Boein ghas been awarded the contract to build the U.S. Air Force's most sophisticated fighter jet yet, dubbed the F-47, beating out competition from Lockheed Martin for a program worth more than $20 billion. Here is a comparison of key U.S. Air Force fighter jet programs:
F-47 NEXT GENERATION AIR DOMINANCE
The F-47 will replace Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor with a crewed aircraft built to enter combat alongside drones.
The NGAD originated from 2014 studies by the Pentagon's emerging technologies arm, known as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The first of what the Pentagon is calling sixth-generation jets is expected to come into service in the 2030s.
NGAD was conceived as a "family of systems" - a crewed fighter jet supported by unmanned aircraft - to counter adversaries such as China and Russia.
Boeing's engineering and development contract is worth more than $20 billion. The aerospace company could receive orders worth hundreds of billions of dollars over several decades.
F-35 LIGHTNING II
Lockheed Martin's F-35 is the U.S. Air Force's most advanced fighter, combining stealth capabilities, high maneuverability and advanced data capabilities to perform a variety of roles. The fifth-generation fighter's complex sensors allow it to operate as part of a networked force, rather than just as a standalone aircraft.
The Air Force picked Lockheed Martin's design over Boeing's in 2001. It entered service in 2016. More than 1,100 have been delivered globally, with nearly 2,500 on order for U.S. military branches alone and hundreds more slated for allies.
The Air Force has more than 300 F-35s and plans to buy 1,763. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps also fly F-35s. In addition to the U.S., 19 countries fly F-35s, and more than 1,130 of the fighters have been built since production began in 2006.
Operators: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Romania, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
F-22 RAPTOR
The Air Force ordered the F-22 to be an air superiority fighter with a "first-shot, first-kill" capability. The military ordered fewer than 200 of the fifth-generation fighters, which entered service in 2005 and flew their first combat mission in 2006. It is highly maneuverable and has stealth capabilities. It can fly faster than twice the speed of sound, or roughly 1,530 mph (2,460 kph).
The F-22 was designed by Lockheed Martin with Boeing as a subcontractor, and beat out a design by Northrop Grumman and McDonnell Douglas.
Despite its role as an air superiority fighter, the F-22 had its first air-to-air kill on February 3, 2023, when it downed a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of North Carolina. The rest of its combat strikes have been against ground targets.
The U.S. is the only country that flies the F-22.
F-16 FIGHTING FALCON
Designed in the early 1970s as an air superiority fighter, General Dynamics' (GD.N), opens new tab F-16 Fighting Falcon has evolved into a multi-role fourth-generation fighter. More than 50 years after the F-16's first flight, the Air Force operates more than 800 significantly upgraded versions of the aircraft.
The plane was designed by General Dynamics, which later sold its aircraft manufacturing programs to Lockheed Martin. Roughly 4,600 F-16s had been built when production stopped in 2019. The plane is still in service in more than 25 countries: Argentina, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. and Venezuela. It was formerly flown by Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway.
Ukraine started flying the F-16 in 2024 in its war against Russia.
F-15 EAGLE/STRIKE EAGLE
The Air Force flies two versions of Boeing's F-15 - a single-seat air superiority fighter and a two-seat strike and interdiction fighter. The plane first flew in 1972. The U.S. military's latest version, the F-15EX, entered service in 2024. It can fire missiles from a greater distance than previous versions and has upgraded radars, sensors and networking capabilities.
The U.S. operates nearly 300 F-15s of all versions. More than 1,500 have been built.
The F-15 has seen considerable combat service in the Middle East for several countries. During the 1991 Gulf War, F-15s were credited with almost all of the 39 Iraqi aircraft shot down by the U.S. in air-to-air combat. It has also seen combat in service with Israel and Saudi Arabia. Various versions of the plane are also in service with Japan, Qatar, Singapore and South Korea.
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Ukraine will obtain up to 100 French-made Rafale warplanes over the next 10 years under a deal signed on Monday (17 November) with France, both countries said, as Kyiv seeks to bolster its defences against Russia's invasion.
Sweden has signed a letter of intent that could lead to it supplying up to 150 of its domestically produced Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced on Wednesday following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Germany and France are aiming to end a long-standing rift over their joint fighter jet project by August, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Emmanuel Macron push for unity in European defence.
India and Russia have discussed the timely delivery of the remaining S-400 air defence systems and upgrades to Su-30 fighter jets, alongside broader defence cooperation, during a key meeting at the SCO summit in China.
Real Madrid have parted ways with coach Xabi Alonso, appointing former defender Álvaro Arbeloa as his replacement.
Timothée Chalamet won the Golden Globe for best male actor in a musical or comedy on Sunday for his role in Marty Supreme, beating strong competition in one of the night’s most closely watched categories.
Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano is showing increased activity, with lava flowing from two summit craters and flames, smoke and ash rising from the caldera.
Bob Weir, the rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died at the age of 78, his family has said.
Israel has sharply escalated its warnings to Lebanon amid rising regional tensions linked to Iran, according to a report by the Lebanese newspaper Nida Al Watan.
Finland and Sweden have called for tougher economic measures against Russia, proposing higher import duties, export restrictions, and an EU ban on Russian energy shipments.
Finance ministers from the G7 and partner nations met in Washington on Monday to discuss a potential price floor for strategic rare-earth metals and ways to secure their supply. Representatives from Australia, Mexico, South Korea and India also attended the talks.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said allied nations are discussing “next steps” to ensure the security of the Arctic, citing concerns that Russia and China could become more active in the strategically important region.
The U.S. has issued an urgent security notice calling all American citizens to leave Iran immediately, citing escalating protests, growing violence and widespread communication shutdowns across the country.
Apple will use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models for its revamped Siri voice assistant later this year, in a multi-year deal that strengthens the tech giants’ partnership and boosts Alphabet’s position in the race against OpenAI.
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