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BREAKING
Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Qatar temporarily closes its airspace "for the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors."
Al Mayadeen: Israeli warplanes raid the outskirts of Al-Aishiya and Al-Mahmoudiya, Southern Lebanon.
Israeli media: Direct damage from Iranian bombing of "Israel" in one week is estimated at approximately 5 billion shekels (about $1.35 billion)
Unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis or justification: Putin
Shahid Beheshti University Public Relations: The Israeli aggression targeted a building belonging to Shahid Beheshti University with the aim of sabotaging Iran's cultural and scientific infrastructure
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The Fordow nuclear facility was bombed once again, 24 hours after the US aggression.
Fars News Agency, citing informed sources: The Iranian Armed Forces used the Kheibar-Shekan, Emad, Ghadr, and Fattah missiles in their attacks on the Israeli entity today
Sirens sound from the occupied Golan Heights to Akka and Nahariya
Sirens sound again in the occupied Golan Heights and al-Jalil
Israeli media: Power outages reported in several settlements following a missile attack targeting an infrastructure facility

US fighter jet development now takes over 20 years, DoD says

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 10 Jun 2025 20:14
3 Min Read

The Pentagon warns that US military tech now takes decades to develop as Trump reveals the F-47 stealth jet flew secretly for 5 years amid growing procurement delays.

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  • This graphical rendering provided by the US Air Force shows the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform, the F-47 (US Air Force via AP)
    This graphical rendering provided by the US Air Force shows the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform, the F-47 (US Air Force via AP)

The United States military's ability to rapidly develop new weapons systems has drastically slowed, with modern fighter jets now requiring over two decades to reach combat readiness, according to a senior Pentagon official.

General John Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, raised alarm Tuesday in written testimony submitted to the House Appropriations Committee. He contrasted today’s development pace with historical benchmarks, including the B-29 Superfortress, a World War II-era bomber that moved from design to deployment in under five years.

“Technology like the B-29 Superfortress and the nuclear submarine went from concept to combat in under 5 years. Today, it takes 16 years to develop a basic ground vehicle and more than 20 years for a fighter jet,” Caine wrote.

Trump touts new stealth fighter

The testimony follows recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who in March unveiled the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. Trump announced that the program's centerpiece, the F-47, a sixth-generation fighter jet, has already been secretly operational for five years.

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Describing the F-47 as unmatched globally, Trump emphasized that the NGAD platform would maintain US air superiority for decades.

Similarly, in the maritime arena, in May, US Navy Secretary John Phelan acknowledged that the Navy is also facing extensive delays and financial inefficiencies in its shipbuilding efforts. Despite billions of dollars in investment, critical projects remain behind schedule and over budget, he admitted.

Military supremacy in deep water

The Economist reported in February that the US military must adjust several issues in order to maintain its status as a world-class military force capable of conducting and winning a war against China, including its armed forces themselves.

The second is the defense industry, which has to shift its focus to newer, more creative enterprises. The third is the least understood and least likely to change, but it is critical to resolving everything else: the "pork-barrel politics" of defense expenditure. 

The report notes that on the front lines in Ukraine, satellites and drones equipped with various sensors are constantly monitoring every inch of the battlefield, while artificial intelligence (AI) instantaneously analyzes the information they collect.

It is far simpler for either team to notice and attack anything that moves now than it was in the past, which is why massive, old-fashioned offensives have made so little progress.

America has had a significant role in these transformations as it assisted Ukrainian troops in developing more powerful and less expensive drones than those deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as an AI "kill chain" in which targets are recognized and targeted. 

  • United States
  • Donald Trump
  • Department of Defense
  • US Navy
  • US Air Force

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