Trump to nix new Air Force One planes

Donald Trump Blasts Boeing for $4 Billion Air Force One: ‘Cancel Order!’

Trump is saying the Pentagon is going to spend $4 billion on the next-generation Air Force One jets, and he's going to cancel the project. I know from other reports that people are questioning where Trump is getting his $4 billion number from, but really I think that's beside the point. We all know how the Pentagon works; the "official" figure of $1.65 billion is more like the down payment, and even if $4 Billion is exaggerated, it's probably not really that far off the mark.

Even if we accept the $1.65 billion number (for two planes), do you really expect me to believe that they will cost $800 million each? They're not going to be developing new technology for AF1. I'm sure it will have all sorts of electronic counter-measures & whatnot, but this will be technology that the Air Force has already developed.

Great idea to be honest.

It is a pointless exspense.

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan
Donald Trump Blasts Boeing for $4 Billion Air Force One: ‘Cancel Order!’

Trump is saying the Pentagon is going to spend $4 billion on the next-generation Air Force One jets, and he's going to cancel the project. I know from other reports that people are questioning where Trump is getting his $4 billion number from, but really I think that's beside the point. We all know how the Pentagon works; the "official" figure of $1.65 billion is more like the down payment, and even if $4 Billion is exaggerated, it's probably not really that far off the mark.

Even if we accept the $1.65 billion number (for two planes), do you really expect me to believe that they will cost $800 million each? They're not going to be developing new technology for AF1. I'm sure it will have all sorts of electronic counter-measures & whatnot, but this will be technology that the Air Force has already developed.

The snowflakes questioning the $4 billion figure are completely missing the point... What is hilarious to me are that these are the same people who before would constantly bring up how much money gets spent on defense/military. Trump says screw that, we aren't spending $4 billion on these planes and now all of a sudden these same folks are complaining?

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

We all know that when it comes to the DoD, everything costs about four times what it should.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

A 747-8 at list price is $357M. That's bare bones, airline seat configuration. Then you have to add an operating room, presidential suite, military communications system, etc. So yes, they will cost around $800M each. And the $1.65B is for engineering and R&D. Even if they use off the shelf technologies, they were designed for other aircraft, so have to be modified to fit on a 747, and integrate to their power supplies, flight envelopes, etc.

As for cancelling them, it's not going to be as easy as "Cancel this" as people seem to think. They'll be buried in the budget, and clauses can be put in that if they cancel them, the entire budget goes, or a chunk of budget goes away, etc. There are many ways around trying to kill them.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Other heads of state can do there jobs without such a expensive toy.

And a operating theatre? Stupid expense. Cheaper just to elect a new president. You have 300 million potential replacements, the president is probably the MOST replaceable job there is and if the last election is anything to go by a job with no standards or qualifications.

a reply to: crazyewok

Most heads of state have aircraft that have been heavily modified to transport them. Many of them also don't have nuclear launch codes they have to be able to use, and the requirements the President has. They aren't as extensively modified as Air Force One in many cases, but they're out there.

Various heads of state transports

a reply to: crazyewok

There are no schools for presidents. Didn't you hear?

Every time Trump throws out some simplistic and uneducated tweet, I just cringe. The guy has absolutely no clue. he'll have about as much ease in cancelling that order as he will have trying to build his wall that, in reality and in a perfect situation of multi year funding, land acquisition, and contracting, won't have broken ground before he leaves office, and which will make one order for new AF1's look like penny candy.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

We all know that when it comes to the DoD, everything costs about four times what it should.

Because they intend to hide some of the money for black projects.

I honestly am shocked and impressed.

Thats money we just dont have right now an is about time we understand that.

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

That's why they're not ordering everything at once. They've issued two engineering contracts for design work, that covers about a third of the cost.

Thanks to the wonderful leadership we've had in recent years, we're reaching the point where we either spend money we don't have right now, or we don't have a military soon. I know some people think that would be a good thing and would lead to world peace, but it won't work like that.

originally posted by: usernameconspiracy
Every time Trump throws out some simplistic and uneducated tweet, I just cringe. The guy has absolutely no clue. he'll have about as much ease in cancelling that order as he will have trying to build his wall that, in reality and in a perfect situation of multi year funding, land acquisition, and contracting, won't have broken ground before he leaves office, and which will make one order for new AF1's look like penny candy.

Just a typical Trump game play to his base.

I expect him to throw out these baseless attention getters regularly.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: crazyewok

There are no schools for presidents. Didn't you hear?

Isn't Governership school for Presidents ?

I wonder if he is then going to turn around and just have them modify his private jet.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
I wonder if he is then going to turn around and just have them modify his private jet.

Probably.

That's what I thought.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Very true, Us without a military is us learning Mandarin.

Many people don't understand Geopolitics and how it's a multi level chess game, just because things seem kosher doesn't mean they are, we're still a few wrong moves away from a 3rd world war at any given moment.

The super powers of the world constantly are eyeing up ways to get more for less.

Just blows my mind when I see what our government does in terms of money when if they would only make sure the AMERICAN people were doing good economically then we'd have that surplus of money to do the things we need.

The micro affects the macro, to not treat your people correctly is to not treat your country correctly.

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

I've been screaming for years about how badly they've mismanaged the Air Force, and to a lesser extent (my screaming, not the mismanagement, it's probably worse there) the Navy and Marines. It's ridiculous that we have a front line aircraft that the youngest airframe is over 60 years old, with another one that's almost as old. Damn good aircraft, or they wouldn't still be flying them, but still.

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: usernameconspiracy
Every time Trump throws out some simplistic and uneducated tweet, I just cringe. The guy has absolutely no clue. he'll have about as much ease in cancelling that order as he will have trying to build his wall that, in reality and in a perfect situation of multi year funding, land acquisition, and contracting, won't have broken ground before he leaves office, and which will make one order for new AF1's look like penny candy.

Just a typical Trump game play to his base.

I expect him to throw out these baseless attention getters regularly.

I wonder who he told ahead of time that he was going to send out such a Tweet. After he sent that Tweet Boeing's stock dropped over half a point. Follow the money to see who gained financially by shorting Boeing's stock.

good on trump. re route that money to your failing invested companies.

the floating command center in case of the ultimate condition fubar should be stripped and outsourced to russia for a revision/rebuild



america is already smelling great.