President Donald Trump has announced that his administration is looking to upgrade U.S. fighter jets by creating a F-55 model.
Trump said in Qatar on Thursday that there will be a “simple upgrade” to the F-35, but that he also wanted to go further by developing an entirely new model.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, commonly referred to as the F-35, is a cornerstone of the U.S. Air Force, and has been used in missions across the world.
NATO allies—such as Italy, the U.K. and Norway—all use the F-35 due to its adaptability to a wide variety of combat and reconnaissance scenarios.
On Thursday, Trump attended an event with U.S. military forces stationed at the al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, before he was scheduled to fly to the United Arab Emirates for the next stage of his Middle East trip.
Commenting on the development of a F-55 fighter jet, he said: “That’s going to be a substantial upgrade, but it’s going to be also with two engines, because an F-35 has a single engine. I don’t like single engines.
“We’re going to do an F-55 and – I think, if we get the right price, we have to get the right price – that’ll be two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35, and then we’re going to do the F-22.
“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’ll be a very modern version of the F-22 fighter jet.”
The main difference between the two models will be the addition of a second engine in the F-55 aircraft, according to Trump. This would increase the safety of the aircraft in the event of a failure.
Two engines would also provide more thrust, which is better for flying at high altitudes and carrying heavier cargo.
However, twin-engine aircraft are typically heavier and larger than single-engine models, while also being more expensive and complex to manufacture and repair.
Adding an additional engine to the F-35 would be a huge engineering challenge, highly costly, and would effectively mean developing a new aircraft, according to aviation analysts.
“Adding an engine to the F-35 makes it a new aircraft,” a UK-based defense analyst, Francis Tusa, told Reuters.
Agency Partners aerospace analyst Nick Cunningham told the outlet that the plan instead may refer to the F/A-XX program, which is intended to replace the U.S. Navy’s Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Speaking to military personnel on Thursday, Trump said: “This is the finest we have, anywhere in the world, this is the finest we have. Nobody’s been stronger than the military in terms of backing us, nobody. So, I just want to thank you all very much. Great honor. Thank you very much.”
Trump’s next stop in the Middle East is the United Arab Emirates, which is his final destination of his tour.
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