F‑47 faces skepticism over cost and Trump's export claims
Former United States Air Force Secretary, Frank Kendall, believes that allies will not be interested in the F-47 fighter jet. In his opinion, potential buyers may be deterred not by its capabilities, but by its price and the controversial statements of Donald Trump.
The American president decided to personally reveal the name F‑47. The aircraft is classified as a 6th generation fighter and is being promoted as groundbreaking equipment, similar to the F-22 Raptor at the time of its debut.
F-47 will be very expensive
Frank Kendall highlights issues that might prevent the F-47 from gaining recognition in other countries. Although its exact price has not yet been determined, initial estimates suggested it could reach up to £232 million. Ultimately, it will likely be lower but still significantly higher than the price of the F-35, which Lukasz Michalik, a journalist for WP, noted currently costs around £67 million each.
"I would be very surprised if our, any of our partners, were prepared to pay that unit cost for a new aircraft," said Frank Kendall.
F-47 export version to be inferior
Another problem, already apparent, is the statements made by Donald Trump, who claimed that the export version of the F-47 would have reduced capabilities, estimated at "about 10 percent".
Additionally, in recent weeks, the American president has intensified his rhetoric against many countries, including those considered long-standing allies of the United States. As a result, doubts have begun to surface regarding the purchase of the F-35, notably in Canada and Portugal.
"Another factor right now, of course, is that the attitude we've taken towards our allies is driving a lot of them to rethink their degree of cooperation and commitment and reliance on US sources for equipment," added Frank Kendall.
The F-47 will be built by Boeing. The fighter is expected to provide better stealth characteristics and a greater range than 5th generation aircraft. It is also intended to work seamlessly with unmanned aerial vehicles and achieve a speed of over Mach 2 (approximately 2,450 km/h).
