How the President of the United States’ Air Force One, The Beast, and Marine One Work

It is estimated that the secret services USA invests a sum of $150 million or more per year to operate the various vehicles in which the president is transported of the said country.

Whether by air or land, these They must have the highest standards of security to avoid any type of threat.

By land, The President travels in a car known as The Beast or, in Spanish, “The Beast”.

It is about a limousine with the Cadillac signature which was designed with several scenarios in mind that could pose a risk.

There is also Marine One, the name used to designate the helicopter in which the president is transported.

One of the newest models is the Sikorsky VH-92 Patriot. a copy manufactured by the Lockheed Martin company.

Along with these, there is Air Force One, the name used to call the plane which carries the President of the United States.

Each of the vehicles has specific characteristics to meet different contexts .

For most of the 20th century until the 1980s, American presidents traveled in Lincoln limousines .

However, under the administration of then-President Ronald Reagan, the change was made to the Cadillacs .

Information collected by Business Insider they detail that The latest model of the presidential limousine was ordered by the Secret Service in 2014 and used for the first time in 2018. under the administration of Donald Trump.

The Beast weighs 20,000 pounds, or approximately 9,000 kilos, and it is estimated that Its construction cost approximately $1.5 million .

The vehicle was designed to look like a longer version of a Cadillac XT6 .

Despite the above, The chassis of the limousine is actually that of a Chevrolet Kodiak pickup truck produced by General Motors. according to the rescue NBCNews .

Among its main characteristics, we can cite It is bulletproof, can withstand explosions and is sealed to resist biochemical attacks .

To this is added that It has a night vision system, the ability to fire tear gas and the door handles can generate electric shocks. .

Although Some details of the car have been shared, others remain confidential. for security reasons.

However, it is estimated that Its windows are 3 inches thick, and the vehicle’s armor reaches about 8 inches. according to the aforementioned media.

The presidential limousine too has medical supplies, such as a refrigerator with blood type supplies that the president has.

According to the rescue Business Insideryour communication system has the ability to send nuclear weapons launch codes if deemed necessary.

Can carry up to seven people and the interior has leather seats.

When the president has to take plane trips, the limousine is carried with it by military aircraft like the C-17 of the Air Force.

A curiosity about the vehicle is that On the sides of its front zone there are two flags .

If the president is visiting outside the United States, one of them is that of the United States and the other is that of the host country .

The name Air Force One is used to refer to the Air Force plane carrying the President of the United States .

From the White House, they detail this: Currently, this name refers to “one of two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft.” which have tail codes 28000 and 29000″.

The Air Force designation for the aircraft It’s the VC-25A .

According to the official description, “Air Force One It is capable of refueling in flight, has unlimited autonomy and can take the president anywhere. who needs to travel.

“The electronics on board are reinforced to protect against electromagnetic pulses and the aircraft is equipped with advanced secure communications equipment, which allows it to function as a mobile command center in the event of an attack on the United States “.

They claim there is 4,000 square feet of space on three levels, or approximately 371 square meters, and It includes an office and conference room, as well as a medical suite that can be used as an operating room.

Air Force One has a medical team on board at all times and has two meal preparation kitchens.

“Also It has rooms for those accompanying the president including senior advisors, Secret Service agents, roving journalists and other guests.

“In general, multiple cargo planes fly over Air Force One to provide the president with needed vehicles and services in remote locations “.

The first president to fly a manufactured jet specifically for presidential use was John F. Kennedy .

It happened in 1962 and it was a modified Boeing 707 .

Afterwards different planes were used for this purpose.

The first of the currently preserved aircraft was delivered in 1990 under the presidency of George HW Bush.

As with the name Air Force One, Marine One refers to the helicopter that transports the President of the United States .

According to an article from American Naval Institute , The first president to officially pilot a helicopter was Dwight Eisenhower. in 1957.

According to the Marine One model, can carry between 11 and 14 passengers .

Its features include ballistic armor, anti-missile countermeasures and radar jamming technology .

Data retrieved by Business Insider They claim that, In the event of an accident, it has self-sealing fuel tanks and an energy absorption system that helps prevent fires. or other imminent risks.

The president flies with at least one additional Marine One, which acts as a decoy and performs protective functions.

An article available in George W. Bush Presidential Library ensures that Up to five of these helicopters can fly at the same time .

This, with the aim of hide the exact location of the president .

Along with this, After takeoff, they tend to change position frequently, making it difficult to determine which position. He is actually transported.

When the president travels to other countries, Marine One also accompanies him . It is transported by military cargo planes and, once it arrives at its destination, it always remains on standby in case it needs to be used in an emergency.

Some copies used to transport the president are the so-called VH-60N White Hawk and Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King .

Marine One has approximately 200 square feet (approximately 19 square meters), It has a bathroom and a system that allows passengers to speak inside the plane at a normal volume. .

In addition to the models mentioned, the president owns two Lockheed Martin-built Sikorsky VH-92A Patriots, which debuted in 2021 with the aim of replacing old helicopters.

According to Business Insider, each was worth $218 million .

However, the data recovered by Bloomberg they detail that These models are no longer used regularly because their engines burned the White House lawn. .

Every time the president gets on or off the plane, is received by sailors who wears a blue uniform .

Inside the helicopter passengers have bottles of water, candies and others snacks .

A video created by AiTelly, a YouTube channel that publishes 3D animations: recreates through animations the operation of The Beast, Air Force One and Marine One .

For example, Concerning the presidential limousine, he details the procedure to follow so that it can be mobilized in complete safety .

The images show a street in which police vehicles lead a procession from the front .

They are then followed by a group of agents on motorcycles and, further back, two identical presidential limousines .

The purpose of there being two is because an opera as a lure .

They are then followed by other police vehicles specialized in security and a van carrying a mobile communications system .

The video recreates hypothetical situations such as what could happen with a possible FPV (i.e. first person view) drone attack towards The Beast or how Air Force One might react in case a projectile is fired in your direction.

Furthermore, graphically shows some of the features of these vehicles.