The Airbus A350 is becoming a common sight at international airports as airlines build up their fleets of the efficient widebody aircraft. But only one nation so far has picked the aircraft as its VIP transport – Germany.

Used for transportation of high-ranking government officials, the three Airbus A350s owned by the Bundeswehr are the German equivalent of the iconic ‘Air Force One,’ as it is in the US. And just like the Boeing 747-based VC-25s of the US Air Force, these A350s need to be able to defend themselves in the event of an attack.

Lufthansa Technik

Originally, the German government had opted not to install countermeasure equipment on the A350s in light of cost and operational disruption. But as the geopolitical situation continued to decline through 2024, the government committed to installing self-protection systems, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commenting:

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