A recent financial decision by the U.S. Department of Defence has sparked widespread controversy, following revelations that the Pentagon has redirected a significant portion of funding from a key nuclear weapons modernisation programme to finance the refurbishment of a Boeing 747-8 jet.
This aircraft, originally gifted by Qatar, is set to serve as a future Air Force One for President Donald Trump.
The reallocation, ordered by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, involved the transfer of approximately $934 million.
Pulled From ‘Sentinel’ Programme
The money was pulled from the “Sentinel” programme, a critical initiative originally budgeted at $77.7 billion to overhaul America’s ground-based nuclear missile systems.
The Sentinel effort has already encountered significant setbacks, with cost overruns and delays pushing its expected total to over $125 billion—and potentially as high as $160 billion, based on internal Pentagon projections from last year.
At first, the Pentagon claimed the funds would support a “classified” operation.
However, Air Force insiders later confirmed that at least part of the reallocated budget will go toward adapting the Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 to meet President Trump’s operational and personal requirements.
This revelation has drawn ire from critics who say the “free” aircraft has effectively become a multi-million-dollar taxpayer liability.
The $400 million luxury jet, handed over by Qatar in May, has been mired in controversy since its announcement.
Ethical Concerns
Critics have raised alarms over ethical concerns and potential conflicts of interest surrounding President Trump’s acceptance of the aircraft.
In June, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink stated that refurbishing the plane would cost “less than $400 million,” but sceptics remain unconvinced.
Despite ongoing bipartisan criticism, the Trump administration has withheld most details of the project, consistently invoking national security classifications.
This lack of transparency has deepened public concern, especially after aviation analysts told NBC News in May that the actual cost of fully retrofitting the aircraft could exceed $1 billion and require years to complete—separate from the $4 billion already being spent on new, custom-built presidential aircraft from Boeing.
President Trump has brushed aside the criticism.
In May, he defended the decision to accept the jet, stating, “I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’”
The repurposed 747 is intended to serve as President Trump’s Air Force One during his tenure and is expected to be transferred to his presidential library once he leaves office.
The arrangement is part of a broader fundraising initiative for the Trump Presidential Library, which has also received notable contributions, including $16 million in settlements from Disney and Paramount related to defamation lawsuits brought by Trump.
(With inputs from IBNS)
