US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the Qatar-gifted Boeing 747-8 serving as his new Air Force One will soon undergo a month-long upgrade to enhance its capabilities after reports raised concerns about the aircraft's defensive systems.
"It has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they're going to send it to have it be maxed out," Trump told reporters after returning to Washington from the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey.
"So they're going to be sending it, and they'll have it be maxed out. It'll take about a month," he added.
Questions emerge after NATO summit flight
Trump first flew aboard the retrofitted Boeing 747-8 on July 1, but scrutiny intensified after he returned from the NATO summit in Ankara on July 10 aboard an older presidential aircraft.
According to The New York Times, the new jet lacks some of the advanced security countermeasures fitted to the existing Air Force One fleet, including anti-missile defense systems.
Trump did not specify what upgrades would be installed but indicated the aircraft would soon be enhanced before returning to service.
