On July 27 negotiations advanced on an agreement for Qatar to donate a Boeing 747 8 jet to the Department of Defense for conversion into the next Air Force One. The memorandum of understanding awaits final approval after officials from both sides requested edits to key sections of the draft text.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Qatari Defense Minister Soud bin Abulrahman Al Thani in Washington to sign the gift document. The agreement states the donation is unconditional and not a form of bribery. The aircraft will receive extensive security communications and avionics upgrades on US soil at a cost estimated below 400 million dollars.
Some members of Congress have raised questions about transparency and funding. Senior Democrats have expressed concern over the plan to use funds from the Sentinel missile program budget to finance the retrofit work. Republicans have warned that foreign contributions could trigger the emoluments clause of the Constitution.
Analysts view the Qatar gift as a sign of growing defense cooperation with the United States. The two nations have built ties around shared security interests in the Gulf region. While unusual as a direct gift to the US government the donation may set a new standard in diplomatic relations and military aid.
Before it can enter service the jet must clear final legal reviews and congressional notifications. Once approved the aircraft will begin its modernization process and join a fleet that shapes presidential travel policy and executive airlift capabilities for decades.