On May 14, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced the development of a new sixth-generation fighter jet, the F-55, and the modernization of the legendary F-22 Raptor, calling these projects key to maintaining the superiority of American aviation. The speech, which took place in Doha during a meeting with the leadership of Boeing and other defense companies, caused a wide resonance.

Trump stressed that the new developments will strengthen the US position in the face of competition with China, which, according to him, is actively copying American technologies.

The F-55 fighter jet, according to Trump, will be a significant improvement over the F-35 Lightning II, which is undergoing a “simple upgrade.” The main difference with the F-55 is the use of two engines, which, as the president noted, will increase reliability in combat. “I’ve never been a fan of single-engine airplanes. Even the best engines can fail, and at that point, it’s better to have a spare,” he said. Although technical details of the F-55 remain classified, experts suggest that the aircraft will be part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which began in 2018. This initiative aims to create a “family of systems” that includes manned fighters and unmanned “loyal wingmen.” According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the F-55 could gain advanced stealth technology, sensors, and the ability to control drones, surpassing the capabilities of the F-35 and F-22.

Trump also announced a return to the F-22 Raptor project, which ended production in 2012 due to high costs (about $350 million per unit). The new F-22 Super, he said, will be an “advanced version of the most beautiful fighter in the world,” capable of outperforming its peers. The president hinted that China copied the F-22’s appearance for its J-20 and J-36, but was unable to replicate American technology. As U.S. Air Force General David Alwin noted in an interview with Defense News, the F-22 upgrade includes upgrades to stealth coatings, sensors, and control systems to extend the service life of the 180 existing jets until 2040.