The head of Boeing said Tuesday that a deal could be made soon on the future Air Force One, following a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, speaking to reporters Tuesday at Trump Tower in New York, said he and Trump “made progress” on lowering the cost of Air Force One, according to Reuters. Trump has repeatedly expressed anger at Boeing for projected costs of the new Air Force One, tweeting last month that a $4 billion projection for the next Air Force One was too expensive and needed to be canceled. The Government Accountability Office has projected the plane to cost much less, at about $3.2 billion for two aircraft with a planned delivery in 2024. The two also met on Dec. 21 to discuss costs of the program.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
