Boeing has received an order from U.S. President Donald Trump to build new fighter jets for the Air Force.
He announced this together with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the White House. Whereas Lockheed Martin was awarded the construction contracts for both the F-35 and the F-22, Boeing is tasked with designing this next-gen aircraft that will be named the F-47. According to AP News, Trump said the jet “will have capabilities that far surpass the current fleet and will be essential in a potential conflict with China.” Additionally, the aircraft will have a greater range and be harder to detect on radar. The aim is for it to work more effectively with drones. “With this, we are writing the next generation of modern aerial warfare,” said Hegseth.
Interest from Allies
Boeing is being allocated 20 billion dollars for the project. After the announcement, Trump claimed that U.S. allies have already expressed interest in the new aircraft. As a result, Boeing’s stock rose by five percent—welcome news for the aircraft manufacturer, which has been facing challenges. For example, problems with the 787 were only recently resolved this month, and the delivery of the 777X is still pending after significant delays.
Skepticism
The goal is for the new F-47 to replace Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptors by 2030 at the latest. Currently, 180 F-22 fighter jets are in service. Lockheed Martin and Boeing have long competed in the military aircraft market. Nonetheless, there is skepticism surrounding the F-47. Critics question both the cost and the necessity of the program. Today, the Pentagon is still struggling with the full production of the F-35s. Despite this, more than 1,100 are already in use by the U.S. and its allies. In addition to these aircraft, 100 B-21 bombers are also expected, together amounting to a total cost of 130 billion dollars.