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Air Force Confirms Boeing Is Building First F-47, Sets 2028 Target for Maiden Flight

Leaders cast the secretive NGAD jet as the centerpiece of a networked force, with speed likely to test budgets and technology.

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Official artists rendering of the Boeing F-47. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
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Overview

  • Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference that Boeing has begun manufacturing the first F-47 test article and is committed to a 2028 first flight.
  • Program details remain classified, but Air Force materials cite a combat radius over 1,000 nautical miles and top speeds above Mach 2 for the sixth-generation aircraft.
  • The service plans to buy at least 185 F-47s as the manned node of the broader Next Generation Air Dominance family that will operate with collaborative combat aircraft.
  • Budget documents show development extending through fiscal 2030, and reporting notes the aggressive schedule could push some capabilities, such as a next-generation engine, into later increments.
  • Boeing’s St. Louis facilities and Phantom Works are positioned for production after prior investments, and officials note earlier X-plane demonstrators have already flown to inform the design.