Latest news with #F-55
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Offers F-47 Sixth-Gen Fighter To Japan: Reports
Boeing's F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter has been pitched to Japan by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to reports. The idea of an export-configured F-47 was brought up by Trump when he announced Boeing's win in the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) manned combat jet initiative in March. Meanwhile, Japan is reportedly also considering increasing its purchase of F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighters, prompted by concerns over the timeline for the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a sixth-generation combat jet being pursued jointly by Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. A possible sale of the F-47 to Tokyo was raised during a phone call between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba last week, according to a report from the Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun. According to this source, the short-notice call was confirmed by Ishiba administration officials and came just before a visit to the United States by Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's top trade negotiator, for talks on Trump's economic tariffs. Trump and Ishiba are said to have discussed the strengthening of the U.S.-Japanese military alliance, with the U.S. leader asking whether the Japanese prime minister agreed that '47' is a good number. The new Boeing fighter received the Mission Design Series designation F-47, echoing the fact that Trump is the 47th U.S. president. The Asahi Shimbun also reports that Trump praised the F-22 Raptor and the so-called F-55, a purported development of the F-35 that the U.S. president first mentioned while talking to the press earlier this month. Trump has described the F-55 as a twin-engined F-35, but there has been no confirmation from the manufacturer or the Pentagon that such an aircraft is in the works. According to Japanese officials, Trump asked whether Ishiba was interested in U.S.-made fighters and promised to get 'the best' for Japan. The same officials noted that the offer of buying U.S. combat jets was not tied to any tariff negotiations. At this stage, there's no sign that Tokyo is actively looking to add a new type of fighter jet to its inventory, although earlier this year, Ishiba did disclose an interest in buying C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the United States. With Boeing's C-17 production line now shuttered, any such aircraft would have to be transferred from the U.S. Air Force or from an allied operator inventory. Officially, at least, Japan is still committed to the GCAP program, which aims to field a sixth-generation crewed fighter, which is known in the United Kingdom as Tempest. You can read more about what we know of this aircraft and its planned capabilities here. However, there are now indications that Japan may be concerned that the Tempest fighter will not be ready for service soon enough for its requirements. Citing two unnamed defense sources, Reuters reports today that Japan is looking at ways of filling a gap in its fighter fleet pending the likely delayed arrival of GCAP. One of those sources blamed a lack of urgency on the part of Italy and the United Kingdom for the slow pace of the GCAP initiative, while the other noted it was taking too long to align each country's concept of how the aircraft will operate. A British Ministry of Defense spokesperson told Reuters that: 'The United Kingdom, Italy and Japan are focused on delivering a next-generation combat aircraft for 2035 and we are making strong progress.' Recently, however, at least one senior British official in the GCAP team has mentioned the goal for Tempest replacing the U.K. Royal Air Force's Typhoon in the 2040s. The first option for Japan involves buying additional F-35s. Already, Japan is the largest overseas customer for the aircraft. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) is in the process of introducing 147 Joint Strike Fighters, in the form of 105 conventional takeoff and landing F-35As and 42 short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35Bs. The STOVL jets will go aboard Japan's two Izumo class helicopter carriers, which have been modified to operate F-35Bs. Reuters reports that senior officials in Tokyo are now discussing the possibility of buying more F-35s, although the numbers involved are unclear. Currently, Japan has received 43 F-35As, while six F-35Bs have been delayed. Overall, delays in F-35 deliveries related to the introduction of critical upgrades have impacted the program significantly, and it's unclear how quickly the aircraft could be provided to Japan, even if they were to be ordered imminently. 'We have already paid for many items, and they haven't arrived,' a senior lawmaker from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party told Reuters about the current F-35 delays. 'It's not right to be told to buy more when previous orders haven't been fulfilled.' However, if Japan does opt for more F-35s, that could come with a potential economic advantage, serving as a bargaining chip for Tokyo amid tariff talks with Washington. 