The Next President Gets a New Air Force One

Obama wore this one out

The current Air Force One, put in under President Reagan, is turning 30 in 2017 and the U.S. government is looking for a new one to give to the next president, CNN reports.

The current aircraft is a Boeing VC-25, a military version of the Boeing 747, according to Wikipedia. Must-have specs for the new plane are reported as a wide bodied, four engine commercial aircraft. It must be able to land at any airport, big or small, around the world but little else of its secret onboard gear is revealed.

Air Force One is known to have anti-missile systems, shields to protect it from the electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear bomb and can be refueled mid-air. President George W. Bush used the current AFO to fly back to Washington on 9/11. Because of a malfunction, he was unable to address the nation from the air and did so upon landing, the report states.

However, the next president will be able to do broadcasts in flight from their own "airborne Oval Office." An emergency room will also be installed.

Currently, it costs the American taxpayer $180,000 per hour to keep Air Force One in the air. Obama is the most traveled president aboard AFO, according to this study.

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