US President Donald Trump has made a surprise landing at an Air Force base in the UK on the way home from the Nato summit in Turkey.
Trump announced in a social media post that the gleaming new plane which cost $400m (£298.6m) and was gifted to him by the government of Qatar would instead visit RAF Mildenhall in West Suffolk on the way home so US military members could “tour the Aircraft.”
Trump flew from Ankara to Suffolk in an older plane previously used as Air Force One before changing to the new plane for the second leg of the journey back to Washington.
When asked later during a news conference if security concerns had played a role in the switch, Trump didn’t directly answer but said that when it came to Iran, he was “No 1 on the list for killing.”
President Donald Trump waves as he switches planes at US Air Force Base, RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk. (Picture: Alex Brandon/AP)‘For old time’s sake’
Trump offered little clarity on the swap, saying only that he would fly on the legacy aircraft “for old time’s sake.”
The switch raised fresh security questions about the new aircraft. Images of the jet show it is not equipped with some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems as the older jets.
The swap was also announced less than a day after the US military conducted a series of missile strikes in Iran in retaliation for its attacks on merchant shipping in the region. Iran shares a border with Turkey.
In a statement, a top Trump advisor seemed to hint that security after the Iran mission played a role in the decision to switch planes.
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” his spokesman Steven Cheung said.
“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal – including distraction and misdirection – to address those threats.”
US President Donald Trump walks towards Air Force One after disembarking from the older plane. (Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)New plane has Trump’s favoured look
Trump flew on the new aircraft for the first time last week in a domestic trip within the US.
The refurbished jet is painted in Trump’s preferred colour scheme: a navy-blue belly with red and gold stripes, replacing the previous sky blue.
It has the luxury features that the president believes his entourage should have, like plush carpets, lie-flat seats, wood paneling and a presidential seal on the seat belts.
Trump told reporters last week that he was proud of the luxurious plane. “You can do two things. You can low-key it, or you can show it,” he said.
US President Donald Trump, alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, disembarks from the old presidential plane at Royal Air Force Mildenhall. (Picture: Win McNamee/Getty Images)‘Unconstitutional, brazen corruption’
Trump’s new plane could only be described as luxurious. Pale leather upholstered seats that can recline when needed, and an area where four seats are set around a table to enable people to hold a meeting.
There is also another area with a sofa and cushions and what appears to be a large TV set fixed to the wall.
At the time the plane was unveiled last year, Democrats condemned the gift as nothing less than corruption.
“This is not normal. None of this is normal. This is outlandish, this is illegal, this is unconstitutional, brazen corruption,” said Democratic Senator Chris Murphy.
An interior image of the plane. (Picture: AMAC Aerospace) More images of the plane. (Picture: AMAC Aerospace)Why was the RAF Mildenhall base an appropriate stop?
The RAF Mildenhall base in West Suffolk is primarily used by the US Air Force, mainly the Refuelling Wing, which helps to refuel planes mid-journey.
About 3,000 active duty military members and 700 civilians work there.
With input from AP
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