'Japan's purchase of defense equipment would contribute to the U.S. trade surplus, so in that sense, it could be considered [in trade talks],' Ryosei Akazawa told reporters yesterday. The second option is to upgrade Japan's existing fourth-generation fighters. These comprise around 85 Mitsubishi F-2s and approximately 200 F-15Js. Already, 68 of the F-15Js have been earmarked for a long-awaited upgrade that will take them to F-15JSI Japanese Super Interceptor standard with the addition of new radar, electronic warfare systems, weapons, and possibly more. An upgrade to the F-2s would be a new development, but it would help ensure combat air capability until the arrival of the GCAP. However, were Japan to buy more F-35s, that could threaten the future of its involvement in GCAP altogether, and if the Japanese were to leave the program, it's far from certain whether Italy and the United Kingdom would be able to continue without them. Even with Japanese participation, there are questions about the feasibility of GCAP, not least because of the enormous pressure on the U.K. defense budget with various other big-ticket programs competing for funds. Provided that Trump's tentative offer of F-47s for Japan is firmed up, that would provide another route for Japan to acquire a sixth-generation fighter, on a similar or potentially more favorable timeline than GCAP. The F-22 was never offered for export, on account of the sensitive nature of its technologies, as you can read about here. But it seems increasingly likely that the F-47, or a version of it, might be sold. As one of America's closest military allies, Japan would be well-positioned to buy it, should it be offered. When announcing the F-47 contract award, Trump said that U.S. allies 'are calling constantly' with a view to obtaining an export version of the NGAD fighter. He said that the United States would be selling them to 'certain allies … perhaps toned-down versions. We'd like to tone them down about 10 percent, which probably makes sense, because someday, maybe they're not our allies, right?' For Japan, or any other potential export customer, the big problem is likely to be the cost, with the baseline F-47's unit cost expected to be at least twice that of an F-35, or in the $180 million to $200 million range, based on publicly available information. On the other hand, a somewhat downgraded NGAD crewed fighter, which should also be notably cheaper, could be a very interesting option for Japan, as an alternative to GCAP. It would give Japan the chance of operating America's top fighter, something it was never allowed to do with the F-22. It would also allow the JASDF to integrate more seamlessly with its U.S. counterparts, which is even more important than for European allies. Moreover, it could open the door to other export opportunities, notably Australia, which is increasingly cooperating with both the United States and Japan. For the U.S. Air Force, F-47 foreign sales would increase production numbers and could lower unit costs, as well as making maintenance less expensive. U.S. officials are already talking about different future iterations of the NGAD combat jet. The former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, Andrew Hunter, recently suggested that the baseline F-47 might just be 'Increment 1' of the NGAD crewed combat jet initiative. An export-optimized increment would seem to make a lot of sense. On the other hand, buying more F-35s or F-47s would come with disadvantages, including reliance on the United States for operational support and sustainment at a time when even close allies are having doubts about the reliability of Washington as a strategic partner. With Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) having a major stake in GCAP, Japan will have sovereign control of the aircraft once it's delivered, meaning, for example, that it would be able to adapt or upgrade them without U.S. approval. Tokyo would also benefit from MHI's industrial partnership in GCAP, with revenues from every sale. For years now, Japan has been steadily increasing its military budget as it faces what its 2024 defense white paper described as 'the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II.' The three primary threats are identified as China's ambitions toward its southwestern archipelago, as well as Russian and North Korean missile and nuclear programs. While stepping away from the GCAP effort altogether would have considerable repercussions, far beyond Japan, further delays to that program might well force Tokyo to look at other options for its fighter force. Contact the author: thomas@
Asahi Shimbun
5 days ago
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Trump calls Ishiba, boasts about Mideast trip, pitches F-47
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba with President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 7 (Asahi Shimbun file photo) Japanese government officials are trying to determine the purpose behind U.S. President Donald Trump's sudden phone call to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Was Trump setting the stage for demands that Japan buy U.S. fighter jets? Was he trying to get closer to someone he believes is a like-minded leader? Or was the U.S. president just seeking someone to stroke his ego? According to Ishiba administration officials, the U.S. side, via the National Security Secretariat, approached Ishiba on the morning of May 23 and said, 'U.S. President Trump has asked, 'Can we talk in a few hours?'' That exchange occurred just before Japan's top trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, left for the United States for talks on Trump's tariffs. Several senior Japanese government officials said they feared Trump would strengthen his demands that Japan import more U.S. agricultural products or would flat out reject Japanese requests to lower the tariffs. However, when the phone call began at 11 a.m., Trump's tone was so relaxed that the Japanese side was taken aback. 