New Air Force One Jets May Be A Year Late, Cost More, Pentagon Official Says

A top Pentagon official on Tuesday said that the new Air Force One jets being developed by Boeing may come a year later than initially expected and cost taxpayers additional money.

Acting Assistant Air Force Secretary Darlene Costello told lawmakers during a House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee hearing that, based on information from Boeing, the new jets that were scheduled to be completed by 2024 under a $3.9 billion deal will not be ready until 2025.

“Boeing has informed us that they believe it will be a 12-month [delay] beyond their original schedule. That doesn’t mean that we agree with that yet,” Costello said, adding that the Air Force is conducting a “schedule risk assessment.”

People familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that Boeing, which in 2018 was awarded the contract to “design, modify, test, certify, and deliver” two flight-ready Air Force One planes, is expected to request an additional $500 million in government funding, citing an increase in costs amid the coronavirus pandemic and a supplier’s bankruptcy filing.

Read more at The Hill.

{Matzav.com}