Boeing Gets Air Force NGAD Contract Now Dubbed The F-47

Shown is a graphical artist rendering of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform.  (U.S. Air Force graphic) 

Boeing has won an Air Force contract to develop the first ever sixth-generation fighter, dubbed the F-47, which is seen as critical to maintaining America’s air supremacy over China, President Donald Trump announced today.

The aerospace giant’s victory in the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is a game-changer for Boeing, whose defense business has suffered billions of dollars in losses in recent years stemming from a series of ill-performing fixed-price contracts. In particular, the win gives Boeing the opportunity to build a new fighter jet at a time when its F/A-18 line is nearing closure, a major lifeline for the company’s St. Louis facility.

Boeing bested Lockheed Martin in the NGAD competition, ending Lockheed’s status as the sole prime contractor producing stealth fighters in the West — namely the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. A third competitor, Northrop Grumman, dropped out of the competition in 2023 but is expected to compete for a new Navy fighter jet.

In the decade since the existence of the program was revealed, little has come to light about the highly-secretive NGAD fighter, which is expected to enter service in the 2030s and replace the F-22. . . . 

Trump declined to disclose the value of the contract, stating that doing so would give away too much technology or the size of the fighter, which he described as “a good-sized plane.”

However, he hinted for the first time ever that the United States will consider selling “toned down” versions of the F-47 to “certain” allies — a break from how the F-47’s predecessor, the F-22, was barred from exports. (Trump also noted “We like to tone them down by about 10 percent, which probably makes sense, because someday maybe they’re not our allies.”)

NGAD X-planes have been flying since 2020, “flying hundreds of hours, testing cutting-edge concepts, and proving that we can push the envelope of technology with confidence,” Allvin said in a written statement. For that reason, the first F-47 produced during the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the contract will fly during Trump’s presidency, he added.

From Breaking Defense. 

For what it's worth, the notion that he can't disclose the value of the contract, because "doing so would give away too much technology or the size of the fighter," is utter poppycock and absurd (particularly given the fact that this number has already been disclosed publicly).

The 1945 blog offers more details:

F-47 Fighter. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force.

President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Boeing has won the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, unveiling the new sixth-generation stealth fighter designated the F-47.

-Boeing beat Lockheed Martin for the $20 billion contract. The F-47, operational secretly for five years, will replace the F-22 within the next decade.

-It promises groundbreaking stealth, Mach 2+ speeds, and capabilities to control autonomous drones (Collaborative Combat Aircraft).

-Its mission includes hypersonic weapons and teaming with the B-21 bomber. . . .

Once series production commences, each copy of the aircraft has been estimated to cost upwards of $300 million. Although, there was no update on the per airframe price as of this publication.

The NGAD program is included among other ambitious programs, including developing Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones with high degrees of autonomy, new jet engines, weapons, electronic warfare suites, sensors, networking systems, battle management capabilities, and more.

The F-47 will replace the F-22 Raptor in the next decade. The F-22 is still the best fighter in the world, but it first flew in 1997 and was adopted in 2005.

Doing the math, the $20 billion contract will be enough to buy about 67 F-47s, which seems small, compared both to the number of F-22s in service and to the much larger planned B-21 buy. Perhaps the plan is to open up the contract to competitive bidding once Boeing has sold enough of them to recoup its R&D costs.