'It was as if (Trump) was lying down and talking,' a senior official at the prime minister's office said. Trump gave a rundown of his recent trip to the Middle East and praised himself for his 'great accomplishments.' Ishiba chimed in, saying Trump is committed to peace. Trump then said he would like to further strengthen the military to achieve peace, to which Ishiba agreed was a very good idea. The topic in this friendly and casual conversation then shifted from the Middle East to U.S.-made fighter jets, officials said. Trump mentioned the F-47, the sixth-generation fighter jet manufactured by Boeing that was announced in March. He said the '47' in 'F-47' is a good number, and asked Ishiba to agree with him. The F-47, which will replace the F-22, and is believed to be named in honor of Trump, the 47th president of the United States. Trump also praised the F-22, which the United States has never tried to sell to Japan, and the F-55, which is considered an upgraded version of the F-35 fighter. He said the United States has such great fighter jets and asked Ishiba if he would like to take a look at them. Trump added that he will get 'the best' for Japan, the officials said. Sources said Trump is aware of Japan's joint development of a fighter jet with Britain and Italy. However, Trump only causally asked Ishiba if Japan was interested in buying U.S.-made fighter jets, officials said. He never urged Japan to purchase them in conjunction with the tariff negotiations. The topic of fighter jets may have come up because during the Japan-U.S. summit in February, Ishiba showed interest in the C-17, a large U.S.-made transport aircraft, officials said. 'Trump must have thought, 'Well, (Ishiba) would understand (aircraft),' so he went into the in-depth exchange,' one official surmised. However, Japan would have to overcome a number of obstacles to change its fighter aircraft models, such as pilot training and maintenance. For this reason, the Japanese government is taking a cautious approach to Trump's comments about fighter jets. At this point, there are no plans for Ishiba to inspect military aircraft in the United States, sources said. Although the main purpose of Trump's trip to the Middle East was to secure business deals, the key issue in the region is peace, something that Trump has failed to secure so far. 'When Trump returns from the Middle East, he will be criticized by his opponents. That's probably why he said, 'Let's call (Ishiba) who will listen to me,'' a Japanese government official said. Ishiba himself is becoming increasingly confident that he and Trump have chemistry, the official said. During the 45-minute phone call, Trump and Ishiba agreed to hold a summit in conjunction with the G-7 conference to be held in Canada in mid-June.
First Post
21-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
Trump Announces Plans for New F-55 Warplane, Upgrade of F-22 Fighter Jet Firstpost America
Trump Announces Plans for New F-55 Warplane, Upgrade of F-22 Fighter Jet | Firstpost America | N18G Trump Announces Plans for New F-55 Warplane, Upgrade of F-22 Fighter Jet | Firstpost America | N18G US President Donald Trump announced plans for a twin-engine upgrade to the F-35 fighter jet, called the F-55, during his state visit to Qatar. He also revealed intentions to develop a modernised version of the F-22, dubbed the F-22 Super. These announcements coincided with a $96 billion deal involving Qatar Airways, Boeing, and GE Aerospace. The F-22 and F-35 are both fifth-generation stealth fighters serving different roles. President Trump's announcement came as he requested the Congress for a defence budget of over $890 billion for fiscal year 2026. But with Pentagon yet to confirm the new projects or provide details, is the next generation of American power still on drawing board? Watch for more. See More
Asia Times
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Asia Times
Trump's F-55 fighter vision collides with Pentagon reality
US President Donald Trump's surprise pitch for a twin-engine 'F-55' fighter has reignited debate over US airpower priorities, just as China's stealth fleet surges and the US doubles down on next-gen platforms. This month, multiple media outlets reported that Trump has proposed a new twin-engine version of the F-35 stealth fighter, dubbed the 'F-55,' during a press event in Qatar. Framing it as a 'substantial upgrade,' Trump criticized the F-35's single-engine configuration, citing safety concerns. 'If an engine goes out, it's nice to have two,' he said, seated beside GE Aerospace Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Larry Culp. Trump's remarks, unsupported by official US Department of Defense (DOD) documentation, sparked confusion as no such aircraft exists in US Air Force plans. The F-55 would require a complete redesign of the F-35 airframe, significantly increasing cost, weight and complexity. Trump also referenced a 'super upgrade' for the F-22, calling it 'the most beautiful fighter jet in the world,' and alleged that China copied its design for the J-20. While the White House, DOD and Lockheed Martin declined to elaborate, defense analysts noted similarities between Trump's F-55 proposal and Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet's recent comments on a high-performance F-35 variant offering 80% of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) – designated the F-47 – capabilities at half the cost. Observers remain uncertain whether the F-55 represents a serious policy direction or another instance of Trump's off-the-cuff remarks, echoing his 2018 