Who Is Frank Kendall? Ex-Air Force Secretary’s Classified Access Revoked
Newsweek · C · trust 70/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The Department of Defense (DOD) announced that former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s eligibility for access to classified information has been revoked, along with his ability to hold any sensitive position, due to an alleged unauthorized disclosure of information about Air Force One to a media outlet.
The announcement, shared by Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell, said the action followed an allegation that Kendall made an unauthorized disclosure of classified information pertaining to Air Force One’s capabilities. "Safeguarding classified information is a non-negotiable duty. Those who violate that trust forfeit the privilege of access and any role requiring it," Parnell said in the post to X.
Kendall has not publicly acknowledged any wrongdoing, and the move comes as questions continue over the handling of classified information and government oversight.
Newsweek reached out to the DOD via email and to Kendall via online form Friday evening for comment.
Kendall served as the 26th secretary of the Air Force, from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden, overseeing the Air Force and Space Force.
A trained engineer and lawyer, he served 11 years as an active-duty Army officer before moving into senior defense positions, serving as undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics under President Barack Obama, overseeing major weapons programs and defense acquisition policy.
The married father of three's career also included military service and senior positions within the Pentagon, giving him extensive experience with classified defense programs and sensitive national security information.
The action against Kendall comes amid a broader Justice Department investigation into alleged leaks concerning the new Air Force One and the security capabilities of the aircraft.
The New York Times reported on security concerns surrounding the plane after President Donald Trump traveled to Turkey aboard the new aircraft but later returned to the United States using an older Air Force One.
Citing anonymous sources, it reported that the newer aircraft lacked some advanced security features found on the older plane, including antimissile capabilities.
Trump has denied that security concerns prompted the aircraft switch, saying the stop in Britain gave military personnel an opportunity to see the new aircraft. The Justice Department has taken aggressive steps to identify the sources behind the reporting. It subpoenaed Times journalists involved in the Air Force One stories and, according to multiple reports, sought phone records involving journalists and their relatives.
The subpoenas have raised concerns among journalism advocates about protecting confidential sources and the government’s ability to investigate leaks while balancing First Amendment protections. The Times has challenged the demands in court, arguing that forcing journalists to help investigators identify confidential sources threatens protections for news-gathering and press freedom.
The Justice Department, however, has said that reporters are not the targets of the investigation, saying that its focus is on government employees who may have improperly disclosed classified information concerning national security.
Parnell's announcement did not identify the media outlet involved or specify what information Kendall allegedly disclosed. It also did not publicly detail whether the former secretary faces any criminal investigation or additional legal action.
The developments put the former senior Pentagon official at the center of a widening dispute over classified information, government secrecy and the limits of press protections when national security is involved.
The new Air Force One is a Boeing 747-8 that was originally operated as a luxury aircraft for Qatar before being transferred to the U.S. government. Valued at about $400 million, the plane was accepted by the Pentagon and rapidly modified for presidential use. Trump began flying on the aircraft in July.
The aircraft is being used as a bridge while Boeing works on two purpose-built presidential jets, known as the VC-25B. Those aircraft have faced years of delays and rising costs, with their delivery now expected around 2028.
The biggest question surrounding the Qatari aircraft is how closely its security capabilities match those of the existing Air Force One fleet.
The current presidential aircraft were purpose-built and heavily modified for the unique demands of presidential travel. They include hardened systems, sophisticated communications equipment, medical facilities and defensive capabilities, including anti-missile countermeasures.
It is not publicly known which classified security systems were installed on the Qatari aircraft during its rapid conversion. The Air Force has said it coordinated with appropriate government entities to ensure that mission requirements were met before the plane entered presidential service.
Questions about the aircraft intensified after Trump flew it to Turkey but returned to the United States aboard an older Air Force One during heightened tensions involving Iran.
Trump has denied that security concerns prompted the switch, but said that the aircraft will receive additional upgrades. "Well, it has, it has a lot, and you know it has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out," the president said on July 20. "So they’re going to be sending it, and they’ll have it be maxed out."
Time , citing national security experts, reported that upgrading the jet to serve as Air Force One could cost more than $1 billion.
The action against Kendall comes as the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to investigate suspected leaks of classified and sensitive…
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