The F-47: What Is Confirmed About America's Sixth-Generation Fighter, and What Is Not

The Boeing F-47 is the U.S. Air Force's sixth-generation fighter, and almost everything about it is classified except its schedule, its price tag and the size of the fleet. First flight is held to 2028. The Air Force intends to buy at least 185 aircraft.

This analysis sets out what is publicly confirmed about the F-47, what remains unknown, and why the program's design choices matter beyond one airframe.

Why the F-47 Matters

The F-47 is meant to replace the F-22 Raptor, the Air Force's air superiority fighter. It is the manned centerpiece of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) effort, which the Air Force describes as a "family of systems" that includes Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), uncrewed aircraft designed to fly alongside crewed fighters, according to Defense News.

That framing is the point. The Air Force is not buying a single better fighter. It is buying a system in which the crewed jet is one node. How the F-47 performs depends on what flies with it.

Program Background

The Air Force announced Boeing as the NGAD winner on March 21, 2025, ahead of Lockheed Martin. At that announcement, President Trump said: "America's enemies will never see it coming."

The program has moved quickly. On July 30, 2026, Gen. Dale White, the Air Force's director of Critical Major Weapon Systems, told an industry event in Dayton, Ohio, that the F-47 has entered engineering and manufacturing development (EMD), the phase that matures, integrates and tests every element of the aircraft. He said it did so with "unprecedented maturity," and described the work with industry as "extreme teaming." He added: "The F-47 will fly in this administration."

One caution on timing. Reporting from September 2025 said Boeing had already started building the first aircraft, so the July 2026 statement reaffirms work already under way. In September 2026, Aviation Week reported that the design remains on track for first flight within roughly two years, with major milestones still ahead.

"The F-47 will fly in this administration."

- Gen. Dale White, director of Critical Major Weapon Systems, U.S. Air Force, Defense News

Technical Profile

There is little to report, and that is the finding. The Air Force has not published dimensions, weight, engine type or sensor details. Press descriptions say the aircraft is expected to offer "much longer range," "enhanced stealth," and "more flexibility against future threats," and to work with CCA drones. Those are program goals, not measured data.

We found conflicting reporting about the engine, including claims of delay, and no official statement we could verify. We will not repeat it as fact.

Core Capabilities

The confirmed capability claim is a role: air superiority, as the F-22's successor, within a networked family of systems. Beyond that, readers should expect continued silence. For the export angle, see our analysis of why America will not sell the F-22 to allies.

Operational Limitations

• Unflown. The aircraft has not flown. Performance claims cannot be tested yet.
• Small fleet. At least 185 aircraft matches the size of the F-22 fleet. That is a small number for a service that wants to deter more than one adversary.
• Dependency. Value rises with CCA and networks. If those lag, the crewed jet carries more of the load alone.
• Cost visibility. The program received $3.45 billion in fiscal year 2026, and the fiscal 2027 request seeks more than $5 billion. No unit price has been published in the sources we reviewed.

Comparison to Peer Systems

Public data does not support a head-to-head comparison. The nearest allied programme is the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a UK, Italian and Japanese fighter planned to enter service in 2035 and to fly with loyal wingman drones and a combat cloud, per Breaking Defense. That comparison shows a shared design philosophy: a crewed fighter plus uncrewed partners. It tells us nothing about relative performance. Our piece on Germany and GCAP covers the allied side.

Combat Record or Field Performance

None. The F-47 has not flown, so it has no field record. Readers should be skeptical of any article that describes how it "performs." For a method to separate evidence from marketing, see how to evaluate a new weapons system beyond the spec sheet.

Procurement and Industrial Base Implications

Boeing is building test aircraft. White did not say how many. EMD will produce a small batch of test airframes and priced options for low-rate initial production. The fiscal 2027 request of more than $5 billion would be a step up from the $3.45 billion in 2026, which will test Congress's appetite as costs rise.

The decision also shapes the industrial base. Boeing's win keeps a second company in the business of designing crewed combat aircraft in the U.S., while Lockheed Martin's F-35 line continues. The Air Force's choice to hold fleet size equal to the F-22's signals a buy of capability rather than volume, with drones filling the numbers.

Final Assessment

The F-47 is a well-funded program that is on schedule by the Air Force's account, with first flight in 2028. Its real significance is architectural: the crewed jet is one part of a system. What we cannot say is how good it is. Until it flies and the first test data appears, the honest summary is "on schedule, classified, and unflown."

FAQs about the F-47

What is the Boeing F-47?

The U.S. Air Force's sixth-generation fighter, selected under the Next Generation Air Dominance effort in March 2025, intended to replace the F-22 Raptor.

When will the F-47 first fly?

The Air Force holds first flight to 2028. Gen. Dale White said the F-47 will fly in this administration.

How many F-47s will the Air Force buy?

At least 185, the same size as the F-22 fleet it is meant to replace, according to Defense News.

How much has the F-47 program been funded?

$3.45 billion in fiscal year 2026, with a fiscal 2027 request of more than $5 billion.

What do we know about the F-47's performance?

Very little. Details are classified and the aircraft has not flown. Press descriptions of longer range and enhanced stealth are program goals, not test results.