President Trump speaks to the media almost daily and is known for bluster, exaggerations, and tall tales (opponents call these lies). But you have to give him credit for candor and transparency, especially when it comes to new weapons systems. This is a breath of fresh air from his predecessor Joe Biden who hardly ever spoke publicly about specific military hardware or national security in general. Now Trump is fired up about a new airplane that no-one has ever heard of.
He calls it the F-55. He could be mistaking this for the F-35 Lightning II. But it appears that he wants an altogether new fighter. This doesn’t make sense because there is already the Boeing F-47 he announced to much excitement at the Oval Office earlier this year. The F-47 is a sixth-generation fighter. The Air Force wants more than 185 of the exciting newfangled warbirds. Nothing wrong with bragging about that.
What Did Trump Just Say?
That leaves this mysterious F-55 fighter jet. Trump was speaking on May 15 at the al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar with defense contractors in ear shot. This is probably why he was bringing up new airplanes. Trump was excited but didn’t appear that he was overly familiar with the American fighter fleet.
Speaking about the procurement of the F-55 fighter jet, he said, “That’s going to be a substantial upgrade, but it’s going to be also with two engines, because an F-35 has a single engine. I don’t like single engines.”
“We’re going to do an F-55 and – I think, if we get the right price, we have to get the right price – that’ll be two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35, and then we’re going to do the F-22.”
Here’s An Attempt at Clarity
Are you confused yet? Let’s try to unpack this and examine his commentary.
It is true that the F-35 has a single engine, but it enables the Lightning II to reach fairly good velocity, acceleration, and maneuverability. For some reason, Trump doesn’t like single engines – apparently thinking two engines are double the fun. Or maybe he realizes that if one engine goes out, the airplane can make it home safely.
Then there is the F-55. Does he mean there will first be some type of modernization on the F-35 which he calls super that could be developed on the cheap? That doesn’t make sense either because he has also talked about an F-22 Super model with no cost details offered. The F-22 Super is another mysterious upgraded fighter jet based on the Raptor and Trump makes no mention of its new functionality or features.
He Could Be Giving the F/A-XX a New Name
Here’s what I can figure out. He may be confusing the F-55 with the new F/A-XX airplane that the U.S. Navy is developing. This is the sixth-generation carrier-borne fighter to replace the aging F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. The Navy needs the F/A-XX badly, but there have already been problems in the program. There is a funding dispute that could delay the new warbird for three years. If this happens, it will effectively kill the project since the contracts would dry up.
Trump may have been briefed on that airplane and just forgot the nomenclature of the F/A-XX and called it the F-55. No problem there. He did the same thing for the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD). The president dubbed the NGAD the F-47 – probably because he is the 47th president.
The Navy Is Licking Its Chops
Perhaps he is renaming F/A-XX the F-55. That would be great. I’m not sure where the funding is coming from, but the Navy will be happy that it’s getting a new fighter. If the Air Force is granted the NGAD, it is only fair that the Navy should be awarded the F/A-XX (if this a perfect world with unlimited time, money, and resources).
Maybe the F-55 Is Part of a Video Game
However, there is a chance that Trump is entirely wrong about this F-55. It may just be a figment of his imagination. In 2018, he was speaking to the prime minister of Norway and surprised the world with a new fighter jet called the F-52 that was being sold to the Nordic country. There was a problem. This F-52 airplane only existed in a Call of Duty video game. There was never a fighter deal for poor Norway.
What if an F-55 is in the works and is entirely different and has nothing to do with the F/A-XX?
Is it for the Air Force or the Navy? What does that mean for the F-47 program?
A F-35 Lightning lll assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing takes off from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska September 19, 2024. The F-35 was participating in a multiple aircraft exercise for the 354th FW. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Sean Lamb)
U.S Air Force Captain Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team Commander, flies during a demonstration at the Oregon International Airshow in McMinnville, Ore., Aug. 20, 2022. The F-35 Demo team travels around the United States and around the world, showcasing the world’s most technologically advanced fifth-generation fighter jet. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. John Winn)
An Edwards AFB F-35A Lightning II fires an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile as part of Weapons Delivery Accuracy testing. The 461st Flight Test Squadron and F-35 Integrated Test Force completed WDA testing in early December, which concludes a large and important part of F-35 developmental test and evaluation. (Courtesy photo by Chad Bellay/Lockheed Martin)
U.S. Air Force Maj. Melanie “Mach” Kluesner, the pilot for the F-35A Demonstration Team, performs aerial maneuvers in a USAF F-35A Lightning II during the practice day before the airshow at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Florida, on 18 October, 2024. The practice day ensures that the team is able to safely and properly display the power, agility, and lethality of America’s 5th generation fighter jet. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nicholas Rupiper)
A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jet from the 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, displays it’s crew-designed red, white and blue inlet covers while parked in a military aircraft shelter at the Atlantic City International Airport in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. on May 26, 2016. Pilots and crew from the USAF F-35 Heritage Flight Team made a stop at the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard on the way to their performance at the Jones Beach Airshow in Wantagh, New York on May 28 and 29. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Andrew J. Moseley/Released)
Marine Maj. Joseph Bachmann, of the 33rd Operations Group, executes aircraft shutdown procedures of the second F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter to arrive at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 20. Bachmann is the first Marine pilot to be JSF certified. Aircraft AF-8 is the flagship for the 58th Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
This F-55 is just an enigma wrapped in a riddle and we can only guess.
Could we have an upgraded F-35, an F-55, and an F-22 Super all at the same time? If you take Trump literally, that’s what’s in store. Instead, he is probably mis-speaking. That’s why I think that Trump has just given the F/A-XX the name F-55.
Let’s Clear This Up Later at a Pentagon News Conference
Hopefully, the Department of Defense will deliver a briefing, and reporters can get the correct details on what the president is talking about.
Until then, we are left to speculate about these mysterious off-the-cuff remarks. But one thing is sure, Trump can take what is sometimes a mundane and boring subject (defense acquisition) and make it eye-opening, suspenseful, and humorous. Stay tuned for more on the F-55.
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.
