US DEFENCE SECRETARY Pete Hegseth has accepted a gifted Boeing 747 from Qatar for president Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department will “work to ensure proper security measures” on the aircraft to make it safe for use by the president.

He said the plane was accepted “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations”.

Trump has defended the gift, which came up during his recent Middle East trip, as a way to save tax dollars.

“Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars when they can get it for free,” Trump posted on his social media site during the trip.

Others, however, have raised concerns about the aircraft being a violation of the Constitution’s prohibition on foreign gifts.

They also have noted the need to retrofit the plane to meet security requirements, which would be costly and take time.

Trump was asked about the move on Wednesday while he was meeting in the Oval Office with South Africa’s president.

“They are giving the United States Air Force a jet,” Trump said.

The Republican president has presented no national security imperative for a swift upgrade rather than waiting for Boeing to finish new Air Force One jets that have been in the works for years.