L3Harris to Modify Qatari Boeing 747 as Interim Air Drive One Amid Boeing Delays
The U.S. authorities has contracted L3Harris Applied sciences to retrofit a former Qatari Boeing 747-8 as an interim Air Drive One, pushed by President Donald Trump’s frustration with Boeing’s delayed $3.9 billion program to ship two new VC-25B presidential jets, now projected for 2035. The transfer, reported by The Wall Avenue Journal, CNBC, and Reuters on Might 1-2, 2025, goals to have the refurbished jet prepared by fall 2025. Right here’s an in depth breakdown primarily based on latest experiences and sentiment on X.
Background on Boeing’s Delays
Boeing’s Air Drive One program, initiated in 2018 throughout Trump’s first time period, entails changing two 747-8s into VC-25B plane to interchange the getting older VC-25A fleet, in service since 1990. The challenge has confronted:
- Vital Delays: Initially slated for 2024, supply is now anticipated no sooner than 2029, with some estimates pushing to 2035 attributable to provide chain points, structural and wiring complexities, and evolving safety necessities.
- Value Overruns: This system is over $2 billion above its $3.9 billion price range, with Boeing absorbing losses attributable to a fixed-price contract.
- Trump’s Frustration: Trump, who negotiated the deal, expressed displeasure in February 2025 after touring the Qatari 747 in West Palm Seashore, Florida, saying, “I’m not proud of Boeing,” and hinting at options. He has reportedly enlisted Elon Musk to streamline the Boeing challenge, with Musk serving to cut back “onerous necessities.”
The Qatari Jet Answer
The interim resolution entails a 13-year-old Boeing 747-8 (registration P4-HBJ), beforehand operated by the Qatar Amiri Flight and transferred to World Jet in December 2023. L3Harris, a Florida-based protection contractor, is tasked with modifying the jet to function a short lived presidential plane. Key particulars embody:
- Scope of Modifications: L3Harris will concentrate on important upgrades like safe communications and primary safety techniques, however the jet will lack the total VC-25B specs, resembling superior defensive techniques or the power to function a completely geared up airborne command heart. Former Air Drive acquisition chief Andrew Hunter famous the tight timeline permits just for “paint and a few communications upgrades.”
- Timeline: Trump has demanded the jet be operational by fall 2025, with frequent progress updates requested.
- Objective: The interim jet will complement the 2 VC-25As, which require intensive upkeep, guaranteeing presidential journey continuity.
- Livery Debate: Trump favors a “patriotic” red-white-and-blue paint scheme, however issues about warmth signature and digital interference (raised by the Biden administration) might result in compromises, like a gray or white underbelly.
L3Harris’s Function and Experience
L3Harris, fashioned in 2019 from the merger of L3 Applied sciences and Harris Corp., is a mid-tier protection contractor specializing in avionics, communications, and cybersecurity techniques. Its involvement within the Qatari jet challenge builds on:
- Prior Work: L3Harris has been a Boeing subcontractor on the VC-25B program, dealing with communications techniques.
- Qatar Contracts: Past Air Drive One, Qatar awarded L3Harris a $2 billion contract to improve its Boeing fleet with superior techniques, signaling a rising partnership.
- Current Tasks: L3Harris can be creating the Skyraider II turboprop for the U.S. Air Drive, exhibiting its versatility in protection contracts.
The challenge positions L3Harris to capitalize on Boeing’s struggles, with its inventory outperforming Boeing’s by 28% over 5 years and a $18.7 billion backlog in Q1 2024.
Sentiment on X
Posts on X mirror a mixture of intrigue and skepticism:
- Customers like @wallstengine and @luishberto09 highlighted the contract as a win for L3Harris ($LHX) and a setback for Boeing ($BA), noting the 2035 timeline for Boeing’s jets.
- @OptionsDavid and @247dotAg emphasised Trump’s impatience and the $2 billion overrun, framing the Qatari jet as a practical stopgap.
- @ChetterHub quoted The Impartial, underscoring Trump’s push to fly a “secondhand jet” by fall.
- Critics, like these on @OneMileAtATime’s thread, referred to as the transfer ego-driven, arguing the interim jet’s decreased security measures and excessive prices (doubtlessly rivaling the VC-25B program) mirror poor fiscal administration.
Essential Evaluation
The choice to retrofit the Qatari jet addresses a direct want however raises issues:
- Functionality Gaps: The interim jet’s scaled-back techniques might compromise safety and performance in comparison with the VC-25As or VC-25Bs, doubtlessly limiting its use in high-threat eventualities.
- Value Uncertainty: Whereas the modification value is undisclosed, retrofitting a VIP jet for presidential use is “substantial,” presumably offsetting financial savings from bypassing Boeing’s delays.
- Political Optics: Trump’s concentrate on aesthetics (e.g., livery) and involvement of Musk counsel a mix of non-public and strategic priorities, which may invite scrutiny if the challenge falters.
- Boeing’s Future: Discussions of suing Boeing or canceling the contract (thought-about pre-inauguration) sign ongoing tensions, although Boeing’s $20 billion fighter jet contract in March 2025 reveals continued Pentagon assist.
The transfer additionally sidesteps Airbus as a substitute, aligning with Trump’s choice for American-made options regardless of Boeing’s challenges.
Conclusion
L3Harris’s retrofit of the Qatari 747 affords a stopgap to take care of Air Drive One’s operational readiness amid Boeing’s decade-long delays, with a goal of fall 2025. Whereas L3Harris’s experience makes it a viable alternative, the interim jet’s restricted capabilities and unsure prices increase questions on its long-term worth. The challenge underscores broader points in protection procurement, with L3Harris gaining floor as Boeing struggles. For additional particulars, resembling particular modification prices or real-time updates on X, let me know, and I can examine additional!
