Summary and Key Points: The F-47 NGAD is being framed as a Mach 2+ sixth-generation fighter with supercruise, long range, and the ability to act as a “drone quarterback” for autonomous wingmen.
Key Point #1 – But its defining value may be survivability rather than raw speed. In a future shaped by multi-band sensors and hypersonic air defenses, stealth “++” becomes the feature that keeps the jet alive long enough to do its job—penetrate contested airspace, suppress defenses, and enable follow-on strike power.
Key Point #2 – The aircraft’s advanced networking, ISR, and AI-enabled cockpit reinforce that mission: a flying command node that sees first, strikes first, and stays hidden while doing it.
What Is the Most Important Feature of the F-47 NGAD – Speed or Stealth?
Our readers love the flat-out speed of fighter jets. If you have been to an air show, there is nothing like seeing an airplane knife through the sky at low altitude. Just check out the documentary “Blue Angels” to get a feeling for the high-performance velocity and agility of the US Navy’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet.
Speed is thus the name of the game for many aviators who wish to outrun the competition and survive a dogfight, or when it is time to giddy-up after a bombing run. That’s why the F-47 NGAD is so alluring.
President Donald Trump’s baby should be able to hit MACH 2 with ease and may push upwards of MACH 2.5 if Boeing has its way. The airplane should have an ultra-powerful supercruise ability. But is speed all that it offers?
F-47’s Ability to Be a Drone Quarterback and Flying Supercomputer
The F-47’s armaments will be substantial with the ability to launch nuclear missiles or hypersonic weapons – maybe even the wherewithal to fire lasers.
It will also be able to control autonomous drones, such as the new Loyal Wingmen, like the new Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
NGAD Fighter via Lockheed Martin.
Don’t forget the F-47’s heightened intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. It will serve as an airborne command-and-control node. Target acquisition and tracking will also be top-notch. The “flying supercomputer” will feature artificial intelligence in the cockpit, making it more pilot-friendly and survivable.
Long Range and Advanced Engines
Designed to replace the F-22 Raptor, there may be as many as 185 F-47s produced. We can expect the F-47 to be manufactured in numbers by 2029.
The combat radius will be substantial, amounting to around 1,000 miles. The competition is already palpable for the manufacturer’s preferred engines. GE’s XA102 and Pratt & Whitney’s XA103 are vying to power the jet.
Is This the Most Stealthy Airplane Ever Produced?
How about that stealthiness? The F-47 should be super stealthy, with radar-evading capabilities not seen in a fighter jet. The sixth-generation jet should be able to evade most air defenses around the world. It could be the stealthiest fighter ever produced.
That will be necessary due to the age of hypersonic air defense missiles expected to be deployed by China and Russia. The plus-MACH 2 speed may not be enough to outrun the ultra-fast projectiles, so the F-47 will have to depend on its stealth attributes. This may be the airplane’s most important feature.
Stealth++ makes it invisible
The radar evasion qualities have been described as “Stealth ++” technologies. The tailless, blended-wing design will absorb radar signals. There will be broadband low-observation-quality across the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared signatures will also be reduced, and it will outfox multi-band air defenses.
Antennas and sensors will be embedded below the surface to reduce the radar signature.
The F-47 NGAD will be able to survive multi-threat environments and fly deep into enemy airspace without being discovered. This makes it perfect for surgical “bloody nose” strikes that can punish the enemy quickly and thoroughly. The F-47 is a “Day One” fighter that can suppress enemy air defenses for follow-on attacks by the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber.
B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber.
Spoofing Hypersonic Interceptors
Sixth-generation flight is assured with both airplanes, and they can provide a lethal one-two punch when operating together. Air Force pilots cannot wait to be at the controls. The F-47’s stealth can keep the aviator pushing the airplane to new heights while foiling hypersonic weapons with its high radar-evading performance.
The High Price Tag Is a Problem for F-47 NGAD Fighter
The problem with the F-47 is cost. All of these features will be expensive – maybe even $300 million per unit. The Air Force must decide on trade-offs. Will the engines be affordable, and can all stealth features be incorporated on the airframe to come in under budget?
The most important aspect of the airplane is to make it as stealthy as possible. Speed may take a back seat. MACH 2+ is still formidable, but stealthiness still reigns supreme.
Best of the Best
The F-47 NGAD should be among the best fighter jets in the world if all goes according to plan and the program remains on time and under budget. The high price is concerning, though, and the long wish list of features may be trimmed; Boeing may want to focus on the level of stealth to improve survivability. It must be more radar evasive than the fighter jet it will replace. The F-22 is considered one of the most stealthy jets in the world.
So, engineers and designers at Boeing have their work cut out for them. They must incorporate as many features as possible, enable the jet to reach MACH 2+, and build out the stealth system, all while reducing price.
We Can’t Wait Until This Jet Flies
The F-47 has a grandiose future despite the challenges. It will be interesting to see it develop and observe its first flight. Much of Trump’s national security emphasis is on NGAD. It will be an expensive project and one of the most ambitious airplanes in the history of the Air Force.
But when produced, this jet will be sneakily fast and invisible to enemy radar. Those two attributes will make many pilots happy to know that they are flying such an advanced sixth-generation warbird.
F-47: Mock Ups Of What This Stealth Fighter Might Look Like
F-47 Infographic. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force
F-47 Fighter from Boeing. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force Screenshot.
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)
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)
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.
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