A twin engine F-35 variant may soon be in development, according to U.S. President Donald Trump. He recently proposed the idea of a new jet, which he called the F-55. This aircraft would build on the current F-35 design but with two engines instead of one. Trump made the announcement while talking about current upgrades to the F-35 program.
During his statement, Donald Trump said, “We’re also doing an F-55, and that’s going to be a substantial upgrade, but it’s also going to be also with two engines because the F-35 has a single engine. I don’t like single engines.”
The current F-35 program is undergoing a major update known as the Block 4 upgrade. This upgrade includes more than 75 improvements to the aircraft, including changes to its sensors, software, weapons, and capabilities. These upgrades are expected to begin later this summer.
Trump’s F-55 idea comes after Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet proposed a more advanced version of the F-35 in the past. This concept was described as a “Ferrari upgrade” and could include new adaptive cycle engines, advanced radar systems, infrared sensors, stealth drop tanks, and changes to the aircraft’s wings and control surfaces.
A similar concept has also been suggested before under different names. One example is the “FB-35,” a version of the F-35 designed for greater range and weapon payload rather than speed and agility. Another past proposal was called the “Joint Strike Raptor,” which would have combined the F-22 Raptor’s airframe with the F-35’s modern electronics.
F-22 Raptor production ended after 186 jets were delivered. To prevent the technology from spreading, the production tools were destroyed. In 2017, Congress requested a study on restarting F-22 production. The report estimated the cost at $61 billion for 194 new aircraft, which equals about $326 million per jet.
In 2018, Lockheed Martin made a separate offer to Japan to build a hybrid fighter using the F-22’s design and the F-35’s technology. The offer proposed that Japan would fund the start of production. This new fighter could then be purchased by Japan and the United States for about $177 million per aircraft. Adjusted for inflation, that would be around $280 million each today. That is nearly twice the cost of an F-35A.
That plan was not adopted. Both nations chose not to invest in a fighter based on older technology. However, the new F-55 concept would not require building a new plane from scratch. Instead, it could modify an existing production line, which may reduce costs.
Despite this, turning a single-engine fighter like the F-35 into a twin-engine jet would involve major redesigns. It would likely change the aircraft’s structure, stealth design, and many internal systems. While some refer to it as an upgrade, the scale of the changes might mean it is closer to a new design than an update.
There is a precedent for using a similar name for a different aircraft. Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet is a different jet from the original F/A-18 Hornet, but it kept the same name format. This helped present the aircraft as an improved version, even though it had a new design.
The idea of a twin-engine fighter could offer benefits such as more power, greater speed, and longer range. However, single-engine jets like the F-35 are widely used and considered reliable due to modern engine technology.
The proposal for the F-55 comes at a time when the U.S. military is already funding several major projects. These include the Navy’s new stealth fighter, new submarines, aircraft carriers, stealth bombers, and missile systems. Budget limits may affect how many programs can move forward at once.
Whether or not the F-55 becomes a real project remains unclear. It would require major investment and design changes. Further information from the Department of Defense or Lockheed Martin may clarify the proposal’s future.
