WASHINGTON — Thirteen Democratic senators sent a letter on July 22, 2026, to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and L3Harris CEO Chris Kubasik regarding the conversion of a Qatari-gifted Boeing 747 into a new Air Force One. The letter raises concerns that money and resources were diverted from national security requirements to accelerate the transformation of the VC-25B bridge aircraft.

Sen. Chris Murphy, a defense appropriator from Connecticut, heads the group of lawmakers. They requested written answers to eight questions from the Air Force and L3Harris by July 27, and a joint classified briefing open to all U.S. senators by Aug. 6. The lawmakers asked for a cost breakout for L3Harris's upgrade work and contract specifics, along with information on how requirements for the VC-25B bridge aircraft were developed. They also sought an explanation of how the surge of personnel and resources for the bridge aircraft affected costs or other weapons development efforts.

"The Air Force seems to have committed to a rushed, expensive aircraft modification program for the purpose of meeting President [Donald] Trump's demand to fly on 'the world's most luxurious plane,' with his favored paint job, during Independence Day festivities," the 13 Democratic senators stated in their letter. The letter references a report in which an L3Harris executive indicated the company was tasked to modify the Qatari jet by a July 4 deadline. Approximately 400 L3Harris employees worked continuously to meet this modification deadline. "Trump's own statements — including his celebration of 'a level of luxury that nobody's ever seen before' — make it clear that these decisions prioritized Trump's personal comfort and tastes over U.S. national security," the senators wrote.

President Trump accepted the VC-25B bridge aircraft in a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews last month. He took his first flight on the plane on July 1 for a trip to the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota. The airplane also participated in a flyover of Washington during Independence Day festivities on July 4. This new Air Force One model is intended to replace the military-grade 747-2.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told a congressional panel in June 2025 that the conversion of the Qatari plane was expected to cost around $400 million. During that same briefing, Meink stated that funds for the conversion were diverted from the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program. Air Force officials contend that the VC-25B bridge program is necessary to alleviate strain on the two aging VC-25A planes currently serving as presidential transport, as technical setbacks have postponed the delivery of the original Air Force One replacement, the forthcoming VC-25B, from 2024 to 2028.

"The aircraft underwent a very rigorous process, really in advance of us even working on it, performed by our electronic warfare experts in conjunction with the US government's leaders in cybersecurity to fully inspect and ensure that everything within that aircraft was safe for the mission," said Jason Lambert, president of L3Harris's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance division. Representatives for the Defense Department and Air Force indicated they would respond directly to the lawmakers. An amendment by Murphy last year, which would have prevented the bridge plane from being transferred to the Trump presidential library after his term, did not pass.