President Trump said he wants a jet used as Air Force One to be "maxed out," and there are plenty of options available. The plane can be modified to refuel midair, or withstand a nuclear blast. Laser beams that destroy missiles can be added.
The features are among those enabling the nation's commander in chief to travel around the world securely and safely. They also may take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to add to the plane.
There are three Boeing 747s that serve as Air Force One, two of which went into service during the George H.W. Bush administration. Those jets are known as VC-25As.
The newest jet -- one donated by the Qatari government -- went through a rapid retrofit to meet Trump's request for it to fly by July 4, America's 250th birthday. Those upgrades cost $400 million, according to Air Force officials.
Now, the plane, known as the VC-25B Bridge, will undergo additional modifications in the fall. The work comes after a lack of defensive capabilities led Trump to fly on an older presidential jet on a trip from Turkey.
The White House said the upgrades will take "about a month." The Pentagon said the project cost is classified.
Current and former government officials familiar with Boeing's Air Force One replacement program expressed skepticism that a month would allow for adding substantial safety or defensive features.
"I'm sure there's some things that can be done in that kind of time frame. Maxed out is a pretty broad categorization, which I don't think is accurate," said Frank Kendall, former Air Force secretary during the Biden administration.
When it isn't flying, the Qatari aircraft is parked inside a custom $300 million hangar built for the two next-generation Air Force Ones at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.
Those newer planes are still under development. Boeing said it would deliver the first of two jets, known as the VC-25B, in 2028.
Here's how the Qatari jet differs from older Air Force Ones in service.
Exterior
The Qatari aircraft has flown on a handful of trips since July 1 with an older Air Force One in case of an emergency. It is common for any plane flying the president to have a backup aircraft nearby.
Air Force One also flies with cargo planes that transport "the Beast," the armored presidential car, and Marine One helicopters. The president also flies on militarized Boeing 757s when he travels to airports with runways too short for the larger 747.
The VC-25A jets have larger doors that allow the planes to carry the casket of a deceased president in the passenger cabin. The Qatari plane doesn't, but next-generation Air Force One planes are expected to have the larger door frames.
The older Air Force Ones in service have at least two sets of self-deploying air stairs, one in the front and one in the rear of the plane. They also have their own baggage-handling system, so they don't need to rely on ground equipment.
The Qatari jet has only one set of internal air stairs that was added during modifications by L3Harris Technologies, the contractor tapped by the Air Force to add military equipment to the plane. The aircraft needs multiple sets of mobile air stairs to be provided on the pavement.
The VC-25As are hardened to withstand the pulse of a nuclear explosion, while the Qatari jet isn't believed to have its fuselage and electronics shielded against high levels of radiation.
Unlike the VC-25A jets, the Qatari aircraft can't refuel in flight. The Air Force years ago decided to drop aerial refueling as a requirement in its next-generation Air Force One aircraft.
The VC-25A planes are painted white and light blue, a design by Raymond Loewy picked by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy that has been on the Air Force's presidential jets since the 1960s. The Qatari plane is painted red, white and navy blue, colors chosen by President Trump. It also has a large, wavy American Flag painted on its vertical stabilizer, while the older jets have a rectangular flag.
Interior
A big difference between the Qatari jet and the VC-25A is the interior. The VC-25A was designed as a flying White House, with conference rooms and dedicated cabins for the staff and the press.
The Qatari plane was built for royalty with oversize lie-flat leather seats. In an effort to save time and money, the Air Force left much of the luxury interior in place. There is no dedicated press cabin, and reporters are separated from staff by a heavy curtain.
The VC-25A also has a medical cabin. The Air Force hasn't disclosed the medical facilities inside the Qatari aircraft.
The security of the president's food is highly important during trips. The VC-25A has five chillers below the passenger cabin that can carry large quantities of food, critical for long trips. The Qatari plane has fewer refrigerators so other support aircraft flying with it might have to carry the president's food.
The largest similarity between the VC-25A and the Qatari plane is the communications system, according to Air Force officials. Both planes have top-secret communications equipment that allows the president to carry out his full responsibilities in flight. The Qatari plane also has Starlink, SpaceX's high-speed satellite internet network, Trump has said.
New Air Force One
Boeing was awarded a nearly $4 billion Air Force contract in 2018 to build two new presidential jets based on the company's 747-8 planes.
While the two next-generation Air Force Ones will be called VC-25Bs and feature the same paint job as the Qatari jet, the inside will be significantly different.
The planes will have electrical-power upgrades and dual-auxiliary power units, similar to the prior-generation Air Force Ones. The interior will be more utilitarian than luxurious. The two jets will also have defensive systems, multiple sets of self-deploying air stairs and an autonomous baggage-loading system.
The Pentagon has said the new aircraft will offer "safe and reliable air transportation with an equivalent level of communications capability and security available in the White House."
Because of the way Boeing's contract is structured, the company must cover all cost overruns on the program. In July, it reported a $280 million charge, bringing its total losses on the program so far to more than $3 billion.
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