All the President's Tech: A close-up look

He's no Tony Stark but he might as well be: the President of the United States has at his disposal a fleet of high-tech vehicles that keep him safe and in command wherever he is in the world.

 

The most powerful man on Earth, the US President travels with technology that not only enables him to launch a nuclear attack from inside his jet, but allows him to stay in shape in a gym inside the nose of the plane.

Air Force One

 

 

 

When US President Barack Obama landed in Manila on Monday afternoon, April 28, his easy gait as he stepped off Air Force One belied the sober complexity of an aircraft that earned for itself the nickname, "The Flying White House."

 

Manned by a 26-member crew and capable of carrying up to 70 passengers, the president's ride is a customized version of Boeing's 747-200B passenger "jumbo jet," the same basic model used by Philippine Airlines and other commercial carriers since the 1980's.

 

However, unlike its commercial counterparts, Air Force One is equipped with 4,000 square feet (roughly 370 square meters) of office space and hotel-like amenities—including a dining room, a bedroom, a bathroom, medical facilities, and even a gym. Also, just like the best five-star hotels, the rooms are fitted with wall-to-wall carpeting and handcarved furniture.

 

As expected, Air Force One is brimming with defensive technology: classified tracking and detection systems keep constant vigil against any potential threats from land, sea, and air. The plane is also fully shielded from electromagnetic pulse attacks and nuclear fallout, and can jam enemy radar and heat-seeking missiles.

 

The onboard satellite communications system keeps the president in constant touch with his generals and advisers, enabling him to carry on his duties as Commander in Chief even while flying at 35,000 feet (11 kilometers).
 

The plane also has two galley kitchens that can serve 100 meals at a time, with storage capacity for up to 2,000 meals. These, coupled with the fact that the plane can be refueled in midair, makes it akin to a self-sufficient island in the sky.

 

"(It) is one of the most recognizable symbols of the presidency, spawning countless references not just in American culture but across the world," notes the official White House website.

Marine One

 

 

 

Of course, there are only so many places you can land a jet plane, which is why Obama quickly made his way across the NAIA tarmac to the much more maneuverable—though markedly less posh— Marine One helicopter.

 

The Marine One that Obama rode to Malacañang is a Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King decked out in state-of-the-art defensive gizmos, including the ability to detect lasers and to foil missile attacks. 

 

Though meagerly furnished, the helicopter is nevertheless outfitted to comfortably accommodate up to 14 passengers and still sports a galley kitchen and lavatory.

First used in the 1960's, the still reliable but aging Sea King is expected to be replaced with a newer, more advanced chopper that meets the president's continually-evolving security needs.

However, the Sea King is just one among several helicopters at his disposal, all of which are piloted by the US Marines' elite HMX-1 unit.

'The Beast'

 

 

 

 

Upon arrival at Malacañang, Obama was escorted to the Palace in what is perhaps the smallest but most formidable of all his vehicles: the fabled Cadillac One limousine, known affectionately to the Secret Service as "The Beast."

 

All those guarding the president know that he is at his most vulnerable when on the ground and out in the open. This was a lesson painfully learned in 1963, when then US president John F. Kennedy—fully exposed as he waved to the public in his top-down convertible limousine—was felled by a sniper from a nearby building.

 

Since then, the president has always kept his public exposure to a minimum, and never again would he be allowed to travel in anything less than a fully shielded bomb-proof car, which is shipped overseas to ferry the president even on short trips, like the airport to Malacañang.

 

Though it looks and feels like a luxury vehicle, the Beast is powered by a diesel-powered truck engine for quick getaways and for ramming through obstacles if necessary.

 

It sports 8-inch-thick (20-centimeter-thick) armor and 5-inch-thick (12-centimeter-thick) bulletproof windows. The kevlar-reinforced bus tires are designed to keep going even in the event of a blowout. 

 

Although its exact armaments are a secret, the Beast is supposedly equipped with everything from tear gas to grenade launchers. It is even rumored to have a spare cache of the president's blood in case there's ever a need for an emergency transfusion. — HS, GMA News