Boeing Working on First F-47 Fighter, Expected to Fly in 2028: USAF Chief
Boeing has begun building the first F-47 fighter, with its maiden flight expected by 2028, US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said in his keynote address at a conference in Maryland.
In March, President Donald Trump announced that Boeing had clinched the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform contract to develop the sixth-generation fighter, with the USAF eyeing a fleet of at least 185 F-47s.
Meant to replace the F-22 Raptor, the aircraft is intended to ensure air superiority, featuring advanced stealth and operating alongside collaborative combat aircraft or “loyal wingmen.”
Most technical details remain classified, with only partial renderings released. Meanwhile, USAF officials cautioned that these images may not accurately represent the aircraft’s true design for security reasons.
Still, the service disclosed information about the F-47’s performance: it has a combat radius of more than 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 kilometers/1,151 miles) and speeds exceeding Mach 2, according to an official graphic published in May.
Rushed Timeline?
Some defense analysts and government officials have expressed skepticism regarding the F-47’s projected timeline, particularly as the finalization of its next-generation engine prototype has been pushed from 2027 to mid-fiscal 2030 due to supply chain issues.
Meanwhile, a Congressional Research Service report in November 2024 noted that “officials cast doubt on whether the Air Force could afford to develop the NGAD alongside programs including the B-21 Raider bomber and the Minuteman III ICBM replacement.”
However, Allvin emphasized, “We’re ready to go fast. We have to go fast,” in achieving air superiority in a highly contested environment and amid China’s progress in sixth-generation fighter development.
“As we look into the future, when we develop all of the next-generation capabilities, we can’t get enamored with the platforms. It’s not just the weapons and the weapon systems. We’ve got to understand systems over platform. It’s the things that link them together that makes it work,” TWZ quoted Allvin as saying.
