Trump awards contract for next-generation F-47 fighter jet to Boeing

President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Boeing has been awarded the contract to develop the Air Force’s next generation of high-tech fighter jets to be known as the F-47.

Mr. Trump said it would be the “world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet,” with range and capabilities far exceeding current weapons systems.

“Nothing in the world comes even close to it,” the president said Friday from the Oval Office with Mr. Hegseth standing next to him. “The F-47 will be the most advanced, the most capable, the most lethal aircraft ever built.”

“The generals picked a title and it’s a beautiful number,” Mr. Trump said.

Boeing, which has been struggling with its military division, won out in the competition with Lockheed Martin to build the new jet.

Mr. Trump said an “experimental version” of the plane has been in the skies secretly for five years. The jet is accompanied by drones.

It has “stealth technology [and] unprecedented power,” he said.

“It’s got the most power of any jet of its kind ever made. Maneuverability, likewise … there’s never been anything like it,” Mr. Trump said.

With evolving drone and space warfare likely to be the center of any fight with China, Dan Grazier, a military procurement analyst, questioned whether “another exquisite manned fighter jet really is the right platform going forward.” Mr. Grazier, director of the national security reform program at the Stimson Center, said $20 billion is “just seed money. The total costs coming down the road will be hundreds of billions of dollars.”

The president said he would not disclose the cost of the contract, citing national security.

Mr. Hegseth said the new fighter is a “gift” to the next generations of Americans. He bashed the Biden administration for not moving forward with a next-generation fighter jet.

“Under the previous administration, we looked like fools,” he said.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin called it a “big day for the United States Air Force,” and called the F-47 “the crown jewel.”

“Air dominance is not a birthright, but it’s become synonymous with American air power,” he said.

The contract awarded to Boeing will help better prepare the Air Force for future air wars and extends an arm to a company having issues, including with Mr. Trump, who has questioned its timeline for delivering the next version of Air Force One.

The company has also faced criticism for safety concerns and quality control issues, leading to whistleblower reports and more oversight by the Federal Aviation Association.

The goal of the new jets is to develop the Air Force’s “Next-Generation Air Dominance” program and have an aircraft equipped to go up against advanced weapons systems such as China’s.

The Biden administration had paused the NGAD program to look into whether it was still a worthwhile plan or if advancements in war-fighting needed to be addressed. It was determined that NGAD was still needed, but left it up to the incoming Trump administration to determine who would produce the jets.

Republicans immediately applauded the decision. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the jet is “a fine first step in a broader effort to revitalize peace through strength.”

“I now look forward to working with President Trump on a massive scale-up of Collaborative Combat Aircraft, supercharging B-21 bomber production, and a broad revitalization of the defense industrial base,” he said.

• This story is based in part on wire service reports.