American President Donald Trump, on Friday, unveiled the F-47 fighter aircraft project, which is the most developed and strongest stealth plane ever, he said.

“The F-47 will be the best, deadliest airplane ever constructed. A test vehicle has been taking off and landing secretly for close to five years, and we believe it outranks any other country,” Trump said in a speech at the Oval Office.

Related News

According to Trump, the F-47 features cutting-edge stealth technology, making it nearly undetectable while possessing unprecedented power. The contract for its production has been awarded to Boeing.

 

NGAD Program and Strategic Goals

The F-47 is under the US military’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative, which seeks to combine a manned fighter aircraft with a force of advanced unmanned drones. The system is intended to beat enemy air defenses, especially those of China and other possible competitors.

The initial contract for the Air Force’s version is valued at $20 billion, marking a key step toward development. Trump was joined in the announcement by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and top Air Force officials.

Air Force Chief of Staff David Allvin stated, “We are defining the next era of modern aerial warfare,” while Hegseth emphasized that the project reaffirms America’s military dominance.

 

Criticism and Budget Concerns

Although the vision is lofty, the NGAD program has come under fire, particularly with the ongoing problems of completing the deployment of the F-35. Moreover, the US will build 100 B-21 stealth bombers at a cost of an estimated $130 billion.

Experts caution that the $20 billion spent on the F-47 is just the tip of the iceberg. “This is seed money the ultimate price tag will probably be hundreds of billions,” stated Dan Grazier, a national security expert at the Stimson Center.

The program had been put on hold temporarily by the Biden administration to reevaluate its need in the context of changing warfare tactics.