Speaking Friday at the unveiling of Boeing’s new 787-10 Dreamliner, President Trump suggested he may decide on a large purchase of new advanced F/A-18XT Super Hornets. Trump had travel to the Boeing plant in North Charleston, South Carolina and spoke in front of an enthusiast crowd reported to be at about 5000 people.
Watch: Trump Suggests ‘Big Order’ for Advanced Super Hornet
“We are looking seriously at a big order,” he told the audience at Boeing’s South Carolina facility during the unveiling of the company’s 787 Dreamliner. “Do you care if we use the F-18 Super Hornets?”
“While Boeing demonstrated advanced Super Hornet capabilities in flight in 2013, the package of upgrades has evolved to best complement F-35, EA-18G and E-2D as they will be operating together in the air wing well into the 2040s,” Boeing said in a description of the XT/Block III aircraft.
Boeing developed the Block III jet concept to “address the strike fighter shortfall as well as to ensure the air wing has the capabilities needed to win in the 2020s and beyond,” the description said. – DoDBuzz
Watch: The Advanced Super Hornet in Flight
On December 22, 2016 before taking office Trump sent out a Tweet saying, “Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!”
According to reports, after his speech Friday Trump expressed enthusiasm for the new Hornet saying, “The F-18’s a great plane and now put a stealth component onto it.”
Clearly President Trump is putting a full court press on Lockheed Martin and the F-35 program as it appears he has decided that it makes sense to purchase Advanced Super Hornets and possibly less F-35’s for the Navy.
It was also stated that White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus was seen at the Boeing event holding a brochure for the F/A-18 XT.
Image of the Advanced Super Hornet by Boeing
Featured image of Advanced F/A-18XT Super Hornet by Boeing