This is what happens to Air Force One Boeing planes and The Beast presidential limos when they're retired and why their fates are so different

A while back, talking to Jay Leno, the US Secret Service revealed something incredible about the presidential limo, The Beast.

Leno asked so many questions, and yet there’s one answer in particular that stood out.

It was a surprise, especially when you learn what happens to Air Force One planes.

Because their fates are completely different.

The Beast is the most secretive car in the world

Not long ago, Jay Leno hosted The Beast – the presidential limo – on his channel, and he also talked to two US Secret Service agent who answered a few questions no one had ever asked.

No one knows how many Beasts exist, but we do know there are at least two, with one being used for the US president, while the other is a decoy.

We also don’t know what The Beast actually is.

It’s obviously bulletproof but, for security reasons, no one knows much about its special features.

Also, and this is the key bit of info, they also explained that this bulletproof Cadillac is destroyed after being decommissioned.

This is why The Beast gets destroyed

The presidential limo’s security features are fully integrated into the car.

For example, the current Air Force One is just a Boeing 747 retrofitted and converted.

By contrast, The Beast is built from scratch to be the presidential limo, which means that security elements are everywhere, and they’re an integral part of the car.

That’s why it gets destroyed.

Because the US Secret Service believe it is much simpler and safer to destroy rather than trying to strip it of everything that might – how can we put it – cause trouble.

Here’s why Air Force One is not immediately destroyed

Air Force One is the call sign, so technically any plane could be Air Force One.

However, in most people’s mind, Air Force One is a Boeing 747.

But the thing is, Air Force One is surprisingly similar to a standard Boeing 747.

The baseline aerodynamic body is the same, the engines are the same, the landing gear is the same, and so on.

The two key differences are the interior, which is modified for comfort reasons, and of course all the security features.

When Air Force One is retired, its sensitive security gear and specialized interior components are systematically removed, after which parts can be decommissioned, preserved, or even repurposed.

This stands in stark contrast to ‘The Beast’ – the presidential limousine – which is deliberately destroyed and scrapped after service to safeguard its secret armor and defensive technology.

Once those classified systems are stripped away, what remains of Air Force One is carefully dismantled or preserved, leaving an airframe that is fundamentally the same as any standard Boeing 747.