Latest news with #GulfstreamV
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Trump admin seeks new jet to shuttle around Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel
The FBI is seeking an ultra-long-range business jet to fly agents and other bureau personnel to far-flung global locations for counterterrorism response, 'high-risk operations,' and other 'sensitive missions,' according to a tranche of federal procurement documents reviewed by The Independent. Alongside the government's request for proposals, a related statement of objectives says the aircraft 'will also support executive transportation requirements for the FBI Director and the U.S. Attorney General,' namely, Kash Patel and Pam Bondi, who have both faced withering scrutiny in recent weeks over their handling of the fallout from the non-release of the Epstein files. In May, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reportedly initiated an investigation into Patel's supposedly robust personal use of the FBI's existing fleet of private jets. However, a Department of Justice official said on Wednesday that the plan had not been approved by Bondi, who is not in favor of the purchase. 'The FBI has an independent procurement process for the director and their agents,' DOJ spokesman Gates McGavick told The Independent. 'Neither the attorney general nor other DOJ leadership knew about this and see no need for its use in Main Justice.' 'Main Justice' is the colloquial name for DOJ headquarters. The plane will be required to fly at speeds of Mach 0.83 or higher, with Mach 0.85 listed as 'preferred.' It must have a minimum range of 7,000 nautical miles, be able to seat at least 12 passengers, three crew, and 1,000 lbs. of cargo, the RFP states. That means the feds need something along the lines of a Gulfstream G800, which seats 19 and can travel 7,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.90, or a Bombardier Global 8000, which seats 19 and can travel 8,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.94. The RFP, which was issued July 11, says the bureau's Critical Incident Response Group will lease the aircraft for an initial one-year period, with the possibility of four one-year extensions, after which the government will have the option to purchase the jet outright. The documents do not explain how the plane will be shared between one of the FBI's most elite tactical units and two of the administration's highest-ranking officials. No prices are included in the solicitation paperwork, but the G800 starts at about $72.5 million, while the base model Global 8000 lists for roughly $78 million. The FBI paid $2.4 million to lease a Gulfstream V for six months in 2016, after a procurement process marked by numerous deficiencies, according to an audit the following year by the DOJ's Office of the Inspector General. Craig Holman, a governmental ethics and campaign finance expert at Washington, D.C. watchdog nonprofit Public Citizen, says the expenditure shows the Trump team going against its relentless claims of 'cost-efficiency.' 'For an administration that wants to put on a veneer of cutting waste, fraud and abuse in government spending, it sure doesn't have any qualms when it comes to lavish spending on expensive new jets and other luxuries for itself,' Holman told The Independent. This will be the third luxury aircraft so far being budgeted for travel by cabinet officials and the president, according to Holman. 'There is the extravagant Boeing [747] being bought from Qatar for Trump, a Gulfstream IV luxury jet for Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem, and now, an opulent long-range jet for FBI Director Patel and Attorney General Bondi for their traveling comfort. Meanwhile, the administration is slashing spending on health care, education and worker safety for the rest of us.' Trump has said Qatar is 'gifting' the 747 to the Department of Defense for his use as an especially opulent Air Force One, but the Air Force itself pegs the cost of modifying the plane for such use at some $400 million. An FBI spokesman told The Independent that the new aircraft lease will in fact be more cost-effective. 'The plane in question is for critical functions such as hostage rescue team deployments, international operations, SWAT ops, and other national security related purposes – but the current lease structure is unnecessarily wasteful,' the spokesman said. 'As we've done with other assets, like moving the headquarters building, the FBI is evaluating available options to better serve the American people at a much lower and more efficient cost to the taxpayer.' As for the business jet to be split between Bondi, Patel, and the FBI, the successful bidder will deliver the private jet to the bureau's Aviation Operations Hangar at the Manassas Regional Airport in Manassas, Virginia, by next summer. 'The aircraft shall be fully mission operational and flight-ready, with all required Government-installed modifications (including secure communications suite), no later than June 24, 2026,' the RFP tells prospective sellers. In addition to hardened comms, the cabin must have two lavatories, one crew rest seat, one galley with microwave, coffee maker, refrigerator, sink and ice and beverage storage, according to the request. The bureau's 'preferred' features include four 'cabin zones with solid dividers, and a 'dedicated crew rest area with layflat seats/bunk,' it says. As far as cosmetics go, the aircraft's interior components – seating, cabinetry, flooring, lighting – must be in 'good condition, with no excessive wear, staining or damage,' the RFP states. Before delivery, the request says the jet 'shall be thoroughly cleaned inside and out,' and exterior paint 'shall be free of major defects, corrosion, or significant fading.' Further, the plane should have less than 2,500 hours of flight time, and be less than five years old. The contractor will be responsible for all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, to be conducted at FAA-approved facilities, according to the RFP. The FBI will oversee minor routine tasks such as tire and fluid replacement, as well as 'minor repairs.' The flight crews will be provided by the FBI, which will 'maintain sole operational control,' the RFP states, adding that the bureau is self-insured up to $5 million for all flight operations. 'In excess of this limit, [the] FBI will seek Congressional appropriations,' the RFP says. In the six months since President Trump began his second stint in the White House, the administration has, among other things, decimated school lunch programs, thrown millions off of Medicaid, and enacted tax cuts that will boost incomes for the wealthy while raising taxes on working Americans. Solve the daily Crossword
The Journal
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
