US Air Force confirms F-47 fighter on track for 2028 first flight

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Air Force confirms F-47 remains on schedule for planned 2028 first flight

The US Air Force plans to purchase at least 185 advanced F-47 fighter aircraft

Billions in funding continue supporting America's future air superiority fighter program

The US Air Force says development of the Boeing F-47 remains on schedule, with the first flight still expected during 2028 under the Next Generation Air Dominance program.

Designed to replace the F-22 Raptor, the sixth-generation fighter has entered engineering and manufacturing development.

Senior Air Force officials maintain that the program remains sufficiently advanced for the aircraft to take flight during the current United States administration.

Production plans move forward

The engineering and manufacturing development phase focuses on integrating aircraft systems, refining performance, and producing a limited number of test aircraft for evaluation activities.

Officials have not disclosed how many aircraft will be built during testing, although the current phase also includes options supporting low-rate initial production.

According to General Dale White, Director of Critical Major Weapon Systems, the program has benefited from "extreme teaming" with industry partners.

White also said the program entered this development stage with "unprecedented maturity."

This suggests that the engineering work had already progressed significantly before manufacturing activities expanded.

"The F-47 will fly in this administration," White said, reinforcing earlier commitments regarding the aircraft's planned launch.

The Air Force currently intends to purchase at least 185 F-47 fighters, matching the number of F-22 aircraft the new platform is expected to replace.

The program received $3.45 billion for fiscal year 2026, while the fiscal year 2027 budget request exceeds $5 billion.

Part of a wider air superiority strategy

The F-47 represents one element within the broader Next Generation Air Dominance program, which combines crewed aircraft with Collaborative Combat Aircraft supporting future air superiority operations.

Air Force officials describe the initiative as a family of systems designed to operate together across contested environments instead of relying on a single aircraft platