Key Points and Summary: The U.S. Air Force’s sixth-generation F-47 stealth fighter, emerging from the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, promises unparalleled capabilities, including advanced stealth, adaptability, and long-range performance.
-1 Big Number: However, its projected $300 million per aircraft cost raises sustainability concerns.
-Historical lessons from the costly F-22 Raptor and more affordable F-35 Lightning II highlight the importance of foreign military sales to spread costs.
-President Trump has indicated that the F-47 will be available for export, potentially in a modified version.
-Additionally, integrating Collaborative Combat Aircraft (loyal wingman drones) could further offset expenses, enhancing operational flexibility and affordability, ensuring U.S. air superiority for decades.
What Happens if the Boeing F-47 NGAD Does Cost $300,000,000 Per Plane?
The F-47, the future sixth-generation stealth fighter that has emerged from the Next Generation Air Dominance program, is expected to be the most advanced aircraft in the world.
“The F-47 sends a very direct, clear message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere and to our enemies that we can, and we will, be able to project power around the globe, unimpeded, for generations to come,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on the day the aircraft’s purchase was announced.
In a statement on the F-47, Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin said, “Compared to the F-22, the F-47 will cost less and be more adaptable to future threats—and we will have more of the F-47s in our inventory.
“The F-47 will have significantly longer range, more advanced stealth, be more sustainable, supportable, and have higher availability than our fifth-generation fighters. This platform is designed with a ‘built to adapt’ mindset and will take significantly less manpower and infrastructure to deploy.”
However, one issue needs to be resolved: The cost of the aircraft.
The Cost of the F-47 Is Expected To Be $300 Million
The F-47 is not going to be delivered at bargain-basement prices. It borders on the unsustainable at a cost of $300 million per aircraft. Despite how advanced the aircraft is, such a high price is a problem.
To drive down costs, perhaps the Air Force and the Defense Department need to come to an agreement that uses history to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Lessons Learned From the F-22 and F-35 Should Play Into Costs
When the F-22 was first developed, many U.S. allies and partner nations wanted to buy the aircraft—which makes perfect sense.
Today, the Raptor is still the best fighter in the world (until the F-47 is operational). However, an act of Congress specifically barred the F-22 from export.
Its use was restricted to the U.S. Air Force, eliminating any opportunity to disperse costs via foreign military sales. This spread the fixed research-and-development costs across a much smaller, U.S.-only fleet, driving up the per-unit price.
The end of the Cold War, diminished hostilities between the United States and Russia in its immediate aftermath, and slashed defense budgets also contributed to the decision to only build the F-22 in limited numbers.
The cost of the F-22 was slated to be $140 million per aircraft. However, the research-and-development and maintenance costs drove the price up to $350 million per aircraft. Part of that was due to the Air Force cutting down procurement to just 186 F-22s.
The F-35 program was different. U.S. allies also wanted that aircraft, and this time around, the U.S. relented. Exporting the F-35, and involving allies in the jet’s production, were key factors in helping reduce per-unit costs for the Lightning II compared to the more expensive F-22 Raptor.
The F-35’s multiple international partners (20 and counting) and aircraft sales abroad help offset the costs of research, development, and production and allow economies of scale to take form.
President Trump Says The US Will Export the F-47
“Our allies are calling constantly,” U.S. President Donald Trump said, hinting that foreign military sales could be on the table for American allies. “They want to buy them also,” he added while joking about the price with reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump added that the United States “will be selling them,” though potentially in an export configuration. “We like to tone them down about ten percent,” he said, adding that “probably makes sense because someday, maybe they’re not our allies, right?”
NGAD Fighter. Artist Rendering.
Like the F-35, if a number of allies operate the F-47, U.S. enemies will have to consider whether they can deal with all of them, at any time, anywhere around the globe. This makes the collective defense of the U.S. and its allies much stronger.
There are more than 1,100 F-35s in operation around the world, with nearly half in the hands of U.S. allies. This also means that operators can mutually support and maintain each other’s aircraft if the need arises.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft Program
There is another opportunity for allies to possibly offset the costs of the F-47 fighter. Between 2025 and 2029, the Department of Defense will allocate $8.9 billion to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program to develop drones that will fly as loyal wingmen alongside the F-47.
The Air Force announced the designation of two Mission Design Series within its CCA program this week: General Atomics’ YFQ-42A and the YFQ-44A by Anduril.
They are expected to be ready to fly this summer, and each will play a vital role in the F-47 program. The drones will be commanded and led by a pilot in the F-47 to accomplish certain missions.
These are ways for the Air Force to slash the costs of the F-47. With a fleet of F-47s and B-21 Raider stealth bombers, the U.S. will maintain its technological edge in the skies for the foreseeable future.
It is entirely possible that the F-47 may become the last manned fighter jet in the Air Force.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
