New upgrades to Air Force One
April 30, 2012, 08:37 am
The Pentagon recently announced it will be spending $770 billion on aircraft purchases, operations, maintenance and construction between the fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2020 year. The Defense Department is also planning to increase the size of its fleet by 45 percent to 645 aircrafts by fiscal 2020 year. As part of the aviation upgrades throughout federal agencies, the Air Force will be purchasing enhanced sensors as well as replace its planes to meet the demand for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Another way to increase security is for pilots to purchase pilot insurance.
The increase in aviation spending also calls for additional investment in air mobility and electronic-warfare aircrafts, buying fifth-generation fighters and maintaining enough inventory for future projects. The Pentagon will also modernize its long-range strike to emphasize modernization and readiness throughout the U.S. Defense Department, Aviation Week reported.
In addition, the Navy will recapitalize its electronic-warfare fleet, by adding new aerial refueling tankers to support its fleet. The Air Force will purchase 83 Boeing KC-46A tankers by 2020 and complete the entire purchase of 179 aircrafts by 2027, Aviation Week reported.
Furthermore, Discovery News reported the Pentagon will also be upgrading Air Force One as a means to flex the nation's political and diplomatic muscle when transporting future presidents and public officials to other nations.
The new Air Force One model will fly longer on a tank of gas, avoid trouble and allow passengers to communicate more efficiently with government, military and the public. The Pentagon plans to use emerging technology on the new model to increase its connectivity and efficiency, but will only deploy solutions that have been tested and proven successful in the market, Discovery News reported.
The Pentagon will likely work with Boeing to create the new Air Force One model. The plane will likely be one of the latest 747-800 series which as more powerful and efficient engines with improved aerodynamics. The Boeing 747-800 series was first launched in 2010 and was used as cargo transport, Discovery reported.
Boeing is expected to deploy its first passenger liners to several airlines this year. The current Air Force One, which is actually two separate planes, has been in operation since 1990. The new model will likely be completed by 2019 or 2020, according to Discovery News.
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