Trump Awards Contract To Boeing For Air Force’s Next-Gen ‘F-47’ Fighter Jet

<p data-pm-slice=”1 1 []”>US President Donld Trump on Friday announced that Boeing has been awarded the contract to develop Air Force’s future fighter jet dubbed F-47 under the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p data-pm-slice=”1 1 []”>The decision, revealed by Trump at the White House, follows a competitive bidding process between America&rsquo;s top aerospace firms.</p>
<p>”Nothing in the world comes even close to it, and it&rsquo;ll be known as the F-47. The generals picked a title, and it&rsquo;s a beautiful number, F-47,” Trump, the 47th US President, said during remarks at the Oval Office.</p>
<h3>Trump Says F-47 Will Be ‘Virtually Unseeable'</h3>
<p>The F-47 is intended to replace the F-22 Raptor, which has been in service for approximately two decades. The new aircraft is expected to feature cutting-edge capabilities, including the ability to operate in coordination with uncrewed drones, ensuring air superiority in future conflicts. Pentagon says that it will posses stealth and penetration capabilities which exceed those of the current fleet, Associated Press reported.</p>
<p>Details on the F-47&rsquo;s specifications remain unkown, but Trump described the aircraft as “virtually unseeable,” with unparalleled manoeuvrability and power. He also highlighted its ability to “with many drones, as many as we want, and that’s something that no other plane can do,” AFP reported.</p>
<p>The initial contract to proceed with production on a version for the Air Force is worth an estimated $20 billion.</p>
<p>”After a rigorous and thorough competition between some of America&rsquo;s top aerospace companies, the Air Force is going to be awarding the contract for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform to Boeing,” Trump said.</p>
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<h3>’US Will Project Power For Generations To Come'</h3>
<p>Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside Trump, emphasised the aircraft&rsquo;s strategic importance. “The new aircraft sends a very direct, clear message to our allies that we&rsquo;re not going anywhere, and to our enemies that… we will be able to project power around the globe unimpeded for generations to come,” he said, as reported by AFP.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to write the next generation of modern aerial warfare with this.”</p>
<p>Boeing welcomed the decision, stating that its selection “builds on Boeing&rsquo;s fighter legacy and establishes a new global standard for sixth-generation capability.” The company is also competing with Northrop Grumman for a contract to develop the US Navy&rsquo;s next-generation aircraft.</p>
<p>Lockheed Martin, which also vied for the Air Force contract, expressed disappointment over losing the opportunity, but was “confident we delivered a competitive solution.”</p>
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<p>The NGAD programme faced delays in 2024 due to cost concerns, a major focus point of the Trump administration&rsquo;s fiscal policy.</p>
<p>The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated each NGAD airframe could cost up to $300 million,&nbsp; higher than many existing aircraft in the US inventory.&nbsp; A Congressional Research Service report noted that “officials cast doubt on whether the Air Force could afford to develop the NGAD alongside programs including the B-21 Raider bomber and the Minuteman III ICBM replacement.”</p>
<p>Earlier this month, a senior Air Force officer reaffirmed the necessity of NGAD, stating that “not only in the past, not only in the present but in the future, air superiority matters.”</p>
<p>”What this study told us is we tried a whole bunch of different options and there is no more viable option than NGAD to achieve air superiority in this highly contested environment,” Major General Joseph Kunkel told the AFA Warfare Symposium in Colorado.</p>
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