Page 10 - AHATA

A2 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 22 March 2025
Eyeing China threat, Trump announces Boeing wins contract for

secretive future fighter jet

By TARA COPP overall value to the govern-
Associated Press ment,” the official said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- The Air Force has not speci-
dent Donald Trump an- fied how many aircraft will
nounced Friday that Boe- be produced. In a state-
ing will build the Air Force’s ment, however, Allvin said
future fighter jet, which the there would be more F-47s
Pentagon says will have produced than F-22s, the
stealth and penetration advanced fighter jet it’s
capabilities that far exceed replacing. There are now
those of its current fleet and about 180 F-22 fighter jets in
is essential in a potential service.
conflict with China. A separate Navy contract
Known as Next Generation for its version of the NGAD
Air Dominance, or NGAD, fighter is still under compe-
the manned jet will serve tition between Northrop
as quarterback to a fleet Grumman and Boeing.
of future drone aircraft Last year, the Biden ad-
designed to be able to This graphical rendering provided by the U.S. Air Force shows the Next Generation Air Dominance ministration’s Air Force
penetrate the air defenses (NGAD) Platform, the F-47. On Friday, March 21, 2025, President Donald Trump announced that the secretary, Frank Kendall,
of China and any other Air Force had selected Boeing to produce the next generation fighter jet. ordered a pause on the
potential foes. The initial Associated Press NGAD program to review if
contract to proceed with Critics have questioned an estimated total cost of look like have been public, the aircraft was still needed
production on a version for the cost and the neces- at least $130 billion is also although Trump said early or if the program, which
the Air Force is worth an es- sity of the program as the planned. The first B-21 air- versions have been con- was first designed in 2018,
timated $20 billion. Pentagon is still struggling craft are now in test flights. ducting test flights for the needed to be modified to
The 47th president, who to fully produce its current With evolving drone and last five years. Renderings reflect the past few years of
announced the award at most advanced jet, the space warfare likely to be by both Lockheed Martin warfighting advances.
the White House with De- F-35, which is expected to the center of any fight with and Boeing have highlight- That review by think tanks
fense Secretary Pete Hegs- cost taxpayers more than China, Dan Grazier, a mili- ed a flat, tail-less aircraft and academia examined
eth and Air Force leader- $1.7 trillion over its lifespan. tary procurement analyst, with a sharp nose. what conflict with China
ship, said with a grin that In addition, the Pentagon’s questions whether “anoth- The selection of Boeing, would look like with NGAD
the new fighter would be future stealth bomber, the er exquisite manned fighter which has faced intense and then without it and
named the F-47. B-21 Raider, will have many jet really is the right plat- pressure from Trump over determined that NGAD
Gen. David Allvin, chief of of the same cutting edge form going forward.” Gra- cost overruns and program was still needed.
staff of the Air Force, said, technologies in advanced zier, director of the national delays on Air Force One, Kendall then left the deci-
“We’re going to write the materials, AI, propulsion security reform program at came after an indepen- sion on which firm would
next generation of modern and stealth. the Stimson Center, said dent analysis by the Air build the fighter jet to the
aerial warfare with this.” More than 1,100 F-35s have $20 billion is “just seed mon- Force, an official said on incoming Trump adminis-
And Hegseth said the fu- already been built for the ey. The total costs coming the condition of anonymity tration, a defense official
ture fleet “sends a very U.S. and multiple interna- down the road will be hun- to provide additional de- said, speaking on the con-
clear, direct message to tional partners. dreds of billions of dollars.” tails on the selection. The dition of anonymity to pro-
our allies that we’re not go- A fleet of about 100 future Few details of what the Boeing offer was still de- vide details on the deci-
ing anywhere.” B-21 stealth bombers at new NGAD fighter would termined to be the “best sion-making.q

Trump acknowledges concerns over Musk’s business interests

and says he shouldn’t get war plans

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that war plans should not be
shared with his adviser Elon Musk because of his business interests, a rare suggestion
that the billionaire entrepreneur’s expansive role in the administration will face limits.
Trump made the comments during an Oval Office meeting on developing a new fight-
er jet, and he rejected reports that Musk would be briefed on how the United States
would fight a hypothetical war with China.
“Elon has businesses in China,” the Republican president said. “And he would be sus-
ceptible, perhaps, to that.”
Trump praised Musk as a patriot. However, the reference to his businesses — which
include Tesla, an electric vehicle manufacturer trying to expand sales and production
in China is an unusual acknowledgement of concerns about Musk balancing his cor-
porate and government responsibilities.
Trump had previously brushed off questions about Musk’s potential conflicts of interest,
simply saying that he would steer clear when necessary.
The president said that Musk visited the Pentagon on Friday morning to discuss reduc-
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk listens as Republican ing costs, which he’s been working on through the Department of Government Ef-
presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks ficiency.
at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Oct. 5, 2024, in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Musk was there “to talk about efficiencies, to talk
Butler, Pa.
Associated Press about innovations.”q