U.S. Air Drive Chief of Workers Common David Allvin introduced on Sept. 22, 2025 that Boeing had begun the manufacturing course of for the primary manufacturing F-47, with a aim of seeing it airborne by 2028.
Talking on the annual Air, House and Cyber Convention, hosted by the Air & House Forces Affiliation, Allvin stated “Within the few brief months since we made the announcement, they [Boeing] are already starting to fabricate the primary article.” He additional added: “I’ve bought to let you know, crew, it’s nearly 2026. The crew is dedicated to getting the primary one flying in 2028.”
This main replace on the progress of the U.S. Air Drive’s sixth-generation fighter programme will possible be Allvin’s final on the convention, as he lately introduced his upcoming retirement from the Air Drive. Allvin’s tenure as USAF Chief of Workers has, as he famous, been significantly eventful. Solely days into his time within the place, the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider took to the skies for the very first time. He then oversaw the development of the USAF’s first two collaborative fight plane (CCA) platforms, the preliminary unveiling of the F-47 itself, and most lately the huge Operation Midnight Hammer, which noticed B-2 Spirits and over 100 help plane stage an assault on Iranian nuclear services.
For the previous 5 years, X-planes for this plane have been quietly laying the muse for the F-47. Flying lots of of hours, testing cutting-edge ideas, & proving that we are able to push the envelope of expertise with confidence”~ David Allvin USAF Chief of Workers #F47 #NGAD pic.twitter.com/g0FSjnhI7I
— AirPower 2.0 (MIL_STD) (@AirPowerNEW1) March 22, 2025
Whereas now we have identified for some years that Subsequent Technology Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter prototypes have been extensively flight examined, the plane now in manufacturing can be way more consultant of the ultimate F-47 design. Additional flight testing will possible be carried out with this plane, and the following few within the manufacturing line, though with a present deliberate order of 185 plane it appears obvious that they are going to ultimately be part of the operational fleet. As budgets permit, the Air Drive is anticipated to push for elevated orders, although in contrast to with the F-22 – which has been suffering from the choice to chop manufacturing brief – the F-47 is designed from the outset to be augmented by giant numbers of decrease price CCAs.
In Might, Allvin teased a few of the projected capabilities of the F-47 compared to present platforms just like the F-15, F-16, F-22, and F-35. A graphic launched through his official social media accounts stated the F-47 will fly past Mach 2 and provide a fight radius of 1000 nautical miles or extra. Its stealth capabilities are anticipated to surpass these of the F-22. An in service date between 2025 and 2029 is supported by the purpose to get the primary prototype within the air by 2028.
Our @usairforce will proceed to be the world’s greatest instance of velocity, agility, and lethality. Modernization means fielding a group of property that present distinctive dilemmas for adversaries—matching capabilities to threats—whereas preserving us on the fitting aspect of the price curve. pic.twitter.com/vqjxCdBYid
— Common David Allvin (@OfficialCSAF) Might 13, 2025
We nonetheless know little or no concerning the actual type that the F-47 will take, with some commentary suggesting that even the renderings that we do have usually are not fully correct to the precise design. Primarily based on the statistics launched above, just like the 1000nmi+ vary, we are able to count on the F-47 to be a reasonably large airframe. This may accommodate the required gasoline load – which the USAF would rely on in any Pacific theater battle – in addition to a sizeable inside weapons bay capable of match new, longer vary weapon designs.
Present air to air missile designs, just like the AIM-260 Joint Superior Tactical Missile (JATM) have been constrained by the requirement to suit inside current inside bays on the F-22 and F-35. The U.S. Navy, in the meantime, has been capable of adapt the bigger SM-6 missile into the AIM-174B Gunslinger for exterior stick with it its F/A-18E/F Tremendous Hornets, permitting a much-extended most vary that’s certain to exceed the AIM-260.
Boeing is constructing the F-47 fleet at its St Louis plant in Missouri, which additionally helps the F-15 and F/A-18 programmes. Industrial motion has affected some ongoing operations on the St Louis facility, although Boeing maintains that it has deliberate adequately for these contingencies and that work can proceed with non-union affiliated workers when required.
Boeing’s superior initiatives division, Phantom Works, homes a few of its manufacturing services on the St Louis web site, together with its Superior Coatings Centre and Superior Meeting Facility, each of which can nearly definitely be closely concerned within the F-47’s manufacturing. Colin Miller, Vice President and Common Supervisor of Boeing Phantom Works, instructed Axios earlier this month that the F-47 was “born in Phantom Works”, additionally remarking that “I feel you’ll be stunned by how briskly you see it flying.”
New services on the St Louis plant are resulting from open in 2026 to additional help F-47 manufacturing.