reference to the fictional 'F-52' fighter. Trump's remarks on the F-55 have sparked concerns regarding its practicality and significance, especially as the US progresses with the F-47 program and China continues to grow its fifth-generation stealth aircraft fleet. His ideas, though debatable, underscore significant challenges in US airpower planning, where competing priorities like survivability, readiness and alliance integration clash with the rapid modernization of China's fighter capabilities. At the tactical level, having twin engines gives redundancy in case of engine failure, enabling a fighter to return with one engine if necessary while generally offering greater thrust. However, modern single-engine jets show a high degree of reliability, making such an upgrade potentially unnecessary. According to J J Gertler in an article for Breaking Defense, the F-35 airframe has no more room for a second engine, and that while a twin-engine F-35 could retain the original version's combat system and cockpit, the plane has to be built around the engine, practically making a new design. In the same article, Stacie Pettyjohn mentions that redesigning the F-35 to accommodate a second engine would throw off its carefully designed stealth shaping. Pettyjohn says that while Trump's comments may be unfeasible, it is a sign that the US will keep buying and upgrading the F-35. However, a twin-engine F-35 may address the type's relatively short range and small weapons payload, with some tradeoffs in stealth capability. Looking at China's J-20 as an example, Justin Bronk mentions in an October 2020 report for the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) that the twin-engine aircraft acts as a long-range interceptor or strike aircraft, trading agility and stealth for increased range and payload. Ironically, China may already be fielding its twin-engine analog to the F-35. US Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin hinted in a November 2024 interview for Air & Space Forces Magazine that China may have copied the F-35 for its J-35 fighter aircraft, citing a need to protect classified information. However, China's limitations in jet engine manufacturing may have necessitated a twin-engine design for the J-35, owing to the use of weaker engines. At the operational level, introducing a new fighter type may exacerbate the US Air Force's pilot shortage and lengthy training pipelines. In a January 2025 report for the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Heather Penney mentions that the US Air Force has suffered a shortage of 2,000 pilots for 20 years, and that it takes five years for new pilots to be considered 'experienced' in their operational aircraft. In contrast, Derek Solen mentions in a November 2024 report for the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) that China is streamlining its training pipeline, with new trainer aircraft and academies shortening the total training time, replacing four years of progression with an accelerated program. In practical terms, a new F-55 might require minimal changes to US pilot training, considering the proposed type's commonality with the F-35, but new tactics or multi-engine checks would add complexity. US Air Force combat aircraft readiness remains a persistent challenge, which may not bode well for introducing yet another new fighter type in service. According to data provided to Air & Space Forces Magazine in February 2025, the average mission-capable rate for all fleets was 67.15% in fiscal 2024, down from 69.92% in fiscal 2023 and 71.24% in fiscal 2022. The report shows low US fighter readiness ratings, with the F-15C and D models scoring 52.9% and 63.7%, the eight-strong F-15EX fleet managed 83.13%, the F-22 got 40.19%, and the F-35A having 51.5%, which are not good indicators for introducing a new fighter type. Introducing the F-55 fighter may reduce readiness as spare parts logistics and crews adapt. While China is opaque about such statistics, its accelerated training suggests that more pilots will be fleet-ready sooner. At the strategic level, an F-55 would duplicate many of the capabilities planned for the F-47 program, possibly making the former aircraft type redundant. While specific NGAD capabilities are yet unknown, Allvin mentioned that the type will have 'next-generation stealth, sensor fusion, and long-range strike capabilities to counter the most sophisticated adversaries in contested environments' in a March 2025 article for Air & Space Forces Magazine. Air & Space Forces Magazine mentioned that Allvin said that the F-47 will also have 'significantly longer range' than the F-22, and that US Air Force leaders have discussed the possibility of two NGAD variants – one with longer range for the Pacific theater and another with shorter range for the European theater. Cost may also be a significant concern with the F-55, as the US Air Force already struggles with other programs such as the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and B-21 stealth bomber. Taking the F-22 as a cost benchmark for the F-47, Air & Space Forces Magazine says each F-22 costs US$350 million for a fleet of 186 aircraft, while US Air Force officials discuss having a fleet of 220-250 F-47s, with similar costs to the F-22. Whether the F-55 is a bold vision or Trump bluster, it underscores the mounting pressure on US airpower to evolve faster than rivals like China, without tripping over its ambitions.
Business Insider
17-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Trump's talking about a twin-engine F-35. It sounds like this F-55 would be a whole new plane.
Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter is equipped with the world's most powerful fighter engine. It only has one of them, though, and President Donald Trump wants it to have two. That's no small change. Redesigning an F-35 for twin engines is essentially building a whole new aircraft, a former US Air Force pilot who was involved with the F-35 program told Business Insider. That could take decades and require huge expenditures from an administration that's set on slashing government spending. "The airframe is completely designed around a single engine," explained retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Gunzinger, who worked on the advanced F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter as a program manager for flight simulation test and evaluation. "To put two engines in it would be a complete redesign of not only the hardware and the airframe, but also the software," he said. The plane would need to be larger and could see decreased range. Trump pitched an idea on Thursday for a new twin-engine version of the F-35 that he said he would call 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 said during a business roundtable in Qatar. He said that the jet would be a "substantial upgrade" with two engines because "I don't like single engines." "We're going to do an F-55" if the price is right, Trump said. "And that will be two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35." The F-35 is a fifth-generation stealth aircraft made by US defense giant Lockheed Martin. It was developed and manufactured as part of a multinational program, and since the first jet rolled off the production line, more than 1,100 have been delivered to the US and militaries overseas. The F-35 stealth fighter is a cornerstone of US airpower, with not just the ability to penetrate contested airspace but also quarterback American combat assets. While some Trump allies have criticized the aircraft over its high costs and questioned its ability to compete with drones, the president appears to be supportive of the program and the plane's prime contractor, as Trump also wants to upgrade the F-22 Raptor. Both the F-35 and the F-22 are receiving upgrades, the most notable for the former being the Block IV upgrades and Tech Refresh 3 expected to deliver significantly improved capabilities. The president's plans appear to be outside of these ongoing efforts on the fifth-gen fighters. In the case of the F-55, it almost certainly amounts to building a new fighter rather than modernizing existing F-35s considering the engineering challenges. Trump's comments came several weeks after Lockheed Martin's CEO James Taiclet said his company would "supercharge" the fighter aircraft and turn it into a "fifth-generation-plus" aircraft with nearly the capabilities of a sixth-generation fighter like the F-47, which will be built by competitor Boeing. The upgraded F-35 could include improved stealth tech and materials, better sensors, and longer-range weapons. The CEO made no mention of a second engine. A twin-engine F-35? More like a new F-55 fighter The F-35's powerful single Pratt & Whitney F135 engine sets it apart from other fifth-generation aircraft like the American F-22 Raptor, the Russian Su-57, and the Chinese J-20 and new J-35, which all have twin engines. The J-35 resembles a twin-engine F-35, at least in appearance. The F-35's lone F135 engine produces a whopping 43,000 pounds of thrust. The F-22's engines are each less powerful, by contrast, but together create 70,000 pounds of thrust. Gunzinger, a former F-111 Ardvaark pilot who served with the US Air Force for over 20 years, said that the F-35 has only one engine because compromises were made during development to ensure that the plane met the needs of multiple services simultaneously. The F-35 comes in three variants: the A for conventional take-off and landing, the B for short take-off and vertical landing, and the C for carrier-based operations. These three variants are generally operated by the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy, respectively. The Marine-operated F-35B is especially unique because of the lift fan that allows it to land and take off in a hover. A twin-engine F-35B is unlikely considering the daunting technical hurdles to build it. "Technologically, it's a bridge too far to put two engines in an F-35B," Gunzinger said. During his remarks Thursday, Trump said he likes having more engines because there's a backup if one goes out. The only other US single-engine fighters are the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the AV-8B Harrier, the STOVL aircraft the F-35B is replacing. Gunzinger said two engines are, indeed, better than one, pointing to several instances when single-engine aircraft with engine issues wouldn't have been lost had it had a second engine. But the F-35 is a single-engine aircraft through and through. Anything else is a effectively a different plane. Talking about transforming the F-35 into a twin-engine aircraft is "talking about a completely different aircraft" that's years — if not decades — away, Gunzinger said. Unless there's a secret fighter jet program underway in the desert somewhere or it is based on Lockheed's failed bid to build the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, this idea could mean starting from scratch to create a design with the right aeronautics, carrying capacity, and small radar cross-section. Frank Kendall, who was secretary of the Air Force until late January, told Breaking Defense that "a two-engine version of F-35 would be virtually a complete redesign," adding that the idea is "an option that was never presented and that we never considered." The White House did not provide further details on the F-55, and neither did the Air Force when BI asked. Lockheed Martin would not say whether it has been in discussions with the White House about a twin-engine F-35 or a new F-55. Lockheed said only that it looks forward to working on the administration's "vision for air dominance." Gunzinger said that building both the F-55 and Boeing's NGAD doesn't make sense. "The Air Force really can't afford another major fighter program," he added. "With the current budget and capabilities, you really have to decide on do you want an F-55, which is a brand new aircraft, or do you want the NGAD," another brand new aircraft. And both planes would likely bring similar capabilities to the fight.
