Donald Trump recently provided new information on the new generation of combat aircraft that the US Air Force will soon be equipped with. And everything indicates that they seem well on their way to becoming the most advanced military aircraft on the planet.
The American head of state has already announced that the aircraft will be called the F-47, a number that directly refers to his own status (he is himself the 47th President of the United States). He also insisted at length on the fact that "nothing in the world" could compete in terms of operational capabilities. "The F-47 will be the most advanced, the most capable, and the most lethal aircraft ever built," he stated.
A stealth, semi-autonomous, long-range aircraft
For the moment, however, this aircraft remains relatively mysterious; very little information seems to have filtered through regarding its technical specifications. Bill Sweetman, a veteran and journalist who is generally very knowledgeable about the behind-the-scenes workings of the US Defense, has, however, provided some insights in an article published on the Australian Strategic Policy Institute website. The most important information is that the F-47 will apparently not be a fighter in the traditional sense. It will be a tailless aircraft that will emphasize operational range and speed rather than maneuverability. These are characteristics generally associated with multi-role stealth aircraft rather than so-called "air superiority" aircraft, such as the F-22, whose primary objective is to prevail in direct engagements against other military aircraft.
It is therefore positioned more as a successor to the F-35. A capable and versatile aircraft, but also very expensive and not specialized enough for the taste of some detractors — including Elon Musk, who has often criticized its astronomical price and lack of advanced capabilities.
These critics will be pleased to learn that the F-47 will apparently be capable of operating unmanned, at least in part. Several sources, including Senator and member of the Armed Services Committee Mark Kelly, are indeed mentioning a "state-of-the-art combination of manned and unmanned systems."
We can expect many detection, targeting, and navigation systems to benefit from a good dose of artificial intelligence, a technology that Uncle Sam is actively seeking to integrate into its arsenal. As a reminder, last year, the US military organized the first-ever physical aerial combat simulation between two aircraft piloted by a human on one side, and by an autonomous pilot system boosted by AI on the other.
The US Air Force organized the first aerial combat between a human and an AI
Boeing expected
The last important piece of information concerns the identity of the manufacturer of this revolutionary machine: Donald Trump announced that his administration had selected Boeing. This is a huge victory for the company, which is currently struggling to recover from a series of setbacks.
This downward spiral began in 2018 with two 737 MAX crashes. These tragedies led to a major criminal investigation that revealed serious technical and regulatory failings within the company. The saga was also punctuated by troubling events that did nothing to improve the company's reputation. This includes the suicide of the main whistleblower in the case, whose family recently claimed that it was a direct result of pressure from the company.
More recently, Boeing has again found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons with the Starliner saga, the space capsule designed to carry astronauts and equipment to space stations like the ISS. The program has swallowed up astronomical amounts of federal funding, but that hasn't stopped it from falling years behind schedule. To top it all off, the craft experienced severe malfunctions during its first mission to the ISS, forcing two astronauts to stay aboard the station for nine months instead of one week.
Some industry experts were therefore beginning to suggest that the government might distance itself from the aircraft manufacturer, whose reliability and expertise were increasingly being questioned. In this context, having inherited such a lucrative and prestigious contract undoubtedly represents a real breath of fresh air for Boeing, which will likely be keen to strike hard to restore its image. It will be interesting to see if the company will be able to seize this superb opportunity.
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