Summary and Key Points: The unveiling of the new F-47 stealth fighter, a sixth-generation aircraft, raises questions about the future of America’s stealth fighter strategy and the fate of the existing F-35 program.
-Despite concerns about budget cuts, both platforms have distinct roles.
-The F-47, replacing the F-22 Raptor, will remain exclusive to the U.S. military due to advanced technology.
-The F-35, though challenged by Trump’s foreign policy controversies, remains crucial for global alliances and Lockheed Martin’s profitability.
-Managing both aircraft programs simultaneously requires rigorous cost control and strategic clarity to counter Chinese and Russian advancements, while navigating domestic political pressures.
Is There Room for Both Boeing NGAD F-47 Stealth Fighter and the F-35?
The announcement of the new F-47 next-generation fighter jet was a shot heard around the world on March 21. This will now be President Donald Trump’s baby and the White House placed it firmly under control of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth – a MAGA acolyte of Trump.
The airplane was not part of Hegseth’s original list of priorities released after his confirmation. The whiz-bang stealth fighter is also a surprise since it will assuredly cost more than $100 million per unit even though the SECDEF has ordered a $50 billion reduction in defense spending for the next fiscal year.
The F-47 is designed to replace the F-22 Raptor as older models of this stealth fighter will be retired in the coming years. It is too early to tell just how many of the 6th-generation F-47 fighters will be built and whether this acquisition program will affect the F-35 Lightning II.
Fighter Plane Diplomacy with the F-35 Is Under Attack
The F-35 is undergoing significant difficulties on the export market as countries recoil at Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy, his lack of steadfast support for NATO and Ukraine, plus his designs to take over Canada and Greenland as the “51st and 52nd state.”
No Foreign Sales for the F-47
It is unlikely the F-47 will be on sale to international air forces. The technology is just too advanced to share. To keep prying eyes from even knowing about the design, the F-47 was flown “hundreds of hours” secretly by DARPA with prototypes from both Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Boeing was awarded the contract for the F-47.
The future foreign purchases of the F-35 will be an important money-maker for Lockheed Martin. Losing sales of the Joint Strike Fighter would hurt Lockheed’s bottom line and the award of the F-47 to Boeing still stings.
U.S. Stealth Fighters Are Needed to Challenge China and Russia
The development of the F-47 should not hurt the F-35 program. The United States needs to have at least two stealth fighters serving at all times to keep up with China and Russia, who have their own 6th-generation airplanes that are forging ahead.
China and Russia also have two stealth fighter programs a piece with Beijing being the leader with its J-35A and J-20 and Russia featuring the Su-57 and Su-75 radar evading airplanes.
Watch Those Price Tags
One issue that the F-47 and F-35 programs must execute is cost control. Estimates for the new F-47 could cost as much as $300 million an airplane. That problem was reason enough to send the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) project into pause mode until that estimate could be whittled down.
There is just no way that it can cost that much without having to trim other programs like the F-35. The F-47 price tag must be under $100 million to make sense.
We know the F-35 has been horribly expensive. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has determined that the Lightning II program could cost as much as $2 trillion over the next decades. Having the F-47 too could force the GAO to investigate the price tag of the next-generation warbird since we don’t have an accurate cost estimate at this time.
Democrats Will Hound the Trump Administration if the F-47 Fails
Since the F-47 is tightly bound to the future of Trump’s defense strategy and Hegseth’s list of priorities, Congressional Democrats will be watching its progression closely. Any schedule slips and cost over-runs will draw the ire of the progressives on Capitol Hill.
Trump and Hegseth do not want this to become a boondoggle. Trump critics could pounce and say that the new administration did not review the NGAD long enough. That is probably why the administration has given no clues about its cost or time horizon.
The fanfare around the F-47 is also significant because the entire program could have been scrapped – becoming the victim of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE mastermind Elon Musk is no fan of the F-35 and manned flight. He has called for drones to take its place.
That means the F-47 could have an unmanned version too, although that would increase the price.
It is still likely that the Department of Defense will keep the F-47 and F-35. The Lightning II is desirable. It has created over 250,000 jobs around the country. Air Forces around the world need F-35 maintenance support and spare parts.
Russia and China have advanced stealth fighter programs including 6th-generation programs.
Hence, the U.S. military needs to have both the F-47 and F-35, but the F-47 must cost below $100 million per unit to make sense. Any cost over-runs will receive scrutiny from government bean counters and Congressional critics.
There is no room for failure since Trump and Hegseth has wagered so much of their political capital on the future of the F-47.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
