F-47 (formerly NGAD)
US Air Force's 6th-generation stealth fighter program (formerly NGAD); Boeing is the prime contractor. Plans call for at least 185 aircraft, replacing the F-22 fleet.
F-47 (formerly NGAD) is the US Air Force's 6th-generation stealth fighter program, prime contractor Boeing. It entered Engineering and Manufacturing Development on a roughly 36-month timeline, with Boeing building prototype aircraft at its St. Louis, MO facility; first flight is targeted for 2028, about two years before its adaptive-cycle NGAP engines are ready, so early flights will likely use an interim propulsion arrangement. The Air Force plans to buy at least 185 F-47s to replace the F-22 fleet.
Program detail
- Agency
- US Air Force
- Acronym
- F-47
- Budget
- $3.45B FY2026; >$5B requested FY2027
- Phase
- Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD); Boeing manufacturing first prototype at its St. Louis, MO facility; first flight targeted 2028 on a 36-month EMD timeline, using an interim propulsion arrangement pending NGAP
- Domain
- 6th-generation stealth fighter
Contracts0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What is F-47 (formerly NGAD)?
- F-47 (formerly NGAD) is the US Air Force's 6th-generation stealth fighter program, prime contractor Boeing. It entered Engineering and Manufacturing Development on a roughly 36-month timeline, with Boeing building prototype aircraft at its St. Louis, MO facility; first flight is targeted for 2028, about two years before its adaptive-cycle NGAP engines are ready, so early flights will likely use an interim propulsion arrangement. The Air Force plans to buy at least 185 F-47s to replace the F-22 fleet.
- Which agency runs F-47 (formerly NGAD)?
- F-47 (formerly NGAD) is run by US Air Force and is also known as F-47.
- What is the budget for F-47 (formerly NGAD)?
- F-47 (formerly NGAD) has a budget of $3.45B FY2026; >$5B requested FY2027, currently in its Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD); Boeing manufacturing first prototype at its St. Louis, MO facility; first flight targeted 2028 on a 36-month EMD timeline, using an interim propulsion arrangement pending NGAP phase.
Sources & citations2
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- 1
F-47 program entered engineering and manufacturing development; Boeing building the first prototype in St. Louis; first flight on track for 2028; Air Force plans to buy at least 185 F-47s.
Defense News: F-47 program producing test aircraft, on schedule for 2028 flightVerified2026-07-30 - 2
F-47's EMD contract moved it from experimental work into airframe maturation, subsystem/software integration, and developmental flight testing over roughly 36 months. The F-47 is expected to fly in 2028, about two years before its adaptive-cycle NGAP engines are ready for integration (targeted 2030) — first flight will likely use an interim engine or non-production NGAP configuration.
Army Recognition: US Air Force's first F-47 fighter will take off in 2028 years before its next-gen engine is readyVerified2026-07-01