President Donald Trump said the United States is developing a new twin-engine fighter jet he dubbed the “F-55” after voicing displeasure with some aspects of Lockheed Martin’s F-35.
At a meeting of business leaders in Doha, Qatar, attended by the heads of Boeing and GE Aerospace, Trump said his administration is looking at options to upgrade the F-35 but could eventually develop a totally new aircraft.
“The F-35…we’re doing an upgrade, a simple upgrade, but we’re also doing an F-55,” the president said. “We’re going to call it the F-55. And that’s going to be a substantial upgrade but it’s going to be also with two engines because the F-35 has a single engine. I don’t like single engines.”
Trump: 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 substantial upgrade, but it's going to be also with two engines because the F 35 has a single engine. I don't like single engines. pic.twitter.com/CUG8VK5JX9
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 15, 2025
Trump said twin engines are needed to ensure the future aircraft’s reliability and safety.
“If an engine goes out, it’s nice to have two, three, or four,” he told GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp.
The government will move forward with plans for the F-55 if “we get the right price,” the president added.
In the Pipeline
The F-35 is produced by Lockheed Martin as part of a consortium with NATO countries and other U.S. allies who have agreed to purchase the aircraft, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Norway. The program has faced extensive criticism for its ballooning costs, complexity, and delayed deliveries. Still, the U.S. military plans to take delivery of thousands of F-35s in the coming years, and the aircraft is expected to become a major component of U.S. and NATO airpower for decades to come.
Also in the works is an upgrade for Lockheed Martin’s F-22 stealth fighter, which makes up a substantial portion of the U.S. Air Force’s combat fleet. The aircraft was manufactured between 1996 and 2011.
“We’re going to do the F-22,” Trump said. “I think the most beautiful fighter jet in the world is the F-22. But we’re going to do an F-22 Super. And it will be a very modern version of the F-22 fighter jet.”
The announcement of the upgrades came one day after the president said Qatar Airways had ordered 160 widebody jets from Boeing, which the White House said was the company’s “largest-ever” order of commercial aircraft.
