--- title: "The New Air Force One’s Custom Hangar Facility Is Taking Shape" description: "The new VC-25B Air Force One jets may be delayed, but the bespoke hangar facilities that will serve them already look impressive." date: "2021-05-21" modified: "2021-05-22" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/40719/the-new-air-force-ones-250m-nest-is-taking-shape" categories: - "Air" - "Air Force One" - "Air Forces" - "Foreign VVIP Transport" - "News & Features" - "POTUS" - "Presidential Transport" - "Transports" - "U.S. Air Force" tags: - "747-8" - "Air Force" - "Air Force One" - "Andrews Air Force Base" - "Boeing VC-25" - "Donald Trump" - "USAF" - "VC-25A" - "VC-25B" --- # The New Air Force One’s Custom Hangar Facility Is Taking Shape ![]() *www.twz.com* The enormous hangar that will be used to maintain the U.S. Air Force’s two new, sometimes [controversial](), and [staggeringly expensive]() VC-25B jets that will serve in the Air Force One role is quickly taking shape at [Andrews Air Force Base]() in Maryland. The construction project, which is costing around $250 million, is required since the new jets are marginally bigger than the earlier VC-25A models that are now in use. Recently obtained detailed satellite imagery, dated April 11, 2021, shows the considerable progress made so far on the huge two-bay hangar, which covers an area of 366,000 square feet, has a length of 660 feet, a width of 575 feet, and a maximum height of 115 feet, [according to]() the *Washington Business Journal*. When it comes to fitting the VC-25Bs inside, the width of the building is of particular importance, with each of the aircraft having a 225-foot wingspan, larger than the VC-25A, which spans [a little under]() 196 feet. ![message-editor%2F1621607027995-fullandrewsairforcebase.jpg]() *A satellite image showing the expanse of Andrews Air Force Base, with the new hangar under construction in the top left corner., *PHOTO © 2021 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION** Official documents [have described]() the new hangar as being designed to “evoke a sense of flight and stateliness through its use of materials, massing and embellishments.” This reflects the fact that this is an environment that’s a far cry from the cluttered halls familiar to most aircraft maintainers. ![message-editor%2F1621610902157-screenshot2021-05-21at5.27.09pm.png]() *Architectural plans for the new hangar, showing side elevations., *NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION** It’s not just the maintenance hangar itself that’s changing the face of Andrews Air Force Base, which sits just outside Washington, D.C. While work continues on the VC-25Bs in San Antonio, Texas, which are being [converted from orphaned 747-8i](), an additional 70,000 square feet at Andrews is required for warehouse support areas, while 60,000 square feet is being given over to new administrative buildings. The contract for the hangar was awarded to Clark Construction, headquartered in nearby Bethesda, in late 2018. Additional infrastructure required to sustain operations by the new Presidential aircraft includes aircraft access taxiways, parking aprons, engine run-up pads, lighting, a refueling system, vehicle parking lot, access roads, perimeter security fencing, and landscaping. As for the aforementioned security fencing, this will be “more decorative in nature than the lower-cost, chain-link fencing normally used for airfield security.” All this is expected to be completed by April next year. ![message-editor%2F1621607806695-med.jpg]() *Air Force One facilities old and new: the latest hangar for the VC-25B is at the bottom, with the previous VC-25A hangar above. In between is the facility where C-32As are often housed. , *PHOTO © 2021 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION** It’s not clear, however, what will happen to the previous hangar used for the VC-25As. This was itself a seriously costly construction project, the custom-built, bunker-like building featuring unique hardening to protect the aircraft. In the accompanying images, the existing VC-25A hangar is the hexagon-shaped building to the north. ![message-editor%2F1621607157864-custom-builtvc-25ahangargoogleearth.jpeg]() *A closer view of the custom-made VC-25A hangar with one of those aircraft parked outside., *GOOGLE EARTH** ![message-editor%2F1621607247045-vc-25adod.jpeg]() **U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE** Of course, with a project as [big and costly]() as the new Air Force One, it’s not surprising that the aircraft require specialized infrastructure. We have covered the specific details of the forthcoming VC-25Bs before, but it’s worth bearing in mind they are about as far removed from their commercial 747 cousins as it’s possible to get. Among others, they will feature the most advanced [defense countermeasures]() system available, and are protected against electromagnetic pulse caused by detonating nuclear warheads. The aircraft will also be fitted with the most advanced [secure airborne communications system]() of its kind and a bespoke interior with all that’s required for the Commander-In-Chief to go about their work remotely. All this, plus the infrastructure, including the new hangar, will cost around $5.3 billion. Even taking the VC-25Bs alone, at $4.7 billion they will be the most expensive aircraft ever built. And that’s taking into account [the much-publicized claims]() by former President Donald Trump that he personally slashed the cost of the jets. ![message-editor%2F1621607310543-close.jpg]() *A more detailed view of the new VC-25B hangar under construction., *PHOTO © 2021 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION** As it stands today, the Air Force One recapitalization program is running late, however. According to a [recent report]() from *Defense One*, delivery of the first VC-25B has been delayed and won’t be handed over by the end of 2024 as planned. A new timeline has not been confirmed. “We’re going to obviously have to look at the schedule \[and\] we have to look at it pragmatically,” Lieutenant General Duke Richardson, presently the Military Deputy within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics at the Pentagon, admitted earlier this month. The reason for this latest holdup is a dispute between manufacturer Boeing and subcontractor GDC Technics, which was selected to install the aircraft’s interiors but ran into delays of around 12 months. The Air Force now expects another firm to pick up responsibility for the interiors, according to Richardson. ![message-editor%2F1621608341033-vc-25bscheme.jpeg]() *A desktop model of the VC-25B wearing Trump’s preferred new Air Force One paint job., *AP—COPYRIGHT 2019 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED** Prior to this setback, the program also [faced other delays]() as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the wider supply chain and workforce. As a result, Boeing last month announced a $318 million loss on the VC-25B project. Under the terms of the contract, the manufacturer will cover any cost overruns the program incurs. Of course, questions over costs have been a persistent feature of the program, from the supposed savings of using [second-hand aircraft](), down to and including the [manuals for the aircraft](), which alone have a price tag of $84 million. Exactly when the VC-25Bs arrive at Andrews is, not now at least, unclear. Once they touch down, however, it seems that they will have the high-end hangarage befitting such a prestige — and pricey — program. Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()