During a press conference held this week, U.S. Air Force General David Allvin indicated that the institution expects to carry out the first flight of the sixth-generation F-47 fighter in 2028, representing an important development for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. The fact that U.S. strategists are making this kind of announcement highlights the progress of the program, which aims to provide the service with a replacement for its F-22 Raptor fighters, currently its main air-superiority platform.
It is important to note that this is one of the U.S. programs maintained under strict confidentiality, which makes it difficult to know the main characteristics of the platform or even details regarding its development schedule. So far, it is only known that the design will integrate stealth geometry and the ability to operate alongside unmanned systems that support it in combat missions, acting as the core of a broader network of systems. In addition, it is suggested that the F-47 would be capable of reaching speeds above Mach 2 and ranges of around 1,800 kilometers, with the U.S. Air Force reportedly interested in acquiring a fleet of 185 aircraft.
On the other hand, it should also be mentioned that in recent months the U.S. Air Force has provided signals indicating the program’s progress, which could be seen, for example, in the publication of a new logo for the aircraft’s System Management Office (SMO). Among the various observable details, the figure of a “phoenix” stood out as the central element, prompting speculation that this may be the future nickname of the Boeing-built aircraft. Moreover, the sketch also featured what was interpreted as the coastline of China and six red stars that could indicate that the aircraft’s demonstrators were tested at the ultra-secret Groom Lake flight test center, better known as Area 51.
Additionally, during the Tailhook symposium, the U.S. company Boeing unveiled new conceptual images of what would be its candidate for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX program. In those materials, a strong similarity could be seen to the originally presented F-47 design, suggesting that the development of the new sixth-generation fighter would also include a naval variant. The competitor still in the running for that selection process is Northrop Grumman, which also presented a conceptual design resembling the YF-23 model that competed decades ago for a place in the USAF.
Finally, it is worth recalling that while Washington keeps most details related to the F-47 program secret, China has intensified test flights with its own sixth-generation aircraft. In April, it was reported that the Asian giant was conducting such tests in broad daylight with its J-36 fighter-bomber, which will be produced by Chengdu. In September, the J-50 fighter was also observed at an airfield belonging to the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, thanks to a photographer who climbed the perimeter fence and captured what are, so far, the clearest images of the aircraft.
Images used for illustrative purposes
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