The U.S. military seeks “air dominance” with its newest fighter jet, President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Friday. But – at least for now – the state-of-the-art “F-47” aircraft is getting as much attention for its moniker as for its mission.
Trump said the aircraft is unlike any other fighter jet currently in use. He described it as the “most advanced, most capable, most lethal aircraft ever built.”
“It’s something the likes of which nobody has seen before,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “In terms of all of the attributes of a fighter jet, there’s never been anything even close to it, from speed to maneuverability, to what it can have, to payload.”
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said the F-47 is intended to fight alongside drones and provides more modernized capability to the Air Force.
“This is allowing us to look into the future and unlock the magic that is human-machine teaming. And as we do that, we’re going to write the next generation of modern aerial warfare with this. This enables us to do this,” he said.
Here’s what to know about the Pentagon’s new aircraft:
Trump said Boeing was awarded the contract to design, build and deliver the aircraft but declined to say how much the contract was worth. The initial contract to proceed with production was worth $20 billion, according to The Associated Press. It’s likely the program will award Boeing hundreds of billions over the course of its lifetime.
The Boeing contract comes less than a year after whistleblowers testified before Congress that the company knowingly put out defective airplanes and discouraged employees from reporting safety concerns. The hearing was in response to a door plug that flew off a Boeing passenger jet mid-flight and forced an emergency landing. No one was killed, but the incident added to an already tumultuous record for the company that included a pair of fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that left 346 people dead. Most recently, a series of mishaps aboard the aerospace manufacturing giant’s Starliner crew capsule last year forced NASA to extend the stay of two astronauts aboard the International Space Station until they were returned to Earth this week.
Trump said an experimental version of the plane has been “secretly flying” for five years and he anticipates a “fleet” of the fighter jets will be built and in the air during his administration.
“This contract also represents a historic investment in our defense industrial base, helping to keep America at the cutting edge of aerospace and technology,” he said.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the new fighter jet is named after Trump, the 47th president – still, The New York Times ruled out coincidence, characterizing it as a “number clearly chosen to memorialize his presidency.” During the announcement Trump noted that the generals picked the name of the aircraft, though he complimented them on the “beautiful number.”
The letter in an aircraft’s name left of the dash indicates its either the type of aircraft or its basic mission. The letter “F” indicates it’s a fighter, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. The number to the right of the dash is the aircraft’s design or series number. Fighter jets also often get nicknames – think raptor or mustang – which are unofficial but typically widely used.
Naming military aircraft after presidents or their numerical designations would be highly unusual.
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Trump said he and Pentagon officials are confident the aircraft “massively overpowers the capabilities of any other nation” and that it was equipped with state of the art stealth technology.
“It’s virtually unseeable and unprecedented power. It’s got the most power of any jet of its kind ever made. Maneuverability, likewise, there’s never been anything like it. Despite the power and speed – its speed is top,” he said. “America’s enemies will never see it coming. Hopefully we won’t have to use it for that purpose, but you have to have it. And if it ever happens, they won’t know what the hell hit them.”
Hegseth said the sixth-generation fighter jet is the next generation of air dominance.
“We’ve had the F-15. We have the – had the F-16, the F-18, the F-22, the F-35,” he said. “Now we have the F-47 which sends a very direct, clear message to our ally allies that we’re not going anywhere and to our enemies that we will be able to project power around the globe unimpeded for generations to come.”
Trump suggested ally countries would be able to buy “toned down versions” of the new aircraft.
“We like to tone them down about 10%, which probably makes sense, because someday maybe they’re not our allies, right?” Trump said.
