Boeing F-47 NGAD Program Enters Test Production Phase for 2028 Flight
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The highly classified Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is moving forward at an accelerated pace. The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that the Boeing F-47, the 6th-generation stealth fighter designed to replace the F-22 Raptor, has officially entered its engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase, with the first test aircraft currently being produced ahead of a scheduled 2028 maiden flight.
The U.S. Air Force is actively preparing to transition into the 6th-generation of aerial combat. Gen. Dale White, director of Critical Major Weapon Systems, provided a rare update on the highly secretive F-47 program during a keynote address at the Life Cycle Industry Days in Dayton, Ohio.
Gen. White announced that the program has successfully transitioned into the EMD phase—a critical milestone where all components of the F-47 are matured, integrated, and rigorously tested.
“Extreme Teaming” and Unprecedented Maturity
Describing the development process as an exercise in “extreme teaming” between the military and its industry partners, Gen. White noted that the F-47 entered this new phase with “unprecedented maturity” compared to legacy fighter programs.
This current EMD phase involves the active fabrication of a small number of F-47 test aircraft that will undergo exhaustive evaluation. While Gen. White declined to specify the exact number of test airframes being built, he confirmed that the contract includes priced options for low-rate initial production (LRIP), setting the stage for rapid scaling once testing is complete.
A 2028 Maiden Flight and a 185-Aircraft Fleet
The timeline is aggressive. The first Boeing F-47 test aircraft is firmly on track to achieve its maiden flight in 2028. Ultimately, the Air Force plans to procure at least 185 F-47 fighters. This procurement target precisely matches the current size of the F-22 Raptor fleet, underscoring the F-47’s role as a direct, one-for-one replacement for America’s premier air superiority fighter.
Gen. White, who manages the F-47 portfolio alongside the B-21 Raider program, emphasized the political backing for the jet. “The F-47 will fly in this administration,” he stated, echoing earlier commitments made by the White House.
In March 2025, President Donald Trump officially announced that the Air Force would proceed with the Boeing F-47 under the NGAD framework. “In terms of all of the attributes of a fighter jet, there’s never been anything even close to it, from speed to maneuverability, to what it can have, to payload,” Trump declared, adding that “America’s enemies will never see it coming.”
More Than a Jet: A Family of Systems
The F-47 is not operating in a vacuum. It is the centerpiece of the NGAD “family of systems.” The F-47 will act as the quarterback for autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)—drone wingmen designed to fly alongside the manned fighter, providing enhanced sensor reach, electronic warfare support, and additional payload capacity.
Designed with an open, modular architecture, the F-47 is engineered to seamlessly accommodate emerging technologies and integrate long-range strike capabilities, ensuring the U.S. Air Force maintains air superiority in highly contested environments for decades to come. To support this massive effort, the program was allocated $3.45 billion in fiscal year 2026, with over $5 billion requested in the fiscal 2027 budget.
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