Wichita ? When President Barack Obama climbs onto Air Force One for the first time, he will board a highly specialized aircraft with deep Wichita roots.

The current presidential fleet of two Boeing 747-200Bs was modified into sophisticated aircraft by workers at Boeing Wichita. The aircraft continue to be maintained, modified and upgraded here.

That could change in the next decade.

Earlier this month, the Air Force issued a request seeking information from potential sources about supplying new presidential aircraft. It is believed to be the first time the bidding will be open to foreign companies.

Only Boeing or European-based Airbus is capable of supplying the aircraft. They have until Wednesday to reply to the request.

‘Built in America’

If Airbus were to win the contract, it would create a political firestorm, said Lexington Institute defense analyst Loren Thompson.

“It is obvious that an American president would want to be transported in a plane that was designed and built in America,” Thompson said.

But the government’s acquisition system is complicated and fraught with rules, regulations and constraints that evaluators must follow.

“It’s a paradox of the way we’ve organized our system for buying federal equipment,” Thompson said. “We could end up buying the European plane even though the entire political system is dead set against it.”

Last February, Boeing Wichita officials said that replacing the presidential air transport fleet could mean more work for the site than a contract for aerial refueling tankers. Replacing the planes would be a long-term, stable program for Wichita, spokesman Jarrod Bartlett said at the time.

“We are positioning ourselves to win this contract,” Bartlett said last week.

Boeing tradition

European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., Airbus’ parent company, isn’t saying whether it plans to compete.

“We’re taking a look at it,” said EADS North America spokesman Tim Paynter.

Boeing has provided jumbo 747s to carry the president since 1990. A Boeing plane has acted as a flying White House since the early 1960s.

The possibility of a European aircraft carrying the president of the United States is feasible, if Airbus bids.

“I’d say they’ve got a chance,” JSA Research analyst Paul Nisbet said of Airbus. “I’d say it’s primarily a decision on the part of the Air Force and the administration to what size airplane they want.”

Neither company is saying what aircraft it might propose. But analysts expect Boeing to offer its new, larger 747-8. Airbus would likely offer the even larger A380.

Last year, the Pentagon chose a team of Northrop Grumman and Airbus to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force, although that decision was overturned after an investigation found problems in the bidding process. The competition caused a political furor and calls from some members of Congress to buy only American products.

An Airbus win could backfire and work against the company, said Thompson, the defense analyst. Airbus would do well to avoid the controversy, he said.

“It’s a small number of aircraft, and it’s a whole pile of political trouble,” he said.

The Air Force wants to buy three planes to be delivered in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

Cheaper for new aircraft

The current fleet, which has the Air Force designation VC-25, was purchased in 1987 and delivered to the Air Force in 1990. When the president is on board either aircraft, the radio call sign is “Air Force One.”

The Air Force conducted a study that found it’s cheaper to buy new aircraft than to continue to service the existing fleet. That’s because airlines have retired 747-200s from service, making spare parts and maintenance increasingly expensive.

The new planes would include high levels of security and communications capabilities, state-of-the-art navigation and the ability to be refueled from the air. It also will have the command, control and communications equipment necessary for the president to perform duties in the event of an attack on the United States.

The current VC-25 fleet includes an executive suite with a stateroom, a conference/dining room area and separate accommodations for guests, senior staff, Secret Service, security personnel and the media.