Trump floats possible new F-55 warplane and F-22 upgrade
- President Donald Trump announced plans on May 15, 2025, at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to develop a twin-engine F-55 fighter jet and upgrade the F-22 Raptor to an F-22 Super.
- Trump emphasized the F-55 would have two engines for greater safety and thrust, diverging from the single-engine F-35, while endorsing a major but unspecified upgrade to the F-22.
- He made these remarks during a Middle East visit amid ongoing U.S. Defense debates, accompanied by Boeing and GE Aerospace leaders, following a $10 billion Qatari investment in military infrastructure.
- Trump mentioned plans for a new fighter jet, the F-55, featuring twin engines and significant enhancements over the F-35, and praised the F-22 as the "most beautiful fighter jet in the world," though Pentagon officials stated that details about the aircraft and timeline remain uncertain.
- The announcements signal potential shifts in U.S. Air combat strategy amid global competition, though experts warn about the complexity, cost, and sparse details surrounding these programs.
44 Articles
44 Articles

Pentagon silent, aviation experts baffled by Trump’s fighter comments
President Donald Trump’s comments Thursday in Qatar about future fighter jets planned for the U.S. military have baffled observers and been met with silence from the Pentagon.During a roundtable discussion in Doha, Qatar, flanked by the heads of Boeing and GE Aerospace, Trump surprised many in the military aviation world by asserting a twin-engined F-35 successor, which he dubbed the F-55, was in the works.“The F-35, we’re doing an upgrade, a si…
Trump touts new ‘F-55’ fighter jet and upgrades to F-35s and F-22s
Happy Friday! President Donald Trump indicated on Thursday that the U.S. military is considering purchasing a new fighter jet which he calls the “F-55,” but many details about the new aircraft remain unclear. “One of the things for the people that are interested in the military that I’ve asked to look into — 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 — and that’s going to be a …


Is Trump’s ‘F-55’ fighter jet real?
One former defense official said the president is “very confused.”
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