WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today reacted to President Trump’s White House announcement that the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) sixth-generation fighter, now known as the F-47, will commence production under the aerospace company Boeing:

“Today is a great day for American airpower, and an even better day for peace and prosperity. I am delighted that President Trump has made the decision to move forward on NGAD/F-47, and I congratulate the Boeing Company. The NGAD/F-47 is a vital platform that would allow the United States to rule the skies for years to come,” Chairman Wicker said. “The new F-47 is a fine first step in a broader effort to revitalize peace through strength. I now look forward to working with President Trump on a massive scale-up of Collaborative Combat Aircraft, supercharging B-21 bomber production, and a broad revitalization of the defense industrial base.”

Chairman Wicker has long championed the NGAD/F-47 program. His May 2024 “Peace Through Strength” report calls for a major investment in national defense, adding that progress in funding the Collaborative Combat Aircraft should not come at the expense of NGAD/F-47. In October 2024, Chairman Wicker visited the Boeing facility in St. Louis, which will be primarily responsible for NGAD/F-47 production. Also in October, Wicker and Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, which argued for rapid Air Force platform modernization, starting with NGAD/F-47.