F-47 Fighter Jet Program at Risk Amid Escalating U.S.-China Trade War
China’s decision to restrict exports of key rare earth elements in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs could jeopardize one of the Pentagon’s most ambitious next-generation fighter jet projects.
On April 4, Beijing announced a 34% tariff on all U.S. imports and imposed new export controls on seven critical rare earth elements — samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium — essential for advanced weapons and aerospace systems. These restrictions follow earlier curbs on other strategic minerals, including tungsten and molybdenum.
Rare earths are vital for manufacturing electric vehicles, electronics, and military-grade hardware. With China currently producing around 90% of the world’s supply, U.S. defense firms are heavily reliant on Chinese exports.
Among the programs potentially affected is the development of the F-47, America’s sixth-generation stealth fighter jet. The aircraft is the centerpiece of the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative, which aims to replace the F-22 Raptor. President Trump awarded the development contract to Boeing on March 21, touting it as the future backbone of U.S. air power.
“The move signals China’s readiness to leverage its dominance in rare earth production in response to Washington’s trade aggression,” Newsweek reported. “It also raises concerns that the NGAD program could be caught in the crossfire.”
According to the Congressional Research Service, about 5% of rare earth consumption in the U.S. is for defense purposes. Each F-35 fighter, for example, requires over 900 pounds of rare earth elements to build critical components like electronic warfare systems, radar, and actuators.
Yttrium is especially important for producing heat-resistant engine coatings and high-frequency radar systems, according to clean energy site Cleantechnica. Meanwhile, elements like neodymium and dysprosium are key to making high-performance magnets and radar arrays essential for the F-47.
SFA Oxford, a UK-based consultancy, notes that the F-47’s cutting-edge stealth and combat features rely on a combination of rare earth elements and strategic metals like tungsten and titanium — all of which may now be harder to obtain.
Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping told the Global Times that China’s move targets a core vulnerability in U.S. defense production. “Heavy and medium rare earths are crucial in missiles, radar, and permanent magnets. They are expensive, difficult to extract, and now being used strategically,” he said.
While the Air Force has not released detailed specifications for the F-47, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin has said it will include “next-gen stealth, integrated sensors, and long-range strike capabilities designed to defeat the most sophisticated adversaries.”
The Air Force plans to procure between 220 and 250 of the new jets. A 2018 report from the Congressional Budget Office estimated a per-unit cost of $300 million — a figure likely to rise amid global supply constraints.
Gen. Allvin has said the F-47 “will take flight during President Trump’s term,” meaning Boeing and the Air Force have until January 2029 to deliver. But with rare earths now at the center of an escalating trade dispute, the program may face serious delays or cost overruns.
“In a moment when the U.S. is accelerating NGAD development, securing reliable access to critical raw materials is as strategically important as the weapons themselves,” SFA Oxford warned.
(According to Newsweek, Global Times, Reuters)
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