Blair Force one

[trailfinder]

I think he's starting to take these presidential comparisons a bit too seriously...

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Ananova.com. .15 Feb 2002. .MoD proposing 'Blair Force One' armoured jet

A new £80 million secure aircraft may be bought so Tony Blair can jet around the world in greater safety.

Proposals for the armoured Airbus come from Ministry of Defence officials concerned for the Prime Minister's safety.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper says Gordon Brown is thought to be sceptical about the benefits of the project, dubbed "Blair Force One".

No decision on whether to buy the aircraft is expected until he has completed his comprehensive spending review.

Each department must submit its own claim for cash by Monday.

Ministers and members of the Royal Family have been ferried around the world by RAF VC 10s for around 30 years.

But the MoD has decided that must end because they need extensive preparation for VIP use and are required for air-to-air refuelling purposes.

Mr Blair chartered a BA 777 on a trip to Asia at the start of the year and when he visited Africa on his latest diplomatic mission last week.

However, defence chiefs reportedly fear security on such jets may be inadequate in the wake of September 11.

[Charlieboy]

If the goverment are so concerened over Mr Blairs security whilst he is on his sightseeing trips under the guise of keeping up international relations then maybe they should ground him. It beats spending £80 Million on trying to keep up with the Jones' (eg USA). Might save us a few quid as well, money they could spend on getting EFA into service a bit quicker. <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

[Archimedes]

Charlieboy,

Don't you mean giving extra money to BAWoS so that they still can't get EFA into service any quicker?

[ 15 February 2002: Message edited by: Archimedes ]</p>

[DuckDogers]

Call me Mr Picky, but i thought that HM The Queen was Head of State not the leader of the Muppets Tonite!

Time for a military coup perhaps?!

[Whipping Boy's SATCO]

"Armoured Airbus", what's all that about then?

[newswatcher]

Hi WB,

According to that reliable source of information, the Daily Telegraph, the VC-10s that his Blairship used to travel on were "equipped with anti-missile defences and armoured plating to protect against small arms fire."

I don't write it, I just report it!

[Denzil]

Anti-missile is old news, the VC10's first had them available in the early 80's.

Lot's of talk around Brize of a VIP L1011 to be purchased <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> (these can also be fitted with IR pods as used on the Saudi and ex Jordanian aircraft). I know that people on a certain wide-body transport/tanker squadron think that they are to receive the ex Jordanian aircraft (JY-HKJ), sorry to ruin the tale but I think this has been sold and now operates on the Saudi register . .(HZ-AB1) <img src="frown.gif" border="0">

[ 16 February 2002: Message edited by: Denzil ]</p>

[15/15 flex]

The beauty of a large, L1011-sized a/c is that you can have a VIP section up front, some club-class type seats for the higher hangers on, and put 50-100 regular pax seats in the back. Hey presto, you have an a/c that is dedicated VIP (when needed), but can also carry 100 or so pongos to and fro when not in VIP service. Believe me, this works very well.

Provided the support is available for the TriStar - spares etc - then it would make sense, based on the fact that we already have type-qualified people to operate it.

[ORAC]

Sunday Times.

February 17, 2002

New Blair Force One will cost £250,000 a month — before fuel.. .James Clark and Dominic O’Connell. . . .TONY BLAIR is set to be given a customised jet for official travel despite objections over costs from Gordon Brown, the chancellor.

The prime ministerial plane, already dubbed Blair Force One, is likely to be a Boeing 777 or 767 with upgraded facilities and sophisticated defences against terrorist attack. It would cost the taxpayer about £250,000 a month to keep, plus flying expenses such as fuel and the cost of the initial refit.

Downing Street officials believe they have overcome Brown’s cost objections by coming up with an option under which aircraft would be leased from British Airways rather than bought. Brown has already vetoed the option of buying planes on cost grounds.

Treasury sources insisted yesterday that the scheme would still have to conform to “value-for-money” tests, but officials from other departments hailed the proposed scheme a success.

The Cabinet Office, which was asked to find a solution to ministerial long-haul travel problems, is expected to recommend the lease plan in preference to three other options in a report to be discussed by the full cabinet in two weeks.

“The lease is a great way forward,” said a senior figure at the Cabinet Office. “We get the aircraft, which ministers and royals can use, and the cash we spend is spent here rather than with Boeing in America.”

While President George W Bush has a pair of Boeing 747s (Air Force One and Two) at his beck and call, Blair has until recently had to rely on ageing and far from luxurious VC-10 aircraft for his increasingly frequent long-haul trips. But the long-haul VC-10 fleet was removed from service in December on age grounds leaving ministers, including Blair, to lease aircraft when they are needed.

The royal family stopped using VC-10s for long-haul journeys several months ago and instead hires modern aircraft for lengthy flights. BA has dropped a number of unprofitable routes and wants to off-load several Boeing 767 and 777 jets. The much larger 777 appears to be Blair’s plane of choice. BA executives recently claimed at a private dinner that he “absolutely loves” the aircraft.

Blair’s 777 will come at a price. The lease rate for a new one would be about £350,000 a month, but a slightly used BA aircraft would cost £200,000-£300,000 according to industry insiders. Under the scheme, BA could keep its insignia on the ministerial planes in return for favourable leasing terms.

The aircraft would need to undergo drastic changes to enable it to carry government ministers. Many parts would have to be armoured and it would also need to be equipped with air-to-air defences.