{"id":2632542,"date":"2026-07-20T08:56:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T12:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-says-antimissile-defense-systems-on-new-qatar-provided-air-force-one-will-be-upgraded\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T09:01:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T13:01:06","slug":"trump-says-antimissile-defense-systems-on-new-qatar-provided-air-force-one-will-be-upgraded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-says-antimissile-defense-systems-on-new-qatar-provided-air-force-one-will-be-upgraded\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump says antimissile defense systems on new Qatar-provided Air Force One will be upgraded"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-says-antimissile-defense-systems-on-new-qatar-provided-air-force-one-will-be-upgraded%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2632542&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>President donald Trump announced that the new Air Force One jet, gifted by Qatar and valued at $400 million, is being upgraded with enhanced antimissile defense systems following security concerns. Although Trump described the upgrade as a precaution to add the latest defenses, visual evidence suggests the Qatar-provided aircraft lacks many of the advanced countermeasures present on the older VC-25A aircraft, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/steps-the-u-s-can-take-to-defend-against-chinas-missiles\/\" title=\"Steps the U.S. Can Take to Defend Against China\u2019s Missiles\">directed energy weapons<\/a>, EMP defenses, flares, and a hardened structure. Consequently, Trump&#8217;s Secret Service urged him to use the older aircraft for his flight from Turkey, where fears of threats, particularly from Iran, are heightened. The new jet is intended as a temporary replacement until the next-generation Air Force One, scheduled for 2028, is ready.Trump downplayed security concerns, stating that a president\u2019s life is risky and claimed he is a top target for Iran. During a recent trip, he initially used the Qatari plane to Turkey, then switched to the old aircraft en route to the UK, highlighting ongoing concerns about the new plane\u2019s defenses. The story has sparked intrigue and legal action, with the Trump management subpoenaing journalists who reported details about the aircraft&#8217;s security capabilities.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> said the new <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/air-force-one\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1505\">Air Force One<\/a> jet is being sent to have its antimissile defense systems \u201cmaxed out,\u201d after security concerns pushed him to take another aircraft back from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to reporters as he flew back from the World Cup match in New Jersey, Trump downplayed concerns about the plane\u2019s security measures, portraying the move as a safety precaution to give it all the latest defenses.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4655024\/trump-antimissile-defense-systems-qatar-air-force-one-will-be-upgraded\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says antimissile defense systems on new Qatar-provided Air Force One will be upgraded<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4654877\/vance-fourth-baby\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Vances announce birth of their fourth child, Alec<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4654774\/trump-iran-russian-sanctions-bill-lindsey-graham\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump urges Iran\u2019s addition to Russian sanctions bill: \u2018What Lindsey wanted\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-jetpack-image-compare\">\n<div class=\"juxtapose\" data-mode=\"horizontal\"><\/div><figcaption>Left: New Air Force One plane provided by Qatar. Right: Old Air Force One plane (AP Newsroom)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt has a lot of capability,\u201d Trump said. \u201cBut as I understand it, in about a month \u200bor so, they\u2019re gonna send it to have it be maxed out. \u2026 It\u2019ll take about \u200ba month.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Visual evidence and reporting indicated that the new Air Force One, a $400 million jet gifted by Qatar, wasn\u2019t retrofitted with the same advanced defense capabilities as the older VC-25A that served as Air Force One for decades.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Air Force One\u2019s defensive countermeasures are a mix of publicly disclosed systems and classified ones, intentionally kept opaque to protect against attacks. Among its <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/buzz\/how-air-force-one-protects-president-hk-071426\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/buzz\/how-air-force-one-protects-president-hk-071426\">known countermeasures<\/a> is its Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures directed energy weapon systems, which are intended to disrupt a seeking missile\u2019s guidance system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The aircraft also includes EMP defenses, old-school flares, and a hardened structure.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new Qatari-gifted jet likely lacks many of these advanced systems, resulting in the Secret Service successfully urging Trump to use the old plane to fly out of Turkey, which borders Iran. The new Qatari jet is meant as a temporary replacement until the new, next-generation Air Force One is introduced, currently scheduled for 2028.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4641318\/trump-intrigue-qatari-jet-old-air-force-one\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4641318\">DONALD TRUMP SPARKS INTRIGUE BY DITCHING NEW QATARI JET FOR OLD AIR FORCE ONE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump, for his part, has put on a stoic persona when asked about the threats to his life.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou know the life of a president is very dangerous,\u201d he said earlier this month, later adding, \u201cI\u2019m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Trump visited Turkey for the NATO summit earlier this month, he flew to the event on the Qatari plane, but then made a pit stop in the United Kingdom via the old Air Force One plane before reboarding the new plane. At the time, the <em>New York Times<\/em> reported the switch-up was because the new jet did not have the same defensive capabilities to ensure the president\u2019s safety. The Trump administration has since subpoenaed the journalists who reported that story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump orders Air Force One defense upgrade after security concerns<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2632543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26188420215147.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[82922,82924,82923,3634],"class_list":["post-2632542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-antimissile-defense","tag-military-upgrades","tag-qatar-air-force-one","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26188420215147.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2632542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2632542"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2632542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2632546,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2632542\/revisions\/2632546"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2632543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2632542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2632542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2632542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}