World leaders and their security entourages don't just travel, they jet-set with panache. This week, we pull back the first-class curtain on globetrotter travel secrets from Joe Biden and his Air Force One flying fortress to Vatican holy rollers, yacht-loving leaders, and Kim Jong-un's bullet-proof train. Welcome aboard! Don't forget to explore our Archive and Share & Subscribe with your friends!
Air Force One
Air Force One is the ultimate private jet, an airborne White House with cutting-edge satellite communications, plenty of legroom for the Secret Service hulks, and Star Wars-style defenses. It’s also been the setting of seminal events including the swearing in of President Lyndon B. Johnson after JFK’s murder. Here are seven of Air Force One’s high-flying secrets and historic moments.
FBI agent Robert Hanssen swore to protect America’s most precious secrets. Instead, he leaked them to Russia. Hear how Hanssen became the most damaging spy in FBI history in the new CBS News podcast, Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen.
Russian oligarchs aren’t the only yacht-loving sailors. We went below deck to uncover 10 stories behind the superyachts commanded by American presidents, heads of state, and world leaders. They tend to follow the golden rule - bigger is better - because you never know when you might need a golf simulator room, an artificial beach, or a garage for the Secret Service to park your mini-submarine.
From the Pope’s first Mercedes-Benz Nurburg 460 to today's bulletproof spectacles, the Popemobiles prove that divine style is always in vogue. We track the holy protection vehicles through the ages and trace the Swiss Guard security team who’ve been at the Pontiff’s side since the 15th century.
When Kim Jong-un travels, no expense is spared aboard his luxury train. Lobsters are flown in, the Hennessy cognac flows, and musical entertainment is provided by ‘lady conductors’ who serenade their leader. No demand is too onerous - particularly as it comes from a man who travels in a bulletproof lair with 100 armed security officers. Here are five off-the-rails secrets of Kim’s ride.
The US Presidential Cadillac - universally known as 'The Beast’ - is one of the world’s most daunting vehicles, an 18-foot tank with weapons and specs that would even get Q’s approval. The limo’s full capabilities are a closely held secret for security reasons, but a few juicy details have leaked out. Are you ready to ride shotgun with the Commander-in-Chief?
King Charles is known for his love of luxury vehicles from his wine-fueled Aston Martin DB5 to his Embraer private jet. In addition to the Bentleys and Rolls Royces, the King has a one-of-a-kind Gold State Coach weighing in at four tons and surrounded bodyguards known as the Yeoman of the Guard, the oldest British military corps still in existence.
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