Boeing wins historic fighter jet contract

On March 21, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to award Boeing a contract to build the sixth-generation fighter jet for the US Air Force. This new generation manned fighter jet will be called the F-47. Mr. Trump is the 47th president of the United States.

According to the military journal The War Zone, the Boeing-developed F-47 is the central fighter jet in the US's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which includes unmanned aerial vehicles and various related systems. The F-47 will replace the Lockheed Martin-produced F-22 Raptor stealth fighter.

Graphic illustration of the 6th generation F-47 fighter jet.

President Trump stated that the F-47 program had been under development for a long time and that Boeing's design was chosen after intense competition among leading American aerospace companies. According to The War Zone , Northrop Grumman dropped out of the race in 2023 to focus on other programs, so Boeing and Lockheed Martin have been competing ever since.

According to President Trump, the F-47 is in a class of its own compared to any other fighter jet in the world , boasting the most advanced stealth capabilities, high maneuverability, and speeds exceeding Mach 2 (2,450 km/h). He stated that the F-47 prototype has been flying for nearly five years and production is almost complete. Trump hopes Boeing will begin mass production of this fighter jet before the end of his term in January 2029. The leader did not disclose the price of the aircraft but indicated there will be an export version with lower capabilities than the domestic version. The US has never exported the F-22 due to the sensitive technologies involved.

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff David Allvin said the F-47 is cheaper than the F-22 but will be better suited to counter future threats. The general stated that the F-47 has a significantly longer range, better stealth capabilities, and is easier to support. Furthermore, the U.S. Air Force will purchase more F-47s than its current fleet of approximately 180 F-22s.

China's 'next-generation' fighter jet reappears.

This is a major victory for Boeing, given the company's struggles in both its commercial and defense businesses. The contract to design and develop the F-47 is worth over $20 billion. However, Boeing could potentially receive orders worth hundreds of billions of dollars over the program's decades-long lifespan.

According to Reuters, Boeing's stock price rose 5% while Lockheed Martin's price fell nearly 7% following the announcement from the White House.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/boeing-trung-goi-thau-chien-dau-co-lich-su-18525032222164918.htm