Air Force Two

Air Force Two
Sam Meyer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Air Force Two
Type	VIP transport
Manufacturer	Boeing
Status	In service

Air Force Two Air Force Two is the air traffic call sign assigned to any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the vice president of the United States. It denotes the presence of the vice president aboard an United States Air Force asset and is associated with specific aircraft, crews, protocols and support organizations. The designation connects to a long lineage of VIP transport used by leaders such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower and later occupants of the vice presidency like Walter Mondale and Kamala Harris.

Role and Definition

Air Force Two identifies an aircraft while the vice president is aboard, coordinating with agencies including the Federal Aviation Administration, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the Transportation Security Administration, the United States Secret Service, and regional commands such as United States Northern Command. Callsign use ties into aviation regulation frameworks like the International Civil Aviation Organization protocols, and operational doctrines developed after incidents such as 1943 Bermuda II Agreement renegotiations and analyses from Congressional Budget Office reports. The designation functions alongside other executive call signs like those that carry the President of the United States or congressional delegations such as members traveling under the United States Capitol Police protective umbrella.

History and Notable Uses

Vice presidential air transport evolved from military and civilian intersections exemplified by modified airframes following examples set by Presidential Fleet developments and wartime conversions during World War II. Notable vice presidential flights have intersected with events including visits to conflict zones like Vietnam War era trips, humanitarian missions after Hurricane Katrina, summit travel to G7 Summit venues, and diplomatic visits to allies such as United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. Individual vice presidents who influenced the role include Alben W. Barkley, Richard Nixon before his presidency, Hubert Humphrey, Nelson Rockefeller, and more recently Dick Cheney and Joe Biden while vice president. High-profile uses include trips tied to initiatives from administrations led by presidents such as Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

Aircraft Types and Configurations

Aircraft commonly serving as the vice president's transport have included modified variants of the Boeing 737 family, specifically the Boeing C-40 Clipper derived from the Boeing 737-700, and earlier piston and turboprop types adapted from models like the Lockheed C-140 JetStar and the Boeing 707 derivatives. Rotary and tactical lift support can come from platforms such as the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and modified Bell 412 types when operations require ship-to-shore or executive short-hop movement tied to United States Marine Corps helicopter squadrons or Air Mobility Command tasking. Interiors are frequently reconfigured by contractors with design input from the Vice Presidential Staff and interoperability assessments from Defense Intelligence Agency liaisons. Avionics suites reflect standards from the Federal Communications Commission coordination and encryption technologies evaluated by the National Security Agency and Defense Information Systems Agency.

Security and Protocols

Security for flights uses layered measures directed by the United States Secret Service in coordination with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Office of the Vice President, and local authorities like the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia or Port Authority of New York and New Jersey when applicable. Protocols address airspace management by the Federal Aviation Administration and tactical air control when assets coordinate with North American Aerospace Defense Command for identification and escort. Contingency planning involves parallel measures from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and continuity-of-government frameworks debated in hearings by the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Communications security uses classified links mediated through networks run by the National Reconnaissance Office and operational directives from the Office of Management and Budget regarding budgeting and oversight.

Crew and Support Personnel

Crew compositions incorporate rated officers from United States Air Force wings assigned to the Presidential Airlift Group model, logistics planners from Air Mobility Command and maintenance technicians trained under programs managed by the Defense Logistics Agency. Embedded support personnel include medical staff sometimes tied to United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, liaison officers from the Department of State, and advance teams coordinated through the National Security Council and regional diplomatic missions such as United States Embassy in London or United States Embassy in Tokyo. Flight operations are overseen by squadron commanders reporting up through commands such as the Air Force District of Washington.

Incidents and Controversies

Incidents have ranged from technical failures and emergency landings involving airframes related to the broader Presidential Airlift Group history to controversies over costs scrutinized in reports by the Government Accountability Office and debated in hearings of the United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Episodes of scheduling conflicts, protocol breaches, and security lapses have been examined during administrations of Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, and others, with media coverage from outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and Fox News highlighting political implications. Policy debates continue over procurement decisions involving manufacturers such as Boeing and oversight by bodies like the Department of Defense and congressional appropriations bills.

Category:United States Air Force Category:Official state vehicles of the United States