Summary and Key Points: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood, a defense analyst and former US Army Infantry officer, evaluates the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program’s progress since Boeing secured the contract in March 2025.
-Despite early concerns regarding the $300 million unit cost and complex manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) requirements, the F-47 is meeting its milestones.
F-47 Fighter. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force.
F-47 Fighter from U.S. Air Force.
-This 19FortyFive report analyzes the aircraft’s projected Mach 2.5 speed, 1,000nm combat radius, and its ability to deploy nuclear-tipped hypersonic weapons while commanding Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones in highly contested A2/AD environments.
Beyond the F-22 Raptor and F-35: How the F-47 NGAD is On Track for a 2028 Maiden Flight
It’s good news when a complex defense acquisition program is on track. Many military hardware projects endure schedule slips and cost over-runs, and critics run to exclaim that these projects are taxpayer rip-offs. That’s why recent reports about the new F-47 NGAD are so encouraging.
I Have Been a Skeptic About This Timeline
According to an Air Force acquisition official, the next-generation fighter is meeting milestones. The F-47 is on track to fly in 2028. I was one of the early skeptics of the program. I have written that the timeline for the Next Generation Air Dominance platform was optimistic, and because of the complicated technology involved, the airplane was probably not going to emerge until at least 2029. Perhaps I’m wrong, and that is an encouraging development for the Air Force.
Expectations Are Being Met
Boeing received the contract for the fighter in March 2025. The announcement was made in White House by U.S. President Donald Trump in a packed Oval Office. Currently, the F-47 is making the Air Force smile.
“We’re doing exceptionally well,” Air Force General Dale White told reporters at AFA’s Warfare Symposium, as noted by Air and Space Forces magazine.
F-47 Infographic. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force
F-47 NGAD Fighter Possible Image. Image Credit: Screenshot.
So Far So Good For the NGAD
Earlier, Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin predicted the F-47 would grace the skies in 2028. That’s when I sounded the alarm—I didn’t think the service and Boeing could meet this timeline without problems. However, the Air Force is singing a rousing tune about the prime contractor.
“Boeing has done a really good job of ramping up the personnel piece,” White said. “In the early phases of these programs … you typically watch the personnel ramp against the timeline and activities you have to have to get done. They’ve done very well with that.”
Could Nearly 200 NGADs Be Built?
It remains undecided how many F-47s the Air Force needs, or what can be produced under current budget constraints. The service probably will acquire 100 fighters,, but that could rise to 185 F-47s if the Air Force and Boeing are successful in meeting requirements and deadlines.
This Is a Dream of a Fighter Jet
The F-47 should be a modern marvel. It is projected as part ultra-stealthy warbird, part super computer in the sky—with high levels of artificial intelligence in the cockpit. It should be able to fire nuclear-tipped hypersonic weapons, plus all of the modern munitions you would expect. The F-47 is planned to have an manned-unmanned teaming aspect, able to control at least one Collaborative Combat Aircraft. These drones can collect intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data, plus fire their own missiles.
The loyal wingman feature is just the start. The F-47 should be able to knife through the sky at around Mach 2.5. It should have twice the range of the F-22, with a combat radius of 1,000 nautical miles. It will be a great dogfighter and capable of ground strike missions. There is much to like about the NGAD, and if it enters into serial production, it will represent the next step in the Air Force’s evolution.
F-47 Fighter from Boeing. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force Screenshot.
The Program Did Not Have to Start from Scratch
One good thing about the F-47 program is that research and development had already been performed on the program before Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth came into office. The prior administration had high hopes for the NGAD too, but Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall placed the program on pause because he thought it could cost $300 million a unit.
How Expensive Could It Be?
That figure gave some members of Congress sticker shock. Trump was convinced that the airplane should be given the green light anyway. With all the features planned, the airplane will still be expensive, but the Department of Defense is unfazed, and the Air Force is hopeful that everything is on track.
All Systems Are Go
“Right now we are still on time and on target,” White said. The first F-47 is already being built by Boeing. That seems too good to be true, and we’ll follow the development of the fighter closely.
Meanwhile, China and Russia are working on their own sixth-generation jets. The Kremlin is pushing the MiG-41. Beijing wants the J-36 to put fear into the enemy with ultra-stealth, hypersonic missiles and other qualities predicted for the F-47.
Let’s Hope It’s Not an F-35 Repeat
Call me a little pessimistic still. Remember the saga of the F-35, which had many problems in development over the years? The F-47 will not be immune to disappointments along the way. But let’s give the Air Force and Boeing some credit here. This airplane is going to be difficult and pricey. With the geopolitical landscape changing to one of multi-threat aerial environments, the F-47 is needed desperately. The race is on to eclipse the Chinese and Russians.
Domestic Politics Could Get in the Way
We will see how the F-47 program does politically. A new congressional makeup after the 2026 midterm elections and a new president in 2028 could take the wind out of the sails. A new broom sweeps clean, and the Democrats may not want to pursue any project associated with Trump.
That is all in the future though. Right now, the schedule is looking good. That should make national security experts in Trump’s orbit feel lucky that the airplane they have staked so much on is looking like a winner.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Author of now over 3,000 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
