Overview
- The Air Force confirmed flight testing of the VC-25B Bridge Aircraft and said it plans to hand the jet to the Presidential Airlift Group by summer 2026.
- The 747-8i is flying from L3/L3Harris’s modification center in Greenville, Texas, using the call sign VADER01 on routes over Texas and Oklahoma.
- The stopgap plan responds to slow progress on the two fully customized VC-25B jets, with the Air Force now expecting Boeing’s first delivery in mid-2028.
- Photos show new satellite communications antennas on the aircraft, and experts say limited hardening could restrict missions to domestic or low-threat routes until full defenses are integrated.
- Reporting places the conversion cost near $400 million and notes congressional and ethics questions about using a foreign-gifted aircraft, while a July 4, 2026 debut is only cited by single-source coverage.