India will soon have its own Air Force One to fly PM, President

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon have a new aircraft with advanced defence and communication systems. And so will President Ram Nath Kovind.

The first Air India One will arrive in Delhi next week and the second will be delivered by the end of this year, defence and security sources said, The Print reported.

The wide-bodied Boeing 777-300 ERs customised to India’s needs will have its own missile defence system, called the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS) that can jam enemy radars, thwart heat-seeking missiles and even intercept advanced intermediate range missile systems, The Print report said. It will also have the latest communications system.

It can also fly longer with single fuelling than the current Boeing 747 aircraft that carry the prime minister and other dignitaries. The Boeing 777-300 can fly for 17 hours without refuelling, while the Boeing 747 can manage to fly for only about 10 hours.

The new aircraft will be received by Air India, but it will be operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF). It is likely to be called Air Force One, on the lines of the call sign for the US Air Force planes that fly American Presidents, after Air India hands it over to the IAF.

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A team of senior Air India, IAF and security officials are in the US to finish the formalities to bring the aircraft, which will have Bharat and India written on it and also the Ashoka emblem, to India, The Print reported.

Sources said that the two aircraft for travel of Indian VVIP’s have been heavily modified as the needs of Indian security agencies. Its defence and communication features will be on a par with the Air Force One used to fly American presidents, source said.