President Trump announced that Boeing would build the U.S. Air Force’s F-47 fighter as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, reports Tara Copp of the Associated Press. This advanced stealth jet will surpass current aircraft in stealth and range, which is crucial for future conflicts, especially with China. The $20 billion contract covers initial production, with more costs expected. Critics question the need for another manned fighter, but the Pentagon emphasizes NGAD’s superior capabilities and potential for unmanned versions.
President Donald Trump announced Friday that Boeing will build the Air Force’s future fighter jet, which the Pentagon says will have stealth and penetration capabilities that far exceed those of its current fleet and is essential in a potential conflict with China.[…]
Dominate the Skies
Get your first look at what will be the most advanced, lethal, & adaptable fighter ever developed… the U.S. Air Force’s F-47. pic.twitter.com/ca1CeBABb5
— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) March 21, 2025
Trump, who announced the award at the White House with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force leadership, said the new fighter would be named the F-47. Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, said, “We’re going to write the next generation of modern aerial warfare with this.” […]
The new sixth-generation stealth combat jet is expected to revolutionize air combat and could be fielded in the next decade. Boeing beat out Lockheed Martin for the contract after Northrop Grumman dropped out of the competition, reports Thomas Newdick and Tyler Rogoway of The War Zone. The NGAD program is part of a broader initiative to develop advanced systems, including autonomous drones, new engines, weapons, and sensors. The F-47 is designed to counter high-end threats from near-peer adversaries like China and Russia, focusing on long-range payload capabilities and advanced stealth features. The project is valued at $20 billion for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract, with hundreds of billions expected in future orders. The fighter will also play a key role within a broader air combat ecosystem, collaborating with drones to enhance mission effectiveness. They write:
In the biggest development for U.S. Air Force tactical air power in more than two decades, Boeing has been announced as the winner of the service’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) ‘fighter’ initiative. As the centerpiece of the NGAD effort, the new crewed sixth-generation stealth combat jet, now designated the F-47, is set to change air combat forever, with the Air Force hoping to begin fielding it in the next decade. […]
It’s also worth noting Lockheed Martin was reportedly recently dropped from the separate competition to build the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based stealth fighter, which is part of the service’s own (and somewhat confusingly named) NGAD effort. […]
Envisioned ostensibly as a successor to the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, the NGAD combat jet was always intended to provide airpower capabilities sufficient to counter near-peer adversaries such as China and Russia. Although the fighter remains highly classified, it’s widely assumed to be tailored to counter future high-end fights in the Indo-Pacific theater, in particular. […]
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