by: Sierra Campbell
Posted: Mar 25, 2025 / 06:17 AM PDT
Updated: Mar 25, 2025 / 06:17 AM PDT
(NewsNation) — The new F-47 fighter jet announced by President Donald Trump is said to be “the most advanced, lethal and adaptable fighter ever developed,” according to Gen. David W. Allvin, Air Force chief of staff.
However, few details were offered about the new jet. Trump did reveal that Boeing has won the $20 billion contract to manufacturer and engineer the jet. He also promised during the announcement that the F-47 would be delivered before the end of his presidential term.
According to John Teichert, a former brigadier general with the Air Force, the F-47 will replace Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor jet.
Gen. David W. Allvin, the Air Force chief of staff, said in a statement that the F-47 is “a monumental leap forward in securing America’s air superiority for decades to come.”
Based on Trump’s promises, the F-47 should be the most advanced fighter jet available in the world. According to The New York Times, Russia, China and groups of European nations are also working on sixth-generation jets.
Trump said, “Its speed is top, so ‘over two,’ which is something that you don’t hear very often.” He was seemingly referring to twice the speed of sound.
According to Teichert, the F-47 will allegedly be able to coordinate with unmanned drones.
According to Trump, the F-47 prototype has been flying for around five years, but details have been kept under lock and key so other countries can’t copy the design.
Trump did not say how much each F-47 would cost. Allvin’s statement did indicate that it would be cheaper than the F-22 Raptor. According to a fact sheet from the Air Force, there are 183 Raptors currently in use, and they cost $143 million each.
Even though the F-22 still “continues to dominate the skies,” according to Teichert, the new fighter jet is said to cost less and be more technologically advanced.
However, NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo criticized Trump’s decision to give Boeing $20 billion for the new fighter jet.
“$200 to $2 trillion [for F-35’s]. And now they’re doing another one? When we’re supposed to care about the debt so much that you’ll cut all foreign aid because, after all, you have to take care of your own,” he said. (Cuomo also said that the F-35 was supposed to “change the game,” but all it did was change “our debt structure.”)
When asked if this was a way to keep up with China, Teichert said that characterization was false.
“This is not following China,” he said. “This is setting a pace that China can’t keep up with.”
