Apr 30, 2025 - Technology

Lockheed eyes "Ferrari" fighters following F-47 loss

Colin Demarest

An F-35 takes off at a high speed. The background, a dreary fall scene, is blurred. — An F-35 assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing takes off from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Photo: Sean Lamb/DVIDS

Lockheed Martin wants to supercharge its F-35 and F-22 fleets with technologies it cooked up while competing for the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance contract, CEO Jim Taiclet said.

Why it matters: The resultant aircraft would be what Taiclet coined "fifth generation plus" — stealthier and able to sense and strike at greater ranges.

"We're basically going to take the chassis and turn it into a Ferrari," he said during the company's first-quarter earnings call.

Driving the news: Boeing bested Lockheed in March for the right to build the NGAD fighter, now known as F-47. (The designation is a nod to President Trump as well as the World War II-era P-47.)

Both worked on X-planes alongside the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. They first flew in 2019 and 2022.
Taiclet said the company will not protest the Air Force's decision and is now applying information from the service's classified debrief.

By the numbers: There are more than 1,000 F-35s around the world. Lockheed expects 170-190 deliveries this year.

F-22s are far rarer.

Go deeper: Why Trump's F-35 offer signals closer U.S.-India ties

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Lockheed eyes "Ferrari" fighters following F-47 loss

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