The Boeing F-47, the US Air Force's future sixth-generation air-superiority fighter, has entered the production phase, with manufacturing activity already under way at Boeing's St. Louis facility. Boeing was formally selected for the aircraft in March 2025 under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative.

Designed as the successor to the F-22 Raptor, the F-47 will form the centrepiece of a broader networked combat ecosystem intended to maintain US air superiority against increasingly sophisticated threats in the coming decades.

Current plans call for the procurement of at least 185 aircraft, although the final fleet size could increase as the program matures.

The US Air Force is targeting a maiden flight in 2028, with operational service expected between the late 2020s and early 2030s.

The aircraft has been designed with a combat radius exceeding 1,000 nautical miles, significantly extending its reach beyond that of existing US tactical fighters. This increased range is intended to support operations across vast theatres such as the Indo-Pacific, where long distances and limited tanker support present major operational challenges.

Performance targets indicate a top speed greater than Mach 2, enabling the aircraft to combine high-speed penetration with advanced survivability in heavily contested airspace.

A defining feature of the F-47 is its advanced stealth architecture. The aircraft is expected to incorporate next-generation low-observable technologies, improved thermal management and a highly modular design philosophy that will allow future upgrades to be integrated more rapidly than on previous fighter platforms.

The fighter is also being developed to operate alongside Collaborative Combat Aircraft, autonomous drone wingmen that can undertake reconnaissance, electronic warfare, decoy, sensor and strike missions. In this concept, the F-47 will act as a command-and-control node, directing multiple uncrewed systems while remaining at the centre of the air battle network.

The program reflects a wider shift towards manned-unmanned teaming, where a single crewed aircraft can coordinate several autonomous platforms to expand combat capability without proportionally increasing risk to pilots.

Early production aircraft and prototypes are expected to use interim propulsion systems before more advanced adaptive-cycle engines become available. These next-generation engines, anticipated to enter service during the 2030s, are expected to provide greater fuel efficiency, range, electrical power generation and thermal management for future sensors and weapons.

The F-47 represents the most ambitious US fighter aircraft development effort since the F-22. By combining long range, high speed, advanced stealth, open-architecture design and integration with autonomous combat drones, the aircraft is intended to secure American air superiority well into the middle of the 21st century.

Agencies