Qatari plane that could be new Air Force One will be ‘unconditional’ gift to the Pentagon, agreement says

A 13-year-old private Boeing aircraft that U.S. President Donald Trump toured on July 26 to check out new hardware and technology features, and highlight the aircraft maker's delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft. Ben Curtis/AP/FILE via CNN Newsource

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Qatari counterpart have signed an agreement outlining the terms of Qatar’s “unconditional donation” of a Boeing jet to the Pentagon, confirming that the U.S. will pay nothing for the plane, according to a copy of the memorandum of understanding reviewed by CNN.

The agreement, signed by Hegseth and Qatar’s deputy prime minister and minister of state for defense affairs, Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, on July 7, says the plane — which is expected to be used by President Donald Trump as Air Force One once it is upgraded — is a “bona fide gift” to the Defense Department.

“This donation is made in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation and mutual support between the parties,” the document says. “Nothing in this MoU is, or shall be interpreted or construed as, an offer, promise, or acceptance of any form of bribery, undue influence, or corrupt practice.”

The memorandum, while signed by both parties, could still be tweaked ahead of a formal announcement, a source familiar with the matter said. The aircraft is parked in San Antonio awaiting upgrades, CNN has reported.

CNN has reached out to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Air Force and the Qatari Embassy for comment. The MOU was first reported by The Washington Post.

The transfer of the jet from Qatar to the Trump administration sparked a political firestorm in the spring as Democrats and several influential Republicans, including supporters of the president, said they opposed the potential deal on ethics grounds.

It also caught Air Force officials off guard, CNN has reported. While the Air Force was exploring options for getting a replacement plane for Air Force One faster than Boeing could deliver the new jets it had been contracted to build, the Air Force was initially under the impression that any transaction with the Qataris would involve a sale of the plane — not a donation, defense officials said.

But after news of the U.S.-Qatar discussions became public, Trump repeatedly described the plane as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE.”

The memorandum signed by Hegseth and Al-Thani emphasizes the transfer of the plane is “unconditional” and that it is “not connected or otherwise related to any governmental decision and, as such, is not made, offered, promised or accepted because of any past, present or future official act or decision and is not intended to obtain or retain any improper advantage or to influence any official decision.”

But beyond the ethical and legal questions, retrofitting and installing the required security and communications equipment on a second-hand plane from another government, even a friendly one, is a monumental task.

To fund the upgrades, the Air Force has sought to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars from the vastly overbudget Sentinel program to an unspecified classified project, according to sources familiar with a congressional notification about the transfer. Sentinel is a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile system that is being developed to replace the U.S.’ aging Minuteman III missiles.

Officially, the price tag to retrofit the Qatari plane for use by the president is classified, the Air Force previously told CNN. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers last month that it will “probably” cost less than $400 million.

An addendum to the Defense Department-Qatar agreement reviewed by CNN says the Air Force “is in the process of finalizing the transfer of registration and will immediately begin execution of the required modifications.”