once those are ready, this one - the one we're talking about - won't be in use anymore. So was converting this plane necessary or worth it, or is it just one of those things where if the president wants it, then he gets it?
ABOULAFIA: To be gentle, it was a complete waste of time and money. I mean, it might be more comfortable for the president to fly in, but in the event of a national security crisis, he'd be much less able to function as a global superpower commander in chief than if he had had the previous jet.
MARTÍNEZ: Richard Aboulafia is managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory. Richard, as always, thank you.
ABOULAFIA: My pleasure.
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