On March 21, President Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin surprised the world by announcing a $20 billion contract with Boeing to produce the F-47 NGAD, the sixth-generation stealth fighter of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD).
The President also confirmed that the NGAD had been secretly flying for more than five years (probably at the Air Force’s Edwards AFB in California).
Shown is a graphical artist rendering of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform. The rendering highlights the Air Force’s sixth generation fighter, the F-47. The NGAD Platform will bring lethal, next-generation technologies to ensure air superiority for the Joint Force in any conflict. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
The F-47 NGAD prioritizes range, stealth, and advanced technologies, including adaptive engines and AI-enhanced sensors.
These enable unmatched situational awareness and potential unmanned team operations.
“For the past five years, the X-planes for this aircraft have been quietly laying the foundation for the F-47—flying hundreds of hours, testing cutting-edge concepts, and proving that we can push the envelope of technology with confidence,” said General Allvin. “These experimental aircraft have demonstrated the innovations necessary to mature the F-47’s capabilities, ensuring that when we committed to building this fighter, we knew we were making the right investment for America.
“While the F-22 is currently the finest air superiority fighter in the world, and its modernization will make it even better, the F-47 is a generational leap forward,” added General Allvin. “The maturity of the aircraft at this phase in the program confirms its readiness to dominate the future fight.”
Numbers Only Slightly More Than The F-22
But why is the Air Force only planning on buying 200-250 F-47s? The F-47 is being used to replace the F-22, which is still considered the best air superiority fighter in the world but only produced 186 aircraft.
The biggest drawback of the outstanding F-22 is that the Air Force only has 150-180 combat-coded F-22s. China, meanwhile, is producing hundreds of highly capable J-20s with J-35s on the way.
The Enormous Shift In Aerial Combat Technology
Shown is a graphical artist rendering of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform. The rendering highlights the Air Force’s sixth generation fighter, the F-47. The NGAD Platform will bring lethal, next-generation technologies to ensure air superiority for the Joint Force in any conflict. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
When considering the macro view of the F-47 NGAD, one must understand how the Air Force conducts its aerial combat technology and plans to fight wars in the future.
The Air Force has shifted from fifth-generation platforms like the F-35, focused on individual aircraft capabilities, to sixth-generation systems built around integrated, networked air combat systems.
Why The F-47 Is Such a Game-Changer
The F-47 is at the heart of all these changes. The F-47 isn’t just a single stealth aircraft; its entire package of systems will be second to none, with its long-range strike capacity, advanced sensors, and survivability.
As the Air Force explained, it is “a system of systems”—an ecosystem of crewed and uncrewed aircraft designed to operate in contested airspace. The role of the F-47 is the “drone quarterback,” commanding and coordinating a suite of technologies, most notably uncrewed autonomous drones known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs).
The Air Force’s new philosophy is that future air superiority will not depend on one aircraft doing it all but more on a coordinated team of aircraft led by one pilot doing different things exceptionally well.
The pilot won’t be only flying a fighter; he’ll be in a highly advanced stealth aircraft that will manage a battle with autonomous wingmen, where he can make split-second decisions to move his drone force into combat situations where they can force the outcome of a battle with fewer manned aircraft. The Air Force plans on building 1,000 or more of these autonomous drones.
So, those 250 F-47s will be a combined force of 1250 or more dedicated aircraft. Like an NFL quarterback commanding an offense to move down the field, the drone quarterback will control his “dedicated wingmen” to force the outcome. The pilot becomes a command and control hub for a dedicated force.
The drones are slated to cost about $30 million. That would lower the overall cost of the project.
“That’s why the F-47 matters. It’s not just the follow-on to the F-22 or F-35 – it represents a different kind of airpower. The move from platform-centric to network-centric warfare means that command, coordination, and connectivity are now the keys to air dominance,” Dr. Andrew Latham wrote.
The costs associated with this program will be high, with upgrades that will be needed, but it is a very far-forward leap in developing how our warfighters conduct their business.
The Air Force isn’t looking to continue how wars are fought. They focus on fighting how wars will be fought in the future.
That’s the part of this that is truly revolutionary.
The F-47, while it promises to be an awesome addition to the air fleet, isn’t really about a single stealth fighter. It’s about changing how the US projects air power in the future. And it looks (on paper) very promising.
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.
