WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump really wants to fly on an upgraded Air Force One — but making that happen could depend on whether he’s willing to cut corners with security.

As government lawyers sort out the legal arrangement for accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family, another crucial conversation is unfolding about modifying the plane so it’s safe for the American president.

Installing capabilities equivalent to the decades-old 747s now used as Air Force One would almost certainly consign the project to a similar fate as Boeing’s replacement initiative, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers Thursday that those security modifications would cost less than $400 million but provided no details.

Satisfying Trump’s desire to use the new plane before the end of his term could require leaving out some of those precautions, however.

A White House official said Trump wants the Qatari jet ready as soon as possible while adhering to security standards. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not provide details on equipment issues or the timeline.

Trump has survived two assassination attempts, and Iran allegedly also plotted to kill him, so he’s well aware of the danger he faces. However, he seems willing to take some chances with security, particularly when it comes to communications. For example, he likes to keep his personal phone handy despite the threat of hacks.

He boasted this week that the government got the jet “for free,” saying, “We need it as Air Force One until the other ones are done.”

Here’s a look at what it would take to make the Qatari plane into a presidential transport:

What makes a plane worthy of being Air Force One?

Air Force One is the call sign for any plane that’s carrying the president. The first aircraft to get the designation was a propeller-powered C-54 Skymaster, which ferried Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in 1945. It featured a conference room with a bulletproof window.

Things are a lot more complicated these days. Boeing has spent years stripping down and rebuilding two 747s to replace the versions that have carried presidents for more than three decades. The project is slated to cost more than $5.3 billion and may not be finished before Trump leaves office.

A 2021 report made public through the Freedom of Information Act outlines the unclassified requirements for the replacement 747s under construction. At the top of the list — survivability and communications.

The government decided more than a decade ago that the new planes had to have four engines so they could remain airborne if one or two fail, said Deborah Lee James, who was Air Force secretary at the time. That creates a challenge because 747s are no longer manufactured, which could make spare parts harder to come by.

Air Force One also has to have the highest level of classified communications, anti-jamming capabilities and external protections against foreign surveillance, so the president can securely command military forces and nuclear weapons during a national emergency. It’s an extremely sensitive and complex system, including video, voice and data transmissions.

James said there are anti-missile measures and shielding against radiation or an electromagnetic pulse that could be caused by a nuclear blast.

“The point is, it remains in flight no matter what,” she said.

Will Trump want all the security bells and whistles?

If the Qatari plane is retrofitted to presidential standards, it could cost $1.5 billion and take years, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that aren’t publicly available.