President Trump has announced that Boeing will build the U.S. Air Force’s next generation of fighter jets, dubbed the F-47. “They will have unprecedented power,” Trump said Friday, adding that “America’s enemies will never see them coming.”
The fighter’s designation appears to reference Trump’s status as the 47th U.S. president. “The generals picked a title, and it’s a beautiful number,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office. “Nothing in the world comes even close to it.”
The sixth-generation fighter aircraft, officially known as Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), will reportedly be “virtually unseeable” on radar. While Trump declined to disclose specific costs, stating “We’ve given an order for a lot. We can’t tell you the price,” early estimates suggest development costs will exceed $20 billion, with the final program potentially reaching hundreds of billions.
Boeing’s stock rose approximately 5% following the announcement, while competitor Lockheed Martin saw shares drop nearly 7%. This represents a significant victory for Boeing, which has struggled to recover from a series of setbacks including the 737 Max crashes, a door plug blowout in 2024, and ongoing issues with its KC-46 refueling tanker program.
Strategic Importance and Capabilities
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth emphasized that the new warplanes would demonstrate America’s commitment to remaining a global leader in military aviation. “It sends a very clear, direct message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth stated.
Designed to replace the aging F-22 Raptor, the F-47 will incorporate cutting-edge stealth technology and autonomous capabilities. The aircraft is expected to function as the core of a networked system, working alongside unmanned aircraft to enhance combat effectiveness.
The F-47 program had faced a temporary pause in 2024 due to concerns over escalating costs, with per-unit prices estimated at three times that of an F-35 Lightning II. Despite these concerns, in March 2025, the U.S. government confirmed Boeing as the primary contractor, awarding the company a contract worth over $20 billion.
The aircraft is expected to enter service in the early 2030s, becoming the first operational sixth-generation fighter in the United States arsenal, with test flights anticipated before the end of the decade.