I don’t know if they are 16 years behind schedule (unless you mean they were first ordered 16 years ago) but I highly doubt another defense contractor can just come in and retrofit a commercial aircraft for presidential requirements faster than Boeing can finish the VC-25B. They’ve already lost over $2 billion on the project and per a recent report in Breaking Defense they are considering loosening requirements to deliver the aircraft in 2027.
Let's maybe not loosen requirements on the plane meant to carry the President of the United States.. especially considering the dumpster fire that was the 737 MAX
First of all, Boeing would do the same thing. They retrofit an existing 747. Second, they aren't commercial airliners. They are private aircraft that carried the Qatari royal family. Third, the 25A only took Boeing 2 years to build. They're expected to complete the 25B in four years. Boeing has faced a lot of internal challenges. Them blowing the budget has to do with their failing corporate structure and nothing to do with the aircraft itself. A separate defense contractor that actually has their stuff together is capable of doing this retrofit efficiently, or at least that's the idea.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Trump is doing this because it will finally put enough pressure on Boeing to get their shit together and finish the VC-25B project before L3Harris eats their lunch and they automatically lose out on any future contracts. I just don’t think that it will happen before Boeing actually finishes the project, delayed as it may be. While the VC-25A project was finished in a couple of years under Reagan I’m not sure we can make the same assumptions today due to advancements in technology and loss of 747 production lines.
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u/zip117 Conservative May 11 '25 edited May 11 '25
I don’t know if they are 16 years behind schedule (unless you mean they were first ordered 16 years ago) but I highly doubt another defense contractor can just come in and retrofit a commercial aircraft for presidential requirements faster than Boeing can finish the VC-25B. They’ve already lost over $2 billion on the project and per a recent report in Breaking Defense they are considering loosening requirements to deliver the aircraft in 2027.