Trump's F-55 Fighter Jet

[Signal Witch]

Trump's F-55 Fighter Jet



In May 2025, Donald Trump mentioned an “F-55” fighter jet during a public event in Qatar, calling it a twin-engine upgrade of the F-35. He criticized the single-engine design and implied this new jet was already in development.
No such designation exists in Pentagon procurement records. Aviation Week, Reuters, and Defense One all confirm that no formal program called “F-55” has been disclosed. Defense sources say Trump was not shown any prototype or mockup.
Converting the F-35 to a twin-engine platform is widely considered infeasible. Engineers agree it would require an entirely new fuselage, airframe layout, stealth shaping, fuel system, and flight control logic. In effect, it would be a new aircraft, not an upgrade.
The more likely explanations are:

• A misinterpretation of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 “Block 5+” proposals, which do not include twin engines.
  
• A reference to a Navy F/A-XX concept with design lineage from the F-35.
  
• A political talking point detached from actual acquisition programs.
  

The U.S. Air Force has already selected Boeing’s F-47 under NGAD. If something resembling an “F-55” does exist, it would have to be part of a black project, or an entirely new airframe aimed at export or Navy use.
As of now, there’s no technical data, budget line, or test flight record suggesting the F-55 is real.



What do you think?

1. If the F-55 isn’t real, what might Trump have actually seen or been briefed on?
Could he have been referencing a classified demonstrator?

2. Is it possible that a twin-engine derivative of the F-35 was explored behind closed doors?
Not publicly, but could a black variant exist?

3. Could the F-55 label be a placeholder for a Lockheed answer to the Navy's F/A-XX competition?
If so, would it share anything with the F-35 beyond general shaping?

4. Could the F-55 be a load of BS?
 Is the F-55 just Trumpian theater... a spewage of sewage dressed up as strategy?

[Zaphod58]

I’ll betting it’s a placeholder, probably for F/A-XX.

[Maxmars]

It's always possible that the 'flub' was feigned to served another purpose... 
but this isn't Hollywood 

[imitator]

Ah... maybe he's talking about that invisible plane?

You can’t see it. You literally can’t see it. It’s hard to fight a plane you can’t see.  -- Trump
He also said: “That’s an expensive plane you can’t see. 

Trump hails 'invisible' plane in remarks to coast guard: 'The enemy cannot see it'

[Avicula]

I’m convinced that his “two engine” F-35 was just Trump’s understanding of the adaptive cycle engine programs currently underway to possibly replace the F-135 somewhere down the road. I suspect that in these briefings, he’s more focused on the photos than what’s being relayed and, like a lot of people, he gets keyed in on broader concepts instead of the specifics.