Yesterday, March 21, marked a new and significant milestone for the United States Air Force (USAF) with the selection of Boeing’s proposal, embodied in the F-47, for the development and production phase of the future sixth-generation fighter jet emerging from the NGAD program and competition. While statements focused on the importance of this new combat aircraft, which is expected to be introduced in the 2030s, one must not overlook the messages sent to China—the United States’ main geopolitical adversary of this century—which is also reportedly developing a new generation of fighter jets while consolidating and expanding its current fleet of fifth-generation fighters.
The Announcement and Its Recipients
As reported yesterday, President Trump, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, accompanied by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and USAF Chief of Staff General David Allvin, made the announcement that ended years of speculation and rumors surrounding the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program, aimed at replacing the current fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighters.
Through his remarks, the Republican leader announced that Boeing had been chosen to proceed with the engineering and production phase of the new sixth-generation F-47 fighter, which was selected over Boeing’s competitor after at least five years of secretive testing and evaluations.
“I’m pleased to announce that, under my direction, the United States Air Force is moving forward with the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “There is nothing in the world even close to it, and it will be known as the F-47,” he added.
Subsequently, the U.S. Air Force stated: “This decision follows a fair and thorough source selection process conducted by the Air Force, reaffirming the NGAD platform as the most capable and cost-effective solution to maintain air superiority in an increasingly complex and contested global threat environment. The decision reflects the Air Force’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology to the warfighter while optimizing taxpayer investment.”
Nevertheless, close attention should be paid to the veiled messages delivered by President Trump and his Secretary of Defense. Beyond rhetoric, these are directed toward the current challengers of U.S. air and space dominance, with China undoubtedly being the Pentagon’s primary focus in future conflict scenarios.
“In terms of all the attributes of a fighter jet, there’s never been anything even close to it—from speed to maneuverability, to what it can carry, to payload. And this has been in the works for a long time,” Trump said. “America’s enemies will never see it coming.”
Secretary Hegseth also underscored in the USAF’s official statement:
“Now we have the F-47, which sends a very direct, clear message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere… and to our enemies that we can—and we will—be able to project power around the globe, unimpeded, for generations to come.”
The Challenge of China’s Next-Generation Fighter Jets
At the end of last year, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) reported in late December the occurrence of two test flights in China involving aircraft never seen before. Various clues suggested these were part of a new generation of aircraft intended for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
Chronologically, the first aircraft spotted had a flying wing design and was presumably equipped with three engines. Nicknamed “J-36” by the community due to this number being visible on the fuselage, it performed a test flight on December 26, apparently departing from Chengdu’s facilities, the company allegedly responsible for its development and prototype production.
The images, which quickly went viral, likely caused a stir in the United States, particularly as the NGAD program had experienced a pause in 2024, with no known test flights over the past five years. However, unlike the recent F-47 announcement, the Chinese Ministry of Defense and involved companies continue to guard the aircraft’s intended role in secrecy.
A few days after the “J-36” flight, another similarly designed aircraft—noticeably smaller—also conducted a test flight, seemingly from Shenyang’s facilities, another aerospace giant in China.
To date, with no official announcements, experts have widely speculated about both aircraft. One theory posits that these could be sixth-generation fighters undergoing test flights, while another suggests they are technology demonstrators designed to enhance China’s current stealth fighter generation: the J-20, its new two-seat version J-20S (introduced in 2024), and the J-35, also unveiled last year, with a carrier-based version in development for China’s new Fujian-class aircraft carriers.
The latest report confirmed that the “J-36” has completed a second test flight, reportedly with landing gear deployed, no escort aircraft, and various measuring devices on board. Videos released on March 17 preceded the F-47 announcement and, while unproven, strongly suggest that Chinese intelligence is aware of progress in the NGAD program and seeks to influence global public opinion.
Beyond these demonstrations of technological capabilities, the People’s Republic of China continues its efforts to close the technological gap with the United States, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
The Response: Boeing F-47
But what do we really know about the F-47? Thanks to yesterday’s announcements, we now know that the NGAD program competition involved prototypes from Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Northrop Grumman also participated but withdrew as a prime contractor, focusing instead on programs with better prospects, such as the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. It remains unclear whether Northrop Grumman developed its own NGAD prototype or exited due to lower chances of success against the other two U.S. aviation giants. However, Northrop may get another shot with the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX program, where recent indications suggest Lockheed Martin has been sidelined, leaving Northrop and Boeing competing to replace the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Upon being selected to advance in the F-47’s development and production, Steve Parker, interim president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, stated: “We recognize the importance of designing, building and delivering a sixth-generation fighter capability for the United States Air Force. In preparation for this mission, we made the most significant investment in the history of our defense business, and we are ready to provide the most advanced and innovative NGAD aircraft needed to support the mission.”
With the selection of the F-47, Boeing must now proceed with the next phases of the NGAD program, which, according to the USAF, include:
“… the engineering and manufacturing development phase, which includes maturing, integrating, and testing all aspects of the F-47.” The USAF added: “This phase will produce a small number of test aircraft for evaluation. The contract also includes competitively priced options for low-rate initial production.”
Despite five years of experimental and flight testing, no official dates have been disclosed for a full-scale public unveiling of the aircraft. Estimated timelines have only emerged from Trump’s statements, who aims to have production models ready before the end of his current and final term on January 29, 2029.
As for the design, images and artistic renderings offer some general ideas about the F-47 and the experimental aircraft that inspired Boeing’s development. Notably, The War Zone highlights the YF-118G Bird of Prey, a tail-less, stealth test aircraft from the 1990s that flew in secrecy at Area 51. Boeing tested various new technologies on it, including ones allegedly capable of rendering it invisible to the human eye. It’s unclear which technologies may have originated from this aircraft and potentially equip the F-47 after more than two decades of development.
High-resolution renders show that the F-47 appears to feature canard wings, a design element absent in current U.S. fifth-generation fighters but present in China’s J-20 and in fourth-generation fighters like the Rafale and Eurofighter.
Another design influence, according to The War Zone, may come from the X-45 unmanned experimental aerial vehicles developed by Boeing with NASA.
Ultimately, beyond rhetoric, the unveiling of the F-47 marks a new milestone in military aviation, opening a door to the future with the potential for technologies developed for this fighter to impact other areas of the aerospace industry.
*Original text in Spanish: Juan José Roldán
