Pentagon asks to move $150m to speed up Air Force One by two years

The Defense Department is asking Congress for permission to redirect $5.4 billion in previously approved money to other programs—including an effort to speed up the delivery of two Air Force One presidential jets.

Pentagon officials say an injection of $150 million could move the delivery of VC-25B aircraft up to 2027—two years earlier than the current 2029 projection. That funding would “procure long-lead spares and operational support items required to field the accelerated VC-25B aircraft,” according to the Pentagon’s annual omnibus reprogramming document, dated July 15.

Air Force officials previously said they might be able to speed up the delivery of the much-delayed and over-budget VC-25B aircraft if some of the requirements were relaxed . The reprogramming request lists the prog