Why Is It Called the F-47? The Three Reasons Behind the Name
The F-47 takes its number from three things, according to the US Air Force: the P-47 Thunderbolt of the Second World War, the service’s founding in 1947, and Donald Trump, the 47th president. It is not the next number in line. American fighter designations had reached F-35, so the new jet skips eleven numbers.
This article explains the official reasoning, how the US designation system normally works, and a detail often missed: there has already been an F-47 in American service.
The official explanation
The designation was announced on 21 March 2025, when President Trump revealed in the Oval Office that Boeing had won the Next Generation Air Dominance contract. “The generals picked a title, and it’s a beautiful number, F-47,” he said.
In a statement the same day, Gen. David Allvin, then Air Force chief of staff, gave three reasons. The number honours the legacy of the P-47, pays tribute to the founding year of the Air Force, and recognises the 47th president’s support for the programme. For what the aircraft itself is, see what the F-47 is.
The three reasons, one by one
The P-47 Thunderbolt. Built by Republic Aviation, the P-47 first flew in May 1941 and became the most-produced American fighter of the war, with more than 15,600 built. It was the heaviest single-engine fighter of its day, carried eight heavy machine guns, and served as both a bomber escort and a ground-attack aircraft in Europe and the Pacific.
1947. The Air Force became an independent service on 18 September 1947, when it was separated from the Army under the National Security Act.
The 47th president. Trump is both the 45th and the 47th president. The Air Force statement credited his support for what it called the world’s first sixth-generation fighter. This is the reason that drew criticism, since US aircraft are not normally numbered after serving politicians.
How US fighters are normally numbered
Since 1962 American military aircraft have followed a common system: a letter for the mission, F for fighter, followed by the next number in sequence. In practice the sequence has been broken several times.
| Designation | Aircraft | Note |
|---|---|---|
| F-22 | Lockheed Martin Raptor | In sequence |
| YF-23 | Northrop prototype | Lost the competition to the F-22 |
| F-35 | Lockheed Martin Lightning II | Took its number from the X-35 demonstrator, skipping 24 to 34 |
| F-47 | Boeing NGAD fighter | Skips 36 to 46 |
So the F-47 is not the first out-of-sequence designation. The F-117 and the B-21, named for the 21st century, are other examples. What is new is choosing a number for its symbolism in three ways at once.
There was already an F-47
The P in P-47 stood for pursuit, the Army’s term for a fighter. In June 1948 the newly independent Air Force replaced P with F across its inventory, and the surviving Thunderbolts became F-47s. They flew with Air National Guard units into the early 1950s.
The new aircraft therefore reuses a designation that has been officially assigned before. The link to the Thunderbolt is closer than it first appears: the last P-47s ended their careers under exactly this name.
The politics of the number
The Air Force has presented the three reasons as complementary. Critics have argued that the presidential reference is the real one and the others were added to justify it. The service has not commented on how the number was chosen.
Trump himself has treated the name as open to change. Speaking at Davos on 21 January 2026 he said: “They called it 47. If I don’t like it, I’m going to take the 47 off it.” No change has been made.
Does the F-47 have a name?
Not yet, as far as has been announced. American aircraft usually receive a popular name as well as a designation, such as Raptor for the F-22 or Lightning II for the F-35, and it is often given close to service entry. We have seen no official name for the F-47 as of early October 2026, and the nicknames that circulate online are unofficial. A name is most likely to appear around the first flight planned for 2028.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the F-47?
The US Air Force says the number honours the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter of the Second World War, marks 1947 as the year the Air Force was founded, and recognises Donald Trump, the 47th president.
What does the F stand for in F-47?
F stands for fighter in the US military aircraft designation system used since 1962.
Why is the F-47 not called the F-36?
The Air Force chose 47 for its symbolism instead of taking the next number in sequence after the F-35. Out-of-sequence designations have been used before, including for the F-35 itself.
Was there an earlier F-47?
Yes. In 1948 the Air Force redesignated the P-47 Thunderbolt as the F-47, and it served with the Air National Guard into the early 1950s.
Does the F-47 have a nickname?
No official popular name has been announced. The F-22 is the Raptor and the F-35 the Lightning II; the F-47’s name is expected later.
Who named the F-47?
The Air Force chose the designation, and President Trump announced it on 21 March 2025. He said the generals had picked the title.
- The War Zone – First F-47 6th Generation Fighter Now Being Built: twz.com
- Interesting Engineering – Trump comments on the F-47 fighter at Davos: interestingengineering.com
- Spectrum News – Trump announces Boeing will build the F-47: baynews9.com
