Boeing to build US Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter jet

The U.S. Air Force announced Boeing has been awarded a contract to design, build, and deliver its next-generation fighter aircraft, the F-47. The contract award is for engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) of the sixth-generation fighter aircraft, which has come to be known as the next generation air dominance (NGAD) platform.

The NGAD platform is a follow-on to the F-22 fighter and is meant to ensure air superiority with leap-ahead capability in range, survivability, lethality, and adaptability. It will be the central node in the NGAD family of systems.

The F-47 is designed to integrate next-generation stealth, sensor fusion, and long-range strike capabilities to counter the most sophisticated adversaries in contested environments. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said, “It provides more capability, more modernized capability, in a way that is built to adapt, along with our collaborative combat aircraft.”

"We recognize the importance of designing, building and delivering a sixth-generation fighter capability for the United States Air Force. In preparation for this mission, we made the most significant investment in the history of our defense business, and we are ready to provide the most advanced and innovative NGAD aircraft needed to support the mission," said Steve Parker, interim president and CEO, Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

Air Force officials said the decision follows a fair and thorough source selection process, reaffirming the NGAD platform as the most capable and cost-effective solution to maintain air superiority in an increasingly complex and contested global threat environment.

During the past five years, in strong partnership between the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, X-planes have been laying the foundation for the F-47. These experimental aircraft have flown hundreds of hours, advancing stealth, range, and autonomous systems while refining operational concepts.

By leveraging cutting-edge digital engineering techniques and government-owned architecture, the F-47 benefits from a streamlined and accelerated development timeline compared to previous fighter programs, according to Air Force officials.

In May 2024, the Air Force conducted a strategic pause in the program. During this time, the Air Force continued collaborating with industry to aggressively mature critical technologies and accelerate innovation.

The EMD phase includes maturing, integrating, and testing all aspects of the F-47. This phase will produce a small number of test aircraft for evaluation. The contract also includes competitively priced options for low-rate initial production.

Basing decisions and additional program elements will be determined as the Air Force advances the F-47 toward operational deployment.