Boeing's Stunning Comeback: The Future of American Warplanes

The landscape of American warplane manufacturers has undergone significant changes in recent years. For nearly three decades, Lockheed Martin was the go-to company for building America's fighter jets, producing the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

In a surprising turn of events, Boeing won the contract for the sixth-generation F-47 in March 2025, beating out Lockheed Martin. Northrop Grumman had previously withdrawn from the competition to focus on building bombers, such as the B-21 Raider.

The emergence of new players in the market has also shaken things up. General Atomics and Anduril, a defense-tech startup, have been chosen to build the U.S. Air Force's first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, semi-autonomous jets designed to fly alongside crewed fighters.