CHICAGO/WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has contracted Boeing to begin design work on presidential aircraft. <br /> <br />According to an Air Force news release, the U.S. government purchased two Boeing 747-8 jetliners as part of their plan to develop a new Air Force One aircraft. <br /> <br />Under the contract, Boeing will design modifications for the 747-8s. These will reportedly include an executive interior, meeting rooms, medical facilities and other features of the current presidential aircraft. <br /> <br />According to Reuters, the planes were previously ordered by Transaero, a now defunct Russian Airline. <br /> <br />According to Defense One, the design will also need to have defensive countermeasures, including a hardened exterior capable of withstanding electromagnetic pulse from nuclear explosions. <br /> <br />The Air Force plans to spend around $3.2 billion on the next presidential aircraft, reported Defense One.
