Scare Force One? Security questions swirl over Trump's new plane

Security questions have resurfaced over President Donald Trump’s new “Air Force One” aircraft, a Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar, after he switched back and forth during travel following a NATO summit. The retrofitted 747-8, on its maiden trip outside the United States to Ankara, was flown on a journey that began this week, then Trump announced in Turkey that the plane would go ahead to a British base so US troops could tour it. Reports said the newer jet lacked the same anti-missile and other countermeasures attributed to older Air Force One aircraft, including systems reported to jam radar and infrared tracking as well as chaff and flares. The New York Times said Friday the security differences were a factor, and US media reported Secret Service advice supported the change. The White House, through communications director Steven Cheung, denied concerns and cited “state-of-the-art” protocols, “every tool at our disposal,” and “distraction and misdirection.”