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Posted on 05/16/2025 10:48:36 AM PDT by Fish Speaker
WASHINGTON — In keeping with his penchant for shocking the defense industry, President Donald Trump today seemingly revealed plans to develop a twin-engine version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter known as the F-55, as well as an upgraded “F-22 Super.”
But former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he was “mystified by Trump’s comments,” and analysts said that what the president described would be a highly challenging engineering endeavor on par with creating a clean-sheet aircraft. They also questioned the wisdom of spending scarce budget dollars on a twin-engine advanced F-35 when the newly announced F-47 is already planned to fill that niche.
“A two engine version of F-35 would be virtually a complete redesign,” Kendall told Breaking Defense. “It’s an option that was never presented and that we never considered, to my knowledge.”
Trump’s comments, made during a business roundtable in Doha this morning, indicated that there is an effort underway to add a second engine to the F-35, creating a jet with a “substantial upgrade” that would be purchased in addition to a future version of the F-35 with more modest enhancements.
“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,” he said at the event.
“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,” he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at breakingdefense.com ...
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In the sclerotic Pentagon anything new should be opposed.
Screw “da experts”. Ask Elon Musk to do it. He’ll use the great American ingenuity.
The democRATs want a solar powered F-35.
Make a garbage plane and call it the EFF-46
Test Flying The F-35: Interview With Monessa ‘Siren’ Balzhiser
https://theaviationist.com/2023/07/28/test-flying-the-f-35-interview-with-monessa-siren-balzhiser/
Lockheed Martin F-35 Filipina civilian test pilot
Elon Musk is probably already planning a three engine F-35.
Why not just build updated F-22s?
When the establishment says, “It’s not feasible”, it almost certainly is and the establishment simply feels threatened by changing the status quo.
Just to be clear, the F-22 is a twin-engine plane, and it is completely feasible ...
Experts are always wrong about DT
Trump didn’t just come up with this on a whim. He knows something
Elon will have a prototype for a twenty-engine F-35 land in the Rose Garden Monday morning.
The F-22 is a totally different airframe.
If you asked me to build twin engine with general characteristics of the F-35, I’d start with a blank slate. Trying to “reuse” existing designs usually results in an abortion like SLS.
You’re probably right. Like the song goes, “Never say DEI, Iron Eagle, “ (King Kobra)
Weapon System acquisition is a mess. I supported Navy, Army and Air Force. USAF was definitely the worst. They talk about engineering process, risk management, quality assurance, etc. For the most part, it’s just talk. They want to spend money. The money goes from taxpayers, to government bureaucrats, to defense contractors. That’s the whole story. That’s the point. Actually acquiring a working Weapon System?? Usually a complete afterthought. Everything is over budget, behind schedule, and fails to meet technical requirements. I have no respect for the pencil pushers who run that scam (Frank Kendall in particular — I’m glad he is now “former”).
1st, don’t forget,the sharks with laser beams on their heads is back ordered.
Really Fat Amy?
F-35L for Lizzo.
Sounds like a job for Space X
The F-22 demonstration I saw was off the charts fantastic. Mind blowing.
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