Reworking Qatari jet will cost less than $400 million, says Air Force

Driving the news: Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) pressed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink for a price tag during a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week.

• "Based on the experience that we already have gone through with retrofitting planes, 747s, it's clear that this is going to be a drain on the Air Force's budget," Courtney said.
• The sooner "we just sort of rip the Band-Aid off and get that information out there, it would be helpful for us in terms of deciding whether this is a smart path to go down."
• Meink said some estimates floating about are inflated by training and spare-parts costs.

Zoom in: L3Harris Technologies was tapped for the modifications, CNBC reported.

• The company declined to comment when Axios reached out.

Between the lines: Trump has for years made clear his desire for a new Air Force One (with a revamped paint job).

• The president in May said it would be "stupid" not to accept the gift from Qatar.
• But the arrangement — a sign of Washington's growing ties to the Gulf — was panned by lawmakers and influencers on both sides of the political aisle.

By the numbers: Presidents reported $3.8 million worth of gifts from foreign countries between George W. Bush's inauguration and 2023.

• This jet is worth hundreds of millions alone.

Go deeper: How Trump got a free "palace in the sky"