DefenseTrump raises possibility of changing F-47 fighter designation
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he could seek to change the designation of the U.S. Air Force’s future sixth-generation fighter, known as the F-47, if he ultimately decides he does not like the program.
The comments were made during remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump cited the aircraft while praising U.S. military equipment, revealed The TWZ.
Referring directly to the designation, Trump said the aircraft was called “47” and added that he could remove the number if he chose to do so. He did not explain what circumstances might prompt such a move, nor did he suggest an alternative name. The remarks introduce uncertainty around the branding of a program that the Air Force considers central to its future air superiority plans.
The F-47 is a crewed stealth fighter being developed under the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance program. In March 2025, the service selected Boeing as the prime contractor. The aircraft is intended to succeed the F-22 Raptor in high-end combat scenarios, with the Air Force planning to acquire at least 185 jets and bring the first operational examples into service toward the end of the decade.
The Air Force has previously outlined the reasoning behind the F-47 designation. The number references the World War II-era P-47 Thunderbolt, which later carried the F-47 designation after changes to U.S. military aircraft naming conventions. It also points to 1947, the year the U.S. Air Force became an independent service.
A further, less formal link is to Trump himself, who served as both the 45th and 47th president of the United States and publicly supported continuation of the program at a time when its future was uncertain.
Trump’s comments suggest that this personal association may no longer be viewed as essential. While no indication has been given that a designation change is being formally considered by the Air Force, the remarks highlight the unusual visibility of presidential influence over the identity of one of the military’s most important future combat aircraft.
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