President Donald Trump announced that the Boeing 747-8 aircraft provided by Qatar will be grounded for approximately one month to undergo security upgrades.
The announcement follows questions about the jet's defensive capabilities after Trump flew it to Ankara for a NATO summit earlier this month.
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For his return flight amid escalating tensions with Iran, Trump chose an older presidential plane instead.
Lack of Standard Security Features
A report by The New York Times revealed the new aircraft lacks standard presidential security features, including advanced missile defense systems.
The report led to subpoenas for the outlet's reporters.
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When asked about the state of the aircraft, Trump confirmed the upcoming overhaul but provided few specific details about the technical modifications.
"As far as I understand, they're sending it away in about a month to have it fully upgraded," Trump said.
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The president indicated the modification process would temporarily remove the jet from active service. "That will take about a month," he added.
