US Air Force, Boeing begin work on new Air Force One

Washington: Air force officials and Boeing engineers have started the years-long process of replacing Air Force One, the legendary aircraft that whisks the American president and his entourage around the world.

The Pentagon last week approved the first of a series of contracts with Boeing, the US aerospace giant chosen to convert a pair of its 747-8 jumbo jets -- there are actually two Air Force Ones -- into state-of-the-art, luxury command centres.

That first contract, worth a relatively small USD 25.7 million, is for Boeing to look for cost savings and get a better sense of the scope of the massive task at hand, the Air Force said.

Air Force One is an instantly recognisable emblem of American power.

The majestic, light blue-and-white liveried jets have "United States of America" emblasoned along their fuselage and a large US flag stamped on the tail fin.

But the current double-decker 747-200s, first ordered by Ronald Reagan and put into service in 1990, are getting old.

Spare parts are increasingly hard to source and the hulking aircraft require ever longer times being serviced. The Air Force in January last year announced it had chosen Boeing to build the new planes, but equipping the wide-bodied double-deckers for the role is a complex undertaking.

The total cost of buying and converting the two planes is unknown, but the Air Force has requested USD 3 billion over five years for the program. The work should be done by 2024.

"We are focused on ensuring this program is affordable," said Colonel Amy McCain, the manager of the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalisation program.

"This contract gets us started on determining how to modify a 747-8 to become the next Air Force One, and finding opportunities for cost reduction through detailed requirements choices."

The new planes will doubtless be very different from the current Air Force One incarnation, though the Air Force has yet to say much about its specifications.

Air Force One costs about USD 180,000 an hour to fly and provides the president with a spacious office, a meeting room and a health centre that can even be converted into an operating theatre.

The planes must also carry the Secret Service agents who protect the president, as well as advisers and journalists that follow him wherever he goes. The kitchens can serve up to 100 people simultaneously.

Air Force One is equipped with the latest in communications technology, allowing the president to continue working wherever he is, even if the United States is under attack.

The aircraft also boasts an array of defensive technologies, including electronic countermeasures and anti-missile flares.