Doha, Qatar
Reuters
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The US is investigating the development of a twin-engine fighter known as the F-55 and the upgrade to a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, known as the F-22 Super, US President Donald Trump said Thursday.
Trump was speaking at a meeting of business leaders, including Doha’s Boeing Head and Space Chief Jare. This is the day after announcing a series of business transactions, including orders from Qatar for the 160 Boeing Commercial Jet.
Trump called the upgrade of the F-55 to a Lockheed F-35 and a new development of comments that the US military giants of “best value” alternatives will appear to speak repeatedly after losing to Boeing on behalf of the F-22 Superfighter.
He also highlighted the role of a new aviation-dominated platform called the F-47, which was recently awarded to Boeing, opening a new tab and said the US is also considering upgrading the stealth fighter F-22, which it is designed to replace.
“We’re going to do the F-55. If we get the right price, we’ll need to get the right price. This is two engines, a super upgrade to the F-35 and we’ll do the F-22,” Trump said.
“I think the most beautiful fighter jet in the world is the F-22, but we’re going to do the F-22 Super and it’s going to be a very modern version of the F-22 Fighter Jet,” he said.
“We’re going to use it pretty quickly,” he added.
Trump awarded Boeing the F-47 contract last month. It is an alternative to the Lockheed F-22 Stealth Fighter, sandwiched between a cohort of drones and featuring crew aircraft considered America’s most advanced or sixth-generation fighter.
Lockheed Martin, who lost to Boeing in its Next Generation Air Control (NGAD) race and dropped out of another contest for the new US Navy stealth jet, said he is considering plans for a “five-generation plus” fighter.
CEO James Taiclet told analysts last month that Lockheed is considering how to apply technology developed for the lost bid on the F-47 contract to the F-35, providing 80% of its capacity at half the cost.
“We’re basically trying to take the chassis and turn it into a Ferrari,” he told analysts.
A Lockheed spokesperson said, “We appreciate President Trump’s support for the F-35 and F-22 and will continue to work closely with the administration to realize its vision for aviation advantage.”
Lockheed is increasing cockpit display and processing power amidst an upgrade of delay technology and software for existing generation of F-35 Strike Fighters.
Analysts said it is not immediately clear how Trump’s list of potential developments fits known programs and spending plans and the timing of existing programs.
Nick Cunningham, an aerospace analyst at agency partner, said the F-55 could instead refer to the F/A-XX program aimed at replacing the US Navy’s aging Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet Fleet with Service’s own sixth-generation stealth fighter.
The Navy and Congress are fighting the administration to keep the plans moving forward, Reuters reported Wednesday. The bidder announcement was already expected in March.
The funding for the radar evacuation F-22, designed to fight other fighter planes, has been hectic debate for years as Congress speeded up his retirement to block plans by the Air Force and focus on the next generation blueprint that became the F-47.
While a major upgrade to an out-of-production F-22 is expensive, Trump’s mention of the two engines means that the F-55 is not an easy derivative of the single-engine F-35, but it is an ambitious new platform, analysts said.
“If you add an engine to the F-35, it’s a new aircraft,” said Francis Tsusa, a UK-based defense analyst.
