Overview

• Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Boeing has begun manufacturing the first test airframe and set a 2028 goal for the maiden flight, moving the target up from an earlier expectation of January 2029.
• Boeing is preparing production in St. Louis with Phantom Works facilities such as advanced coatings and assembly lines, with additional capacity coming online in 2026.
• Publicly released performance claims include a combat radius exceeding 1,000 nautical miles and speeds above Mach 2, with plans to buy at least 185 aircraft.
• The fighter is part of the Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems and is intended to work with autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
• Program details remain highly classified, and analysts note the aggressive schedule could push some advanced elements, such as a new engine, into later increments even as development runs through at least fiscal 2030.