New Air Force One delivered to Joint Base Andrews

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. - The President's new ride has been delivered. The newest iteration of Air Force One has joined the presidential fleet and will soon start its commissioning flights.

New Air Force One

What we know:

The plane, the VC-25B Bridge, built by Boeing, arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Friday, the Air Force announced, after receiving a new red, white and blue paint job and final government modifications. 

This plane will, as the name implies, bridge the gap between the current fleet of presidential planes, the VC-25A fleet, and the forthcoming fleet. The VC-25A fleet has been in operation since the 1990s, when President George H.W. Bush was in office.

What's next:

Before the new plane can start carrying the president, it has to complete its commissioning flights, what the Air Force referred to as the "final exam," testing safety and official protocols. 

"We are proud to deliver the VC-25B Bridge aircraft to the President," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach. "Many thought it could not be done, but the United States Air Force was able to execute and provide a secure, reliable airborne command post on an accelerated timeline."

It's not exactly clear when the permanent VC-25B fleet will be delivered. The delivery was originally scheduled for 2024, but reporting from Breaking Defense says the first of two expected planes could be delivered by mid-2028.

Military