Following the recent release of additional details regarding the Pratt & Whitney XA103 engine that will power the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) sixth-generation fighter, the F-47, it has been confirmed that the service and Boeing are advancing with development of the new aircraft with the goal of initiating flight tests in 2028 under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. The initiative seeks to provide the Air Force with an air superiority platform that will progressively replace the F-22 Raptor and strengthen its capabilities in highly demanding operational scenarios.
On February 25, General Dale White, the Air Force’s senior acquisition official and head of the critical weapons systems portfolio, stated that the schedule remains on track and that the first flight is still planned within the next two years. During the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) Warfare Symposium, White remarked, “We’re progressing exceptionally well,” referring to the program’s current status.
The objective of achieving the first flight in 2028 had been announced in September 2025 by then–Air Force Chief of Staff General David W. Allvin. Now, six months after that announcement, officials maintain that the original planning remains intact and that no significant delays have occurred in the projected stages.
White also highlighted Boeing’s performance during the initial phase of the contract awarded in March 2025, noting that the company has appropriately expanded its workforce to meet established milestones. “Boeing has done a very good job ramping up the personnel component,” the general stated, adding, “In the early phases of these programs, you typically watch how workforce growth aligns with the schedule and the activities that must be completed. They’ve done very well in that regard.”
According to official data released by the Air Force, the F-47 will feature a combat radius exceeding 1,000 nautical miles and will be capable of reaching speeds above Mach 2. If confirmed, these specifications would roughly double the operational range of the F-22. Current planning calls for the acquisition of at least 185 aircraft to match the existing F-22 fleet, with the possibility of expanding that number.
Although the projected timeline is more accelerated than that of other crewed aviation programs, development of the F-47 did not begin from scratch. The Department of Defense initiated conceptual work during the 2010s that gave rise to the NGAD program, including experimental X-plane prototype flights that validated key technologies prior to the formal contract award.
In November 2025, General Allvin had noted that achieving the first flight in 2028 would mark a significant milestone for the program, which remains under strict confidentiality. To date, it has been indicated that the design will incorporate stealth geometry and the ability to operate alongside unmanned systems accompanying it in combat, serving as the core of a broader network of connected platforms.
In early February 2026, a report from the Air & Space Forces Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies argued that, in a potential conflict scenario in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) would need to field at least 300 F-47 fighters alongside 200 B-21 bombers to sustain deep-penetration operations. The document contends that such capabilities would enable operations in highly contested airspace and deny sanctuaries from which an adversary could launch attacks, in a context of growing strategic competition.
*Images for illustrative purposes.
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