L3Harris Technologies has delivered the VC-25B Bridge aircraft to the U.S. Air Force, marking a milestone in the modernization of the Air Force One fleet.
L3Harris transformed a 747-8i aircraft into the first VC-25B within 10 months, ensuring continuity of the Presidential Airlift mission as the current VC-25A aircraft age and next-generation aircraft remain under development.
“Through a trusted, fast-tracked partnership with the Air Force, we have proven that the U.S. defense industrial base can move at maximum velocity when the mission demands it,” said L3Harris CEO Christopher Kubasik in a statement. “L3Harris rose to the challenge, and we are deeply honored to deliver to the Commander-in-Chief a symbol of American strength that meets the nation’s highest standards without compromise.”
The VC-25B provides the Office of the President with an airborne command post equipped with a new communications system that enables secure connectivity to respond to global events without disruption. This delivery reflects L3Harris’ decision to invest early in the program — ahead of formal demand — so that capacity, talent and production readiness were in place when the customer needed them.
