President Donald Trump pitched plans for a new twin-engine version of the F-35 stealth fighter jet on Thursday. He referred to the jet as the “F-55.”
“The F-35, we’re doing an upgrade — a simple upgrade — but we’re also doing an F-55. I’m going to call it an F-55,” Trump shared during a business roundtable in Qatar, the second stop in his Middle East tour.
“That’s going to be a substantial upgrade,” with two engines, Trump explained, “because an F-35 has a single engine; I don’t like single engines.” He then touted the four engines on a 747 because there’s a backup if an engine goes out.
“We’re going to do an F-55, I think, if we get the right price — we have to get the right price,” the president said. “And that will be two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35.”
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is a fifth-generation stealth aircraft made by US defense contractor Lockheed Martin. The jet was developed and manufactured as part of a multinational program. Since the first one rolled off the production line, over 1,100 have been delivered to the US and militaries around the world.
US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Gomez
Some prominent figures inside Trump world have sharply criticized the expensive F-35 program, arguing that it has been a wasteful debacle and unnecessary amid the rise in drone technology, but the president’s comments in Qatar on Thursday appear to indicate continued support for the program. The F-35 is considered within the Defense Department to be a cornerstone of US airpower.
Last month, Lockheed CEO James Taiclet said that the defense firm would “supercharge” the F-35’s capabilities to make it a “fifth-generation plus” aircraft that could bring it nearly on par with a sixth-generation fighter jet.
“So, the F-35. So we’re basically going to take the chassis and turn it into a Ferrari. It’s like a NASCAR upgrade, so to speak,” Taiclet said during a first-quarter earnings call. He said that Lockheed could outfit the F-35 with capabilities like better sensors, improved stealth technology, better systems, and longer-range weapons.
Taiclet’s remarks came shortly after Lockheed lost a bid to build the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, which Trump named the “F-47,” to Boeing. The coming NGAD is expected to fight alongside drones and succeed the F-22 Raptor as the US Air Force’s top air superiority fighter.
On Thursday, Trump also proposed big upgrades to the F-22, saying the US is going to make an “F-22 Super.”
