The race to build the fighter planes of the future
They can hold more fuel, carry more weaponry and boast more computing power
“THERE’S NEVER been anything even close to it—from speed to manoeuverability…to payload,” gushed Donald Trump, as he announced on March 21st that America’s future fighter jet, the F-47, would be built by Boeing, an aerospace giant. The jet is one of several so-called sixth-generation aircraft on drawing boards around the world.
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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Flying supercomputers”
From the May 17th 2025 edition
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