On March 21, 2025, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Air Force would be moving forward with the development of the sixth-generation fighter jet, designated the F-47, manufactured by Boeing. This marked a significant development in the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, a vital effort aimed at ensuring U.S. air superiority well into the future.
The announcement was made during a press conference held in the Oval Office, where Trump was joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin. The contract award to Boeing comes after a rigorous competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which had been vying for the NGAD development contract worth at least $20 billion and potentially leading to hundreds of billions in future orders.
“The F-47 will be the most advanced, most capable, most lethal aircraft ever built,” Trump declared, emphasizing the aircraft’s unmatched specifications in speed, stealth, and payload capacity. The president noted that an experimental version of the F-47 has secretly been flying for almost five years, showcasing features that reportedly exceed the capabilities of any competing fighter jet.
The Air Force is expected to field the F-47 platform sometime in the 2030s, with Trump claiming that America’s adversaries “will never see it coming” if it needs to be deployed. “If it ever happens, they won't know what the hell hit them,” he added, underscoring the confidence placed in the F-47’s advanced technology.
General Allvin echoed these sentiments, stating, “The F-47 has unprecedented maturity.” This advanced aircraft is not only intended to replace the legacy F-22 Raptor but also aims to set a new standard in military aviation, combining human piloting with cutting-edge technology like autonomous combat drones, referred to as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).
The NGAD initiative emphasizes a “built to adapt” philosophy, allowing for evolving needs and threats in the international arena. It is designed to possess advanced stealth technology, making it “virtually unseeable,” as officials indicated during the announcement.
Funding for the F-47 has been a critical consideration for the Air Force, with the budget request for fiscal year 2025 including $2.7 billion directed to the platform within a projected $19.6 billion expenditure over five years. Budget constraints previously led to a strategic pause in the program in mid-2024 while the Air Force reassessed its design and sought to lower costs. Initial estimates placed the price of the F-47 at around $300 million per unit; however, the goal is now to bring it down to an ideal target similar to the F-35’s estimated $100 million per unit.
“Compared to the F-22, the F-47 will cost less and be more adaptable to future threats,” General Allvin commented, indicating a commitment to ensuring a robust fleet of modern aircraft as the F-22 program winds down.
The enhanced agility and cost-efficiency of the F-47 reflect ongoing innovations in military technology and production capabilities at Boeing, particularly at their St. Louis, Missouri facility, which has been a focal point for fighter jet manufacturing since World War II. This contract award represents a much-needed boost for Boeing amidst recent challenges in other defense programs, including the KC-46 Pegasus and Air Force One projects.
In a broader context, the announcement about the F-47 points to a conservative shift in defense priorities from the Trump administration compared to previous leadership, with a renewed focus on maintaining U.S. air dominance against emerging threats, particularly from nations like China.
Defense Secretary Hegseth commented on the significance of the F-47 as a reassurance to allies and a clear signal to adversaries: “We will be able to project power around the globe, unimpeded, for generations to come.” He further characterized the day of the announcement as a pivotal moment for the U.S. military, suggesting it heralds a new era in defense effectiveness and capability development affecting not only military leaders but also the American industrial base.
This decision and its backing from key defense leaders illustrate an aggressive posture toward defense strategy, one to reinforce global positions, as Trump concluded, “Airpower Anytime, Anywhere” is not just an aspiration; it’s a promise made to the nation.
The F-47 will not only integrate new technologies but also continue a legacy of collaboration and adaptation within the Air Force’s tactical landscape, ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of air combat capability.
