CHICAGO/WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has contracted Boeing to begin design work on presidential aircraft.
According to an Air Force news release, the U.S. government purchased two Boeing 747-8 jetliners as part of their plan to develop a new Air Force One aircraft.
Under the contract, Boeing will design modifications for the 747-8s. These will reportedly include an executive interior, meeting rooms, medical facilities and other features of the current presidential aircraft.
According to Reuters, the planes were previously ordered by Transaero, a now defunct Russian Airline.
According to Defense One, the design will also need to have defensive countermeasures, including a hardened exterior capable of withstanding electromagnetic pulse from nuclear explosions.
The Air Force plans to spend around $3.2 billion on the next presidential aircraft, reported Defense One.
