Boeing has officially begun production of the first F-47, the U.S. Air Force’s sixth-generation stealth fighter, with its inaugural flight expected in 2028.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin shared an update on the program during his keynote at the 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced Boeing as the winner of the manned fighter competition under the broader Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative — a program that also covers Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, advanced engines, weapons, sensors, and battle management systems.
“After years of effort, countless lab hours, and thousands of test hours, we now have the F-47,” Allvin said. “Together with the rest of the NGAD ecosystem, it will ensure air dominance well into the future.”
Most technical details of the F-47 remain classified. Only two official renderings have been released so far, which may not fully represent the aircraft’s final design. What is known is that the jet is expected to exceed 1,000 nautical miles in combat radius, surpass Mach 2, and feature next-generation stealth technologies for both radar and infrared signature reduction.
The Air Force plans to acquire at least 185 F-47s, though the total number may evolve over time. Unit cost is estimated to be up to three times higher than that of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, potentially over $300 million each.
The F-47 is seen as a cornerstone of the Air Force’s future force structure and is expected to play a crucial role in any potential high-end conflict, particularly in the Pacific theater against China.
