President Trump awarded Boeing a contract on Friday to develop the U.S. Air Force’s most advanced fighter jet yet, the F-47, delivering a crucial victory for the company.
As part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, the F-47 will replace Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor with a crewed aircraft designed to operate alongside drones. Trump, the 47th president, announced the jet’s name and emphasized its importance.
“We’ve given an order for a lot. We can’t tell you the price,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He added that foreign interest in the jet was already high, stating, “Our allies are calling constantly. They want to buy them also.”
The contract, worth more than $20 billion for engineering and manufacturing development, could eventually lead to hundreds of billions of dollars in future orders over its multi-decade lifespan. Boeing’s win over Lockheed Martin provided a significant boost to the company, particularly its fighter jet production business in St. Louis, Missouri. Following the announcement, Boeing’s shares rose 4%, while Lockheed’s dropped nearly 7%.
Details of the F-47’s design remain classified, but it is expected to feature stealth technology, advanced sensors, and cutting-edge engines. “Compared to the F-22, the F-47 will cost less and be more adaptable to future threats—and we will have more of the F-47s in our inventory,” said Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin.
NGAD was developed as a “family of systems” centered around a sixth-generation fighter designed to counter threats from China and Russia. Allvin noted that the F-47 will have greater range, improved stealth capabilities, and enhanced sustainability compared to the F-22.
