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The Department of Defense has immediately stripped former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall of his security clearance and barred him from holding any sensitive government position, according to an announcement Friday by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. The action was taken after Kendall allegedly made an unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One’s operational capabilities to a news organization, with Parnell stating that protecting classified material represents “a non-negotiable duty.”
Parnell did not specify which media outlet received the information or detail the exact nature of what Kendall disclosed. The revocation comes days after The Wall Street Journal published a report featuring Kendall as a source discussing the capabilities gap between a newly acquired Boeing 747-8 presidential aircraft and the older VC-25A jets currently in service.
The Journal’s article outlined several operational differences between the aircraft, including the newer 747-8’s lack of midair refueling capability and nuclear blast hardening features available on the aging fleet. The report also covered distinctions in defensive systems, boarding equipment, cargo handling, and onboard provisions.
In separate recent remarks, Kendall told The Wall Street Journal that retrofitting the Boeing 747-8 with necessary defensive systems to protect the president could require three to four years to complete. Kendall led the Air Force as its secretary from 2021 through January 2025 under President Joe Biden and previously held the Pentagon’s undersecretary position for acquisition matters during the Obama administration.
The decision to adopt the Boeing 747-8 platform for the next generation of presidential aircraft traces back to 2015, when Kendall, then serving as the Pentagon’s acquisition chief, coordinated with then-Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on the selection. Kendall’s representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the security clearance revocation.
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