---
title: "US Military Working on Supersonic Air Force One"
description: "The US Military has been working on a new supersonic presidential jet. Take a look inside the new Air Force One."
date: "2021-04-02"
modified: "2021-04-07"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-working-on-supersonic-air-force-one"
categories:
  - "Military"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "air force"
  - "air force one"
  - "supersonic"
  - "supersonic airplane"
  - "the digest"
---

# US Military Working on Supersonic Air Force One

![CNN got an exclusive look at the interior of the supersonic 31-passenger jet that might soon be carrying the president around the world.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/us-military-working-on-supersonic-air-force-one.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Exosonic\</em\>*

## Going Supersonic

Last year, Californian startup [Exosonic revealed](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/air-force-one-speed-sound>) that it's working with the US Air Force on a supersonic Air Force One jet that could be used to ferry the US executive branch around the globe at twice the speed of sound.

Now, [*CNN* got an exclusive look](<https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/supersonic-air-force-one-exosonic-cabin-interior/index.html>) at the interior of the 31-passenger jet. The craft is based on a larger 70-passenger commercial airliner concept and has all the bells and whistles that one might expect on a plane to be used by the likes of a US president or vice president, from quartz fittings to private suites designed for top secret meetings.

"With this concept we are planning to implement new technologies that are not available today or that you don't (yet) see on commercial or business aircraft," Exosonic principal interior designer Stephanie Chahan told *CNN* during a virtual walkthrough.

## ![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/http___cdn.cnn_.com_cnnnext_dam_assets_210402090439-exosonic-int-3.jpg>)

## Twice the Speed of Sound

Exosonic's supersonic jet is designed to trek up to 5,000 nautical miles and should be able to fly over land at almost twice the speed of sound without triggering ear-shattering sonic booms. That's 1,381 mph, or 1.8 times the speed of sound, and more than twice the speed of a typical passenger aircraft.

That's not quite as fast as Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, [initially reported last year](<https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/supersonic-air-force-one/index.html>), but there might be a good reason for the downgrade.

"Low boom allows travelers to fly at supersonic speeds without generating disruptive booms for those on the ground," CEO Norris Tie told *CNN*.

As expected, the jet's interior is decked out to the gills. The jet's rotatable seats are clad in luxurious wooden shells and feature storable video monitors.

## ![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/http___cdn.cnn_.com_cnnnext_dam_assets_210402090408-exosonic-int-2.jpg>)

"So whether they're flying the vice president or the first lady, or the first gentleman, we'd have a lot of flexibility here," Chahan added.

Exosonic expects to roll out a finished version by the mid-2030s, as Tie told *CNN*.

Getting the US president from one corner of the planet to another at the drop of a hat may not seem like the biggest priority, but having top officials show up in the right place at the right time is often more than just a symbolic gesture, particularly when it comes to natural disasters or war.

**READ MORE:** [Exclusive look inside the US supersonic presidential jet](<https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/supersonic-air-force-one-exosonic-cabin-interior/index.html>)

**More on the jet:** *[Air Force One's Successor Could Go 5x the Speed of Sound](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/air-force-one-speed-sound>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)