Important Takeaways:
- “I’m thrilled to announce that, at my direction, the United States Air Force is moving forward with the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet,” Trump said from the Oval Office, flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- “Nothing in the world comes even close to it, and it’ll be known as the F-47,” Trump said.
- Trump said the jet has been in the works for a long period of time, and after a rigorous and thorough competition between America’s top aerospace companies, the Air Force has awarded the contract to make the jet to Boeing, which will be known as the Next Generation Air Dominance platform.
- “The F-47 will be the most advanced, most capable, most lethal aircraft ever built,” Trump explained, adding that an experimental version of the plane has secretly been flying for almost five years.
- “We’re confident that it massively overpowers the capabilities of any other nation,” he continued. “The F-47 is equipped with state-of-the-art stealth technologies — virtually unseeable and unprecedented power.”
- Trump said the plane would fly with “many drones,” adding, “that’s something that no other plane can do.”
- The president said a new fleet of the planes will be built and “in the air” during his administration, over the “next couple of years.”
- Trump also called the contract a “historic investment in our defense industrial base, helping to keep America at the cutting edge of aerospace and technology.”
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Important Takeaways:
- The Pentagon’s statement reads:
- “Today, U.S. military forces, including U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers, conducted precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. U.S. forces targeted several of the Houthis’ underground facilities housing various weapons components of types that the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels throughout the region. This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified. The employment of U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrate U.S. global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.
- For over a year, the Iran-backed Houthis, Specially Designated Global Terrorists, have recklessly and unlawfully attacked U.S. and international vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis’ illegal attacks continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce, threaten environmental catastrophe, and put innocent civilian lives and U.S. and partner forces’ lives at risk. At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel in one of the world’s most critical waterways.
- Again, the United States will not hesitate to take action to defend American lives and assets; to deter attacks against civilians and our regional partners; and to protect freedom of navigation and increase the safety and security in these waterways for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels. We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks. I am grateful for the professionalism and skill of the brave American troops who took part in today’s actions and who continue to stand guard in defense of our Nation.”
- The timing of such a strike makes perfect sense as it happened just as the tension between Israel and Iran is about to hit uncharted territory and the world awaits what is by all indications going to be a significant strike by Israel directly on Iran.
- Sending a very direct reminder that the U.S. has the ability to destroy extremely hardened sites with conventional weapons and it is willing to use them seems right on cue in terms of deterrence theater.
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