■林國賓
原文：
The US Air Force has begun modifying a Boeing 747 that was donated to the US by Qatar over the summer, an Air Force spokesperson said on Monday.
The plane will be used for "executive airlift support,” the spokesperson said. President Donald Trump has said he wants to use the gifted plane as a new Air Force One. Details related to the modifications being done to the plane and which company has been contracted to make the changes are classified, the spokesperson said.
CNN has previously reported that retrofitting and installing the required security and communications equipment on a second-hand plane from another government, even a friendly one, is a monumental task. US spy and security agencies tasked with the overhaul will need to essentially strip the aircraft down to its frame and rebuild it with the necessary equipment.
The donation of the plane and the security risks it poses has prompted bipartisan criticism. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said in May that it "poses significant espionage and surveillance problems." Across the aisle, Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said accepting it would pose "immense counterintelligence risks by granting a foreign nation potential access to sensitive systems and communications."
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers in June that it will "probably" cost the Air Force less than $400 million to retrofit the plane.
中譯：
美國空軍發言人週一表示，今夏接獲卡達贈送的一架波音747客機，空軍已著手進行改裝。
該發言人指出，這架飛機將用於「政府高層運輸支援」。美國總統川普曾說，希望這架贈機成為新的「空軍一號」。發言人表示，有關飛機改裝細節及承包商公司名稱，均列為機密。
美國「有線電視新聞網」先前報導，即便是友邦移交的二手飛機，將之升級為具備必要安全與通訊設備的總統專機，也是一項艱鉅的工程。負責翻修的美國情報及安全機構，基本上必須完全將該飛機拆解至機體框架，再重新組裝，包括必要的配備。
該贈機及其潛在的安全風險，已引發兩黨的批評。共和黨籍參議員克魯茲5月表示，這「帶來重大的間諜與監控問題」。民主黨籍參議員、參議院軍事委員會資深議員里德則稱，接受此機將造成「龐大的反間諜風險，因為這等同允許外國得以接觸敏感系統與通訊」。
美國空軍部長梅因克6月於國會上表示，改裝費用「可能」低於4億美元。
-關鍵軍語-
※modify：改裝