National security

Protecting the President: Secret Weapons and a Hefty Price Tag

To the average American, presidential protection conjures up the image of a stone-faced Secret Service agent hovering near the commander-in-chief's podium or running alongside his limo.

But the effort to keep any president safe once he's in office goes far beyond that, with heavy military involvement, a fleet of aircraft, unseen weapons, drones — and a very hefty price-tag.

NBC News has reviewed planning and budget documents — many of them top secret — that lay out the crown jewels of presidential protection. The operation, especially in the post-9/11 era, is the most sophisticated protection and communications system in the world.