Trump, Hegseth unveil manned fighter jet for drone era

WASHINGTON—The Boeing Company won a $20 billion contract to build the nation’s latest stealth combat jet, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday after a closed-door meeting.

The F-47 is part of the Next Generation Air Dominance program. The sixth-generation aircraft will fly with many drones, Trump said. An experimental version of the plane has already been secretly flying for nearly five years, Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office.

What will the F-47 do? Details of the jet are classified, but Hegseth praised it as the most advanced jet in the world. It will help the military quickly respond to scenarios without detracting from readiness, he added. Trump said the plane is “virtually unseeable.” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin added that the sixth generation jet will provide more lethality and modernized capability for the Air Force. The multibillion-dollar contract covers both engineering and manufacturing development.