F47 Makes a Historic Leap in the U.S. Military Fighter Jet Scene.

On March 21, President Trump announced in the Oval Office of the White House that the U.S. Air Force has officially awarded Boeing a contract worth over $20 billion for the development and production of the next-generation fighter jet F-47.

This decision marks a historic transition for the U.S. Air Force from the fifth-generation fighters F-22 and F-35 to the sixth-generation fighter, injecting new vitality into Boeing and causing significant impact on its competitor Lockheed Martin.

As part of the “Next Generation Air Dominance” (NGAD) program, the F-47 is described by officials as the “most advanced, capable, and lethal aircraft ever,” with its development process and technological breakthroughs attracting global attention.

The F-47 project also includes the development of highly autonomous cooperative combat drones, as well as new jet engines, weapons, electronic warfare suites, sensors, and combat management capabilities. The integration of these technologies will significantly enhance the combat capabilities of the U.S. military to ensure dominance in future conflicts.

Lockheed Martin has manufactured the fifth-generation fighters F-22 and F-35 for the U.S. F-22 “Raptor” is the world’s first operational fifth-generation and stealth fighter. Despite its advanced performance, its high cost of over $150 million per aircraft led to limited production by the U.S. military.

F-35 “Lightning II” is the U.S.’s second fifth-generation stealth fighter, becoming the primary combat aircraft for the U.S. and its allies in the early 21st century. With its stealth capabilities and sensor fusion technology, the F-35 has become the most widely deployed fifth-generation fighter globally.

The design of F-35 aims to provide the U.S. and its NATO allies with a multi-role fighter capable of air-to-air combat, air-to-ground attack, and electronic warfare missions. Its stealth coating and advanced radar systems give it a significant advantage against traditional air defense systems.

Despite the success of the F-35, cost issues persist. The maintenance costs are high due to its stealth coating and complex systems, with hourly flight costs exceeding that of other aircraft. In addition, software system failures have resulted in mission cancellation rates higher than expected.

According to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on March 19, only 40% of the current equipment of the Canadian Air Force has combat capability, with the high maintenance costs and complex supply chain of the F-35 being significant reasons.

Furthermore, the F135 engine of the F-35 has limited thrust during stealth cruising, unable to compare with the supersonic cruising capability of the F-22. These issues have expedited the U.S. Air Force’s search for a next-generation solution, leading to the emergence of the F-47.

The NGAD is a sixth-generation fighter project initiated by the U.S. Air Force to counter future threats, aiming to replace the aging F-22 “Raptor” and some F-35 fleets.

The NGAD program had been secretly advancing for over ten years, with a prototype aircraft successfully test-flown in September 2020. President Trump revealed during the announcement of the F-47 contract that Boeing’s prototype had been flying for at least five years, indicating its technological maturity.

President Trump stated in a press conference that the F-47 will “far surpass any other country’s fighter jets” and emphasized its “almost undetectable” stealth characteristics.

According to Army Recognition’s report on March 22, Boeing’s design details are limited due to secrecy reasons. The design is based on a smooth blended wing-body structure, forsaking the traditional fighter jet geometries to achieve high stealth and aerodynamic efficiency. The fuselage likely utilizes multispectral stealth technology to reduce visibility across radar, infrared, acoustic, and electronic spectra. Engineers hinted at the integration of active stealth capabilities – possibly a system to dynamically alter the aircraft emissions based on threats or mission requirements.

Newsweek’s report on March 22 indicated that the F-47 is expected to be part of a broader “system family” designed for collaborative combat operations, combining manned fighter jets, unmanned drones, and advanced digital infrastructure to maintain air superiority in future conflicts.

Aviation Week Network’s report on March 21 stated that the U.S. Air Force desires a new aircraft with range, speed, and stealth capabilities to effectively operate in the vast Indo-Pacific region, countering advanced weapon systems of potential adversaries, including existing and future stealth fighters and air defense missile systems. This requirement necessitates a performance distinct from common categories like fighters or bombers.

Defense News report on March 21 showed that the F-47 would be at the core of the NGAD concept “family,” which includes cooperative combat aircraft and cutting-edge sensors, weapons, and other technologies to better connect with satellites and other aircraft. Air Force officials have emphasized that NGAD is a crucial measure to counter advanced adversaries like China.

Currently, General Atomics and Anduril are constructing their “Cooperative Combat Aircraft” (CCA) candidate models – named RFQ-42A and RFQ-44A respectively – as the first batch of unmanned companion aircraft to fly with the F-35 or F-47. Follow-on generations are under development. The Air Force aims for CCAs with relatively cheaper prices, autonomous software piloting, capable of reconnaissance, strike missions, electronic warfare, and decoy tasks.

Air & Space Forces Magazine’s report on March 21 stated that the F-47 will excel in range, stealth, program progress, cost, and production quantity compared to the F-22. The Air Force plans to produce 220 to 250 F-47s, surpassing the 186 F-22s to distribute the development and non-recurring costs.

The article also mentioned Air Force leaders discussing the possibility of two models for NGAD: a larger, longer-range aircraft for operations in the Pacific region and a smaller, shorter-range aircraft suitable for military targets in the European theater.

Attributed to the fierce competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Boeing emerged victorious in securing the contract for the F-47, valued at over $20 billion.

In recent years, Boeing faced pressure due to the 737 MAX crisis and setbacks in the “Starliner spacecraft” project. Boeing reported a loss of $11.8 billion in 2024, marking its largest annual loss since 2020. The acquisition of the F-47 contract is seen as crucial to reviving Boeing’s reputation.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin’s setback is believed to be linked to the ongoing issues with the F-35 project. The high cost and maintenance challenges of the F-35 may have eroded the Air Force’s confidence in Lockheed, while Boeing demonstrated reliability through the long-term testing of the NGAD prototype aircraft.

According to some military experts, the reason the U.S. Air Force awarded the production of the sixth-generation aircraft to Boeing under the Trump administration might be to maintain a balance among the three major aerospace contractors in the U.S. military, preventing any one from gaining dominance.

Lockheed Martin had faced criticism in the past for effectively monopolizing the development of U.S. fifth-generation aircraft. Moving forward, Boeing will be responsible for developing the U.S. Air Force’s sixth-generation aircraft, Lockheed Martin will continue developing different versions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and Northrop Grumman is expected to win the bid for the Navy’s sixth-generation F/A-XX. These three defense contractors each have a major stealth fighter project in progress.

Doug Birkey, Executive Director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, commented in Defense News on March 21 that the development of the F-47 would strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base by ensuring that Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman can all produce fifth- or sixth-generation stealth aircraft. Birkey emphasized that this competition and production capability are crucial for large-scale production in future wars.

From the global deployment of the F-35 to the air supremacy of the F-47, the future of the U.S. Air Force is being redefined. The specific timeline for the F-47’s service has not been disclosed, but its five-year test flight history with the prototype indicates that the U.S. Air Force is prepared for the arrival of this new fighter.