Trump awards Boeing contract for 'the most lethal aircraft ever'

The F-47 is “something the likes of which nobody has seen before,” the US president has stated.

US President Donald Trump has announced that Boeing has been awarded the contract to construct the Air Force’s next-generation fighter jet.

This advanced aircraft will be named the F-47, as Trump, the 47th US president, revealed in the Oval Office on Friday.

“At my direction, the US Air Force is moving forward with the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet, number six, sixth generation, nothing in the world comes even close to it,” he added.

According to the president, development of the jet has been underway “for a long period of time” and “will be the most lethal aircraft ever built.”

Previously known as Next Generation Air Dominance, the program saw the Air Force confirm that it had flown a full-scale prototype of the jet during Trump’s first term.

“The F-47 flies with drones. It flies with many, many drones, as many as you want. It is a technology that is new, but it does not fly by itself. It flies with many drones, as many as you want, and that is something that no other plane can do,” Trump remarked.

“After a rigorous and thorough competition between some of America’s top aerospace companies, the Air Force is going to be awarding the contract for the next generation air dominance platform to Boeing,” he proclaimed.

Boeing outpaced Lockheed Martin to secure the deal. Following the announcement, Boeing's shares climbed by 5%, while Lockheed’s dropped nearly 7%.

The F-47 is designed to succeed the F-22 Raptor, a crewed aircraft intended to operate alongside drones, which is manufactured by Lockheed.

“We have given an order for a lot [of F-47s]. We cannot tell you the price,” Trump stated.

Earlier this month, Lockheed Martin was also taken out of contention for building the US Navy’s next-generation carrier-based stealth fighter jet due to the Pentagon’s dissatisfaction with delays related to the upgrade of its F-35s, according to Reuters.

Boeing has faced criticism in recent years over flaws discovered in its aircraft, raising safety concerns and prompting investigations. The company’s defense and space projects have encountered consistent cost overruns and delays, compounded by a prolonged workers’ strike over inadequate wage increases.

Last month, Trump expressed frustration towards Boeing regarding the cost overruns and delays in the production of the next presidential plane, stating, “We are getting a new Air Force One, if Boeing could ever finish the damn thing.”

James del Carmen for TROIB News

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