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''Ground Force One'' is the unofficial code-name for the black armored buses used to transport the
''Ground Force One'' is the unofficial code-name for the black armored buses used to transport the president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
and other dignitaries.
The United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
formerly used rented buses as part of the presidential motorcade, with retro-fitting for secure communications where necessary. In August 2011 the Secret Service introduced a new permanent addition to the federal government's fleet, initially for use by Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
in the campaign leading up to the 2012 presidential election.
The newly designed model X3-45 VIP 3 axle shell was designed by Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
-based specialist firm Prevost Car
Prevost (, , formally known as Prevost Car) is a Canadian manufacturer of touring coaches and bus shells for high-end motorhomes and specialty conversions. The company is a subsidiary of the Volvo Buses division of the Volvo Group.
History
...
, and then fitted out by Hemphill Brothers Coach Company in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
, to provide of interior space, including flashing police-style red and blue lights on the front and the back. It was then further outfitted by the Secret Service with secure communications and other specialized equipment. The two buses cost $1.1 million each, and were leased from Hemphill Brothers during the Obama administration.
The coaches are part of the federal government fleet and are painted plain black. The second bus was used by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney during the campaign leading up to the 2012 presidential election, and then deployed as a back-up for visiting dignitaries.
See also
*Presidential State Car
An official state car is a vehicle used by a government to transport its head of state or head of government in an official capacity, which may also be used occasionally to transport other members of the government or visiting dignitaries from ot ...
* Air Force One
* Army One
Army One is the callsign of any United States Army aircraft carrying the president of the United States. From 1957 until 1976, this was usually an Army helicopter transporting the president. Prior to 1976, responsibility for helicopter transpo ...
* Navy One
* Marine One
* Coast Guard One
* Executive One
References
{{U.S. presidential call signs Customised buses Transportation of the president of the United States Road transport of heads of state Vehicles of the United States