TSAMTO, February 27. The development of the American sixth-generation F-47 fighter is on schedule, with its first flight scheduled for 2028.
This, according to RIA Novosti, was reported by Air & Space Forces magazine with reference to US Air Force General Dale White, who oversees the relevant program.
"The development of a promising sixth-generation F-47 fighter is proceeding according to plan. The aircraft is scheduled to take off in the next two years ... the US Air Force is committed to an ambitious plan to introduce a new fighter to gain air superiority by 2028," the newspaper writes.
As the agency recalls, in March 2025, Donald Trump, who is the 47th president of the United States, introduced the F-47 fighter jet, which is to become the first sixth-generation combat aircraft. He said it would be "the most advanced, powerful and deadly aircraft ever built."
The Trump administration has requested $3.5 billion for the program in the Fiscal year 2026 budget.
CAMTO Reference
In mid-2025, the US Air Force Command revealed some data on the sixth-generation stealth fighter F-47, which is being developed by Boeing.
On May 13, 2025, the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, General David Allwin, posted an infographic on social media, according to which the range of the F-47 air superiority aircraft will exceed 1,000 nautical miles and the maximum speed will be 2M. Based on the publication, the fleet of F-47 fighters of the US Air Force will amount to at least 185 aircraft, which is comparable to the fleet of F-22 Raptor.
The aircraft is expected to be in service by the end of the decade. Earlier, Boeing told Jane's Defense Weekly that the F-47 will make its first flight before the end of the current president's term in 2029.
In March 2025, the US Air Force Command announced the signing of a contract with Boeing for the design, construction and supply of the next-generation F-47 fighter.
At the last stage of the competition, Boeing competed for the contract for the design and supply of NGAD (Next-Generation Air Dominance) aircraft with Lockheed Martin, after Northrop Grumman refused to participate in the project in 2023. The cost of the contract for the implementation of the first stage of work is estimated at $ 20 billion.
As stated, the NGAD platform will open a new generation of fighter aircraft of the United States Air Force, which will feature improved flight range, survivability, firepower and adaptability to new threats.
NGAD is considered to provide an air superiority "family of systems" that includes several elements, including unmanned aerial vehicles that accompany a manned combat aircraft in carrying out tasks. The platform ordered by Boeing will become the central node in the NGAD family of systems.
According to previously announced plans, the US Air Force may eventually order up to 200 NGAD manned aircraft, supported by a fleet of 1,000 attack UAVs purchased under the CCA (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) program. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) is currently competing with the YFQ-42A UAV and Anduril Industries with the YFQ-44A.
