President Donald Trump returned partway from a NATO summit in Turkey on an older Air Force One aircraft instead of the newly retrofitted jet gifted by Qatar. Trump stated he chose the older aircraft 'for old time’s sake' and noted that both planes would stop at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, a U.S. military base, during the return trip. The decision to use the older aircraft has raised security concerns regarding the new jet, which cost $400 million to retrofit but lacks some missile detection systems found on older models.
During the flight, Trump denied that security issues related to Iran influenced the decision to switch planes. He mentioned that he is a target for Iran but did not elaborate on any specific threats. The older Boeing VC-25A aircraft's transponder was reportedly turned off during part of the flight, a security measure typically used in high-risk environments. The new aircraft, which had been showcased earlier, was instead made available for military personnel to tour at Mildenhall.
The U.S. Air Force stated that the new Air Force One is equipped with high-level security protocols, although some modifications were not completed in time for its deployment. Analysts have noted that while Iran possesses missiles capable of reaching Turkey, it lacks the capability to strike the U.K. effectively.