F-47 fighter jet enters production phase, first flight planned for 2028
Picture: Reuters
The US Air Force has begun initial work to produce the sixth generation F-47 fighter jet. The aircraft is currently in the engineering and development phase, and a senior Air Force official said test flights are expected to begin within the next few years.
Gen. Dale White, Director of the Air Force’s key weapons systems division, said at an event in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday local time that the F-47 program has entered a new phase through ‘final integration’ with industry partners.
During this phase, all components of the F-47 will be further refined, integrated, and tested. A limited number of test aircraft will be built for evaluation. The phase also includes an option for low rate initial production. However, White did not disclose how many test aircraft will be produced.
The first Boeing F-47 is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2028. The Air Force plans to acquire at least 185 F-47 aircraft. That number will match the size of the F-22 Raptor fleet the F-47 is intended to replace.
Speaking at the Air Force Life Cycle Industry Days event, White said, “The F-47 will fly under the Trump administration.”
White also serves as a portfolio manager reporting directly to the Under Secretary of Defense. He is responsible for overseeing several weapons programs, including the F-47 and the B 21.
In March 2025, President Donald Trump announced that Boeing would move forward with developing the sixth generation F-47 under the Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, program. The F-47 is planned to replace the F-22 Raptor.
At the time, Trump said, “From speed to maneuverability, capability and payload, there has never been anything even close to it.”
He also said, “America’s enemies will never see it coming.”
NGAD is a family of systems that includes the F-47 and collaborative combat aircraft. Its objective is to establish air dominance. The F-47 is designed with a modular architecture to integrate new technologies and enhance long range strike capabilities.
The F-47 program received $3.45 billion in funding for fiscal year 2026. The proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 requests more than $5 billion for the program.
Source: Military Times (Adapted)
