US President Donald Trump has announced that aviation giant Boeing will build the next-generation fighter jet F-47 for the American Air Force.

Talking to media in the presence of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Oval office last night, President Trump said, F-47s will be the most advanced, capable and lethal aircraft ever built. He said, United States will sell a toned-down version of the aircarft to certain allies.

The announcement is seen as a major blow to Lockheed Martin, Boeing’s main competitor and maker of the high-profile F-35 and F-22 Raptor fighter jets. Once made available, the F-47s are expected to replace Raptors in combined aerial missions alongside drones.

Media reports said, F-47s are part of America’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) effort which intends to succeed the F-22 and be a linchpin for collaborative combat aircraft (CCA). NGAD envisions sixth-generation fighters supported by sophisticated robotic wingmen to primarily rival Chinese fighter aircraft in the Indo-Pacific and counter Russian challenges as well.