The second of two extensively modified Boeing 777 jets for the trip of President Ramnath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in the national capital Delhi on Saturday, people familiar with the matter said.
The first plane, also configured to give dignitaries generous office space and meeting rooms, landed in Delhi on October 1. The two aircraft, Boeing 777-300 ERs, had joined the Air India fleet in 2018 and had been shipped to a Boeing facility in Dallas for customization.
The two aircraft have missile defense systems that are touted in tandem with the United States President’s Air Force One, two identical Boeing 747-200B series aircraft that are scheduled to be replaced in 2024. The two are expected Upgraded Boeing 747s cost the Pentagon a whopping $ 4.6 billion (Rs 34,044.6 crore) by the time they are ready to fly to the next president.
The new long-haul aircraft, which can fly nonstop to the United States, is India’s first dedicated suite of jets to the three dignitaries. Meanwhile, the government would requisition Air India planes whenever any of the three dignitaries had to travel abroad. The state airline ended up setting up the plane for VVIP travel, creating space for a makeshift office and sleeping area for the prime minister after removing the seats from part of the plane.
The two planes were scheduled to be delivered in August, but the date had to be postponed due to what were described as “certain operational problems.” They will be piloted by pilots from Air India and the Indian Air Force.
The aircraft come equipped with Self Protection Suites (SPS) consisting of aircraft infrared countermeasures, an advanced integrated defensive electronic warfare suite, and a countermeasures dispensing system to protect them from incoming missiles.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which had notified Congress of its decision to sell the defense system earlier this year, had set its cost at about $ 190 million. He explained his decision, stressing that the sale would enhance India’s ability to deter regional threats and facilitate “a stronger capability in areas of increased missile threat.”
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