New ‘Bridge’ Air Force One Finishes Testing Ahead of Summer Debut

The Air Force has finished modifying and testing the new VC-25B aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One, the service announced May 1. All that’s left now is to finish painting the jet before it starts flying this summer.

The “Bridge” aircraft is a Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, gifted by Qatar’s rulers to the United States last year. It is meant to be a stopgap between the aging VC-25As, which have been in service since George H.W. Bush’s presidency, and the new VC-25B variant, which has been beset by delays and cost overruns and is now projected to enter service in 2028.

In a release, Air Force leaders touted the rapid turnaround on the Bridge aircraft as a major success for the new Direct Reporting Program Manager approach, which consolidated some of the service’s biggest programs under the oversight of Gen. Dale R. White, who reports directly to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg.

“This program epitomizes what is possible when clear accountability is placed on one individual, and the entire enterprise of stakeholders aligns behind a single mission outcome … deliver a bridge capability as soon as possible to relieve pressure on the aging VC-25A fleet,” White said in a statement.

Indeed, the program moved remarkably fast. The Pentagon officially accepted the jet in May 2025. But the Air Force did not announce work had begun until September, indicating it took less than a year to complete all the needed modifications and testing.

By comparison, the White House and Boeing reached a deal to develop the VC-25B in 2018 and that project is still ongoing, though there were likely fewer requirements for the Bridge aircraft.

That rapid development means the Air Force will be able to meet the ambitious timeline laid out by President Donald Trump, who has been very vocal about his frustrations with the VC-25B program and the shortcomings of the existing VC-25As, which led to his pursuit of the Qatari plane.

In the May 1 release, the Air Force confirmed for the first time that defense contractor L3Harris was responsible for modifying the Bridge aircraft. L3Harris provided the secure communications capabilities aboard the VC-25A.

It’s still unclear exactly what modifications L3Harris made to the former Qatari jet and whether that includes all the assured communications needed for nuclear command and control, in-flight refueling, and self-defense capabilities like on the VC-25A.

However, the Air Force release did note that L3 has “extensive experience with self-protection and customization of VIP aircraft” and that Boeing provided technical data “to support the required structural modifications.”

The release also said that “elite specialists from multiple government agencies” worked to detect any “technical hazards” with the previously owned aircraft. Critics had argued that accepting a plane from a foreign nation could constitute a security risk.

The “rigorous approach on the Bridge aircraft has literally ‘written the book’ and set the benchmark for integrating used airframes into the secure military inventory,” the Air Force release states.

“Our commitment to providing the President with a secure, resilient and reliable airborne command post is unwavering,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said in a statement. “The VC-25B Bridge program is a testament to the Air Force’s ability to innovate and rapidly evolve to ensure the continuity of our government under any conditions.”

The exact cost of the Bridge aircraft modifications is also unclear. Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink said last summer that the service used excess funding from its delayed new nuclear missile program that was that was “early to need,” and while he had previously suggested the effort would cost less than $400 million, he did not specify a final dollar amount.

The Air Force did not include any funding for the project in its 2027 budget request.

When the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft does roll out, it will look quite different from the current VC-25A—the Air Force revealed a new paint job for its entire executive airlift fleet in February, swapping the light blue-and-white livery it has used since the Kennedy administration for white, red, gold, and dark blue. The new scheme is preferred by Trump and similar to the one painted on the President’s personal 757 aircraft.