Biden Flies to Ukraine on 'Air Force Two'... A Visit Like an Intelligence Operation

Announcing Fake Schedules for Secret Moves
Used by Vice President, First Lady, and Key Cabinet Members

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden's surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, without prior notice has become a global sensation, and the covert operation-like process of the visit is also drawing attention. It is known that instead of the VC-25 transport aircraft, commonly known as 'Air Force One,' the so-called 'Air Force Two' C-32 transport aircraft, mainly used by the Vice President and the First Lady, was used to keep the schedule undisclosed.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Vice President's Plane and Train Ride to Kyiv... A Visit Operation Like Espionage

According to CNN on the 20th (local time), President Biden, who made a sudden visit to Kyiv that day, arrived in Poland aboard the C-32 transport plane and then took a train for 10 hours to reach Kyiv. Earlier, the U.S. government had released a fake schedule stating that President Biden would only visit Poland and had no plans to visit Ukraine.

The reason for using Air Force Two, mainly used by the Vice President, the First Lady, and government cabinet officials, instead of the VC-25 Air Force One aircraft, is interpreted as an effort to keep the schedule as secret as possible. President Biden's visit to Kyiv was finally approved on the 17th, and it was kept strictly confidential until he officially disclosed the visit.

According to The New York Times (NYT), visits to war zones where the U.S. Air Force does not have air superiority are extremely rare, and even Biden's close aides and staff reportedly continuously opposed this visit. Visits to areas near the Polish border other than Kyiv were also discussed, but the visit was realized because President Biden insisted on visiting Kyiv, NYT reported.

It was also reported that air raid sirens sounded around Kyiv during President Biden's visit, but no actual air raid occurred. At a press conference after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Biden emphasized, "Putin's war of conquest is failing," and said, "This is proof that Putin's belief that Ukraine is weak and the West is divided is completely wrong."

A C-32 transport aircraft, known as Air Force Two, specializing in transporting the U.S. Vice President, First Lady, and Cabinet members. [Image source=U.S. Air Force official website]

Air Force Two C-32 Capable of Flying 10,000 km Without Refueling

Meanwhile, the C-32 that President Biden used for his visit to Kyiv is smaller than the Air Force One VC-25 but is known as a "flying office" equipped with long-range capabilities and various state-of-the-art equipment.

According to the U.S. Air Force, this transport aircraft was ordered and modified from Boeing's 757-200 aircraft in 1998 and serves as the Vice President's plane. It can fly 5,500 nautical miles (approximately 10,186 km) without mid-air refueling. It can carry a total of 45 passengers and 16 crew members.

The interior of the aircraft is divided into three main sections: the front section houses a communications center and 10 business class seats. The second section is a fully enclosed area for the Vice President, the First Lady, and key cabinet officials, equipped with a dressing room, private restroom, first-class seats, a bed, and a convertible sofa. The third section includes a conference room and staff facilities, with about 30 general seats located behind this area.

Although smaller than Air Force One, which can carry 71 passengers and about 30 crew members, it is evaluated to have comparable performance. While this model is generally used as Air Force Two, when the President boards it in exceptional cases like this, the call sign temporarily changes to Air Force One.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.