Lockheed may incorporate new technologies into the F-35 and F-22 to build a “supercharged” fifth-gen fighter.
Last month, Boeing was awarded the contract to develop the U.S. Air Force’s upcoming next-generation fighter jet. When President Donald Trump revealed the aircraft, designated as F-47, he confirmed the platform would be expected to replace the service’s F-22 Raptor fleet down the line. This announcement was a major milestone for the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which has been underway for over a decade.
Although Boeing’s competitor Lockheed Martin did not secure the win surrounding the NGAD development, the big name manufacturer reportedly plans to incorporate some of the technologies it designed in its unsuccessful bid into the F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptors in an effort to build a “supercharged” fifth-generation fighter. According to Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet, “There are techniques and capabilities … that were developed for [our NGAD bid] that we can now apply here,” Taiclet said. “We’re basically going to take the [F-35’s] chassis and turn it into a Ferrari.” Taiclet also explained that by simply upgrading these fifth-gen jets, they will yield the same results as their sixth-gen peers but at a fraction of the cost.
Boeing’s Win
Back in 2019, both Lockheed and Boeing produced x-plane proposals for the NGAD program. Air Force chief of staff David Allvin explained that these prototypes have laid the groundwork for the upcoming sixth-gen fighter, “flying hundreds of hours, testing cutting-edge concepts, and proving that we (the U.S. Air Force) can push the envelope of technology with confidence.” Following the selection of Boeing’s proposal, the White House did not divulge specific details surrounding the jet’s capabilities. However, Trump did note that “nothing in the world even comes close to it,” in terms of prowess, capability, and more. While the F-47’s developer has been selected, the fighter’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program has yet to be confirmed. General Electric Aerospace’s XA102 or Pratt & Whitney’s XA103 engines are competing to secure the bid to power the F-47 down the line.
What We Know About the NGAD
Details surrounding the F-47 remain highly classified, but sources have divulged that the program features an array of top-tier technologies, with a particular focus on stealth, propulsion, and advanced weapons. As a “family of systems,” the F-47 will incorporate a piloted sixth-gen jet and a slew of highly autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles dubbed collective combat aircraft. Serving a loyal wingmen drone to the piloted aircraft, these CCAs will be able to test adversarial air defenses, carry out surveillance, and extend command and control under human direction.
Although the F-47 will represent the most sophisticated fighter to ever fly the skies when introduced, the F-35 (or F-22 for that matter) should not be dismissed. The Lightning II is widely considered to be the most versatile and lethal fighter platform of its kind in service today. Featuring unparalleled stealth, sensors, and avionics, the Lockheed-made jet will remain a critical pillar of the Air Force’s apparatus for decades to come.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: DVIDS.