US plane believed to have transported illegally deported people lands in Shannon on return trip
THE PLANE BELIEVED to have carried eight illegally deported people from the United States earlier this week has returned to Shannon Airport this morning. On Thursday, Tánaiste Simon Harris, who is also the minister for foreign affairs, said his department was investigating whether the flight carrying the eight people to East Africa had stopped at the airport. Gardaí in Shannon told The Journal on Thursday that the flight is believed to have been a deportation flight that stopped in Ireland. The New York Times reported this week that the flight's departure from the US had violated a court order. The eight people believed to have been carried on the flight are now being held in Djibouti, with their ultimate destination being South Sudan. The Gulfstream V aircraft, which is registered in the US, appears to have left Egypt this morning, flown across the Mediterranean and the European continent, and landed in Shannon at around 8:45am today. Advertisement It is routine that US flights land at Shannon to refuel. Some are military while most, including the Gulfstream GV, are operated by civilian charter companies. The plane has since departed Shannon Airport. Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who raised the issue of the initial flight in the Dáil this week, told The Journal : 'If the flight has indeed landed back at Shannon this morning, then I am very concerned that this could represent Ireland's continued complicity in the aggressive and illegal migration policies being pursued by the Trump administration'. 'I would also be concerned that we are continuing to allow planes to refuel at Shannon or fly through Irish airspace en route to deliver weapons of genocide to Israel. She again called on Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien to provide 'clarity on what exactly is going on at Shannon'. With reporting from Niall O'Connor and Conor O'Carroll Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Tánaiste concerned about 'aggressive' US deportations after Shannon flight
TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has expressed concern over the Trump administration's 'aggressive' deportation policy after a plane containing US deportees was found to have landed in Shannon this week. The Tánaiste was pressed on the issue by Labour leader Ivana Bacik during Leaders' Questions in the Dáil on Thursday where she claimed Ireland is being 'used as an instrument to violate human rights' in the illegal deportation of migrants. 'These are deportation flights that are illegal and taking place in violation of a US court order,' Bacik said. The Journal received confirmation from gardaí yesterday that the flight stopped in Shannon Airport on Wednesday en route to Africa. The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the status of the plane in a statement released yesterday. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of reports that a US flight on 21 May landed in Shannon en route to Djibouti. 'This was a civil aircraft, and as such, no diplomatic clearance would have been sought or would have been required.' The Journal has established that the plane, a Gulfstream V, landed in Shannon and spent approximately two hours on the ground. It is not known as yet if gardaí or immigration officials had any interactions with the plane during its time at the airport. A federal judge in Boston ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration had 'unquestionably' violated a court order by deporting eight criminals to South Sudan without hearing their objections. A lawyer for some of the deportees on the flight stopping at Shannon told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that she only learned that her clients had been removed from the US after seeing television reports about their landing in Shannon. Trina Realmuto said: 'I guess at this point, this far into this administration, I can't say I'm shocked that the [US] Government is defying court orders, but given that just recently, on May 7, we we had to go to court and and try to stop a flight of people who were about to be deported to Libya, I am surprised that so shortly after that, we had to run him to court to try to stop a flight to South Sudan.' Advertisement U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents guide undocumented migrants into a military plane in Texas. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the US Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said those on the flight were the 'worst of the worst' individuals, including child rapists. The logistics of the flight Ivana Bacik questioned whether the flight also landed in Shannon on its way back to the US. 'We understand that one of the planes in question, flight JNY588A, [was] due to refuel at Shannon Airport on its return journey from Sudan later today [Thursday night] at about 9.30 p.m., according to flight logs,' Bacik added. She went on to further attack the 'barrage of revelations' about flights from America refuelling in Shannon en route to Israel to deliver weapons, claiming the State's position 'remains something of a mystery'. Harris acknowledged the arrival of the deportation flight on Wednesday, and said he spoke with Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien about the matter. 'Officials from my Department are liaising with the Department of Transport, the Department of Justice, and the US authorities,' Harris said. Addressing the approach of the Trump administration to deportations, Harris said: 'I am concerned about some of the aggressive migration policy we see being pursued in the United States of America. 'If we had a deportation flight landing in another country, there would be a presumption that those on the flight were lawfully detained. 'I am trying to piece together here information that is coming at us, in the first instance through US media, and the decision of the US courts. He added: 'I am very happy to keep in close contact with the Deputy and with this House because I recognise there is significant public interest and public concern in relation to this.' With reporting from Niall O'Connor Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Tánaiste investigating if 'illegal' US deportation flight stopped in Shannon en route to Africa
THE TÁNAISTE SAID he is carrying out enquiries to find out whether a US flight that landed in Shannon was carrying migrants. Speaking on RTÉ Radio this morning, Simon Harris said that he is 'trying to establish the facts' following US media reports. Gardaí in Shannon have this morning told The Journal that the flight is believed to have been a deportation flight that stopped in Ireland en route to Africa. Last night the New York Times published an article that claimed a flight carrying at least eight illegally-deported migrants had left the US en route to South Sudan on Tuesday. The plane flew from Texas to Shannon where it refueled and then took off, flying across Europe and over Saudi Arabia before landing in Djibouti in east Africa. Djibouti has a massive US military base and airfield and was used in the emergency airlift from Sudan when the war broke out in Khartoum. The Journal has established that the plane, a Gulfstream V, landed in Shannon and spent approximately two hours on the ground on Tuesday night. It is not known as yet if gardaí or immigration officials had any interactions with the plane during its time at the airport. Neither the Department of Justice nor Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin responded to a request for a statement. A statement has been requested from gardaí. It is routine that US flights land at Shannon to refuel. Some are military while most, including the Gulfstream GV, are operated by civilian charter companies. Civilian charter company Journey Aviation lists the aircraft on their website . The aircraft is a 14-seater. Our enquiries have found that Journey Aviation has contracts with the US Government. Advertisement The New York Times reported that a judge in Boston, Brian E Murphy, found the Trump administration had breached an order he issued last month barring the US from deporting people to countries not their own without first giving them sufficient time to object. This morning Simon Harris said that he was aware of the US media report and was making enquiries to check its veracity. 'I'm trying to establish the facts on this now in real time, because I'm aware of the US media reports. 'I have no reason to believe that the procedures in place for the use of Irish airports by foreign aircraft has been breached by the United States. But I am seeking more information from my department this morning,' he said. Harris added that he was also seeking 'legal clarity' because of the seriousness of the incident. 'I think complying with US law is obviously a matter for the US administration. 'Complying with our own laws is obviously a matter for the Irish, for the Irish State and the Irish government. 'Let me try and establish more in relation to this, as my Department is. There are very clear rules in relation to flights that can and can't stop over in Shannon and what they must do and not do. 'We need to see whether this was in compliance with that. This is a story that's only emerged in US media, so I'm trying to get on top of it now,' he added. A spokesman for the US Embassy in Dublin referred our query to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE has not responded to a request for a statement. With reporting from Conor O'Carroll. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Yomiuri Shimbun
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Trump Wants a New Plane. Now, So Does Homeland Security Secretary Noem.
Tom Brenner/For The Washington Post Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem testifies before the House Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security on May 6. President Donald Trump is not the only one in his administration seeking a new plane. The Department of Homeland Security is planning on a new Gulfstream V, an agency official confirmed Wednesday, after the anticipated acquisition spilled into public view during a congressional oversight hearing. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Illinois) questioned the spending plan during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on the U.S. Coast Guard and in a social media post, contending that the aircraft would be primarily used by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem. Underwood said the funding, which she placed at $50 million, would be taken from the budget of the Coast Guard, which is overseen by the DHS. 'She already has a Gulfstream 5, by the way, but she wants a new one paid for with your taxpayer dollars,' Underwood wrote on X. Referring to the Coast Guard, Underwood added: 'We should be investing in our national security and improving the lives of our Coasties – not wasting taxpayer dollars on luxury travel and political stunts.' At the hearing, Underwood asked Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting Coast Guard commandant, whether he had received any communication from his DHS superiors about a new plane for Noem. He did not directly answer the question, saying that the Coast Guard has two long-range military command and control aircraft. Lunday described the Coast Guard's aircraft fleet as aging and said Noem's plane is 'approaching obsolescence.' Such aircraft are necessary for top DHS and Coast Guard officials, he said, to ensure reliable communications and travel plans. Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant DHS secretary, defended the planned Gulfstream acquisition, saying the agency's aircraft are 'well beyond their service life and safe operational usage.' In a statement, she said the current Gulfstream is more than 20 years old, making it 'well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.' The Coast Guard has generally kept two Gulfstream jets in service for use both by admirals and senior civilian officials at DHS. Its older executive jet, a C-37A, is based on the Gulfstream V model and began flying with the Coast Guard in 2002, according to government records. The military service ordered a new executive jet, the Gulfstream 550, in 2020 at a cost of about $66 million and began using it two years later, officials said at the time. It's designated a C-37B. The request for a new executive jet comes after years of the Coast Guard raising concerns about the age of its search-and-rescue planes, helicopters, and other equipment. Many of them were first put into use in the 1980s and 1990s, the independent Government Accountability Office found last year. The disclosure of the DHS's interest in a new jet comes as Trump has been advocating for a pair of new aircraft to act as Air Force One, the designation given to specially equipped and fortified jets that ferry the president. Trump has been seeking a new model from Boeing since his first term, but production delays have set back the expected delivery time, prompting criticism from the president. This week, Trump has faced criticism from Democrats for saying he plans to accept a $400 million Boeing 747-8 as a gift from the government of Qatar. During a visit to the Middle East, the president said he would use the plane for a 'couple of years' while he waits for a pair of Boeing planes to be completed. Ethics experts have raised concerns that such a donation from a foreign government would be unconstitutional, violating the emoluments clause, which forbids U.S. officials to accept gifts or other things of value from foreign officials without congressional approval.
