The only other plane routinely flying along with AF1 as in within 50-100 miles is the backup which is usually ahead of it. These days it has been one of several C-32A, callsign SAM45. The 92-9000 VC-25 has been out of service for an extend time due to some F-ups. http://www.robins.af.mil/News/Artic...lapse-in-maintenance-procedures-contaminated/
One of them came into San Antonio a few months ago for some overhaul/maintenance. Don't know if it has left already. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't know about ordinance that it carries, but it definitely looks to have more recon capabilities than a typical 747. http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/air-force-one-has-new-defensive-systems-antennas/
There are enough sources out there (10+ that I found) that make me believe that while AF1 may not have air to air missiles, it does have this nifty piece of kit. http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capa...ium=Redirect&utm_campaign=LaserDIRCM_Redirect
We were always within a few hours, not miles. But, generally in the air when AF1 was traveling. Its been a number of years, so maybe they've changed things, but that was normal practice in the 90s.
I seriously doubt any ground threat would have any intel about arrival/departure times, so scratch man-portable missiles. Even then, the shooter would need to have been FULLY educated about the weapon's capabilities/limitations...you only get that as a US service member whose job IS that weapon. Thank God they don't issue Stingers to Postal workers.
There are also tools that calculate threat space for a stinger. You can patrol that on the ground and change flight path angle to resize it.
It sounds as though your knowledge comes from personal experience. May I ask what you flew? I only 'know' one fighter pilot, and he flies for FedEx these days. Gary is my friend's father-in-law. I've only spoken with him a handful of times, and never long enough to pick his brain in any depth about his Air Force days. Just enough that I should remember what he flew, and I know my friend's kids call him "Grandpa Shooter," because that was his call sign. Wait, that sounds wrong. His call sign was "Shooter." The grandkids call him "Grandpa, Shooter" as opposed to Grandpa Paul (their other grandfather) - I have no reason to suspect that Gary shoots grandpas.
There's a graph (classified) depicting the parameters based on target speed/distance/elevation and time to impact. Landing approach is a dead duck target within a radius that can't possibly be covered by protective forces in an urban environment. How big is that radius? How far can you fly in less than half a minute at Mach 2+?
It can easily be found on the internet when AF1 and AF2 are departing and returning to Andrews. NOTAMs are published with times for the ramp freezes.
You reckon the NSA (or some alphabet soup agency we don't even have an acronym for) instantly pulls up a profile of every IP that searches for that information?