Framed by the opening ceremony of the latest edition of the Air, Space and Cyber Conference of the AFA, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Chief of Staff, General David W. Allvin, announced that the new sixth-generation F-47 fighter is already in production. In particular, it was indicated that current plans foresee having a first aircraft ready to fly by 2028, which implies following an accelerated construction schedule to meet the proposed goals.
As General Allvin himself expressed: “It’s the platform that, along with all of the rest of the systems, is going to ensure dominance into the future. We’ve got to go fast. I’ve got to tell you, team, it’s almost 2026. The team is committed to getting the first one flying in 2028.” It should be recalled in this regard that Boeing began building the first fuselage six months after President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding the final selection of the manufacturer for one of the most important programs of the U.S. Air Force.
It is important to highlight that the need to move quickly in developing these new combat aircraft responds not only to a matter of scheduled modernization of the institution’s older units, but also to reports indicating that China is working on its own sixth-generation fighter, allegedly known as the J-36. In March of this year, we reported on the second flight of that flying-wing aircraft, marking at first glance a faster pace of work than that of the U.S.; in December 2024 the first flight of the aircraft had been recorded, accompanied by a J-20S.
This issue is by no means minor, considering that it set the path to follow in terms of the required range for the future F-47, which would have a combat radius of 1,600 miles to adapt it to potential combat in the Indo-Pacific; that figure represents practically double what the F-22 Raptor can achieve. In addition, as stated by General Allvin, the institution has already even defined the number of units required for future strategies, namely at least 185 aircraft.
Finally, broadening the lens to other relevant aspects of the speech delivered by the USAF Chief of Staff, General Allvin emphasized that the force is also advancing in building up its fleet of B-21 Raider stealth bombers. Recently, the arrival of the second such aircraft was observed at Edwards Air Force Base, with it later reported that it will be used for weapons and mission systems testing. On the other hand, the official also took the opportunity to reaffirm that both the force and industry must accelerate the pace to develop future collaborative drones to complement the F-47, a key aspect of the current modernization program.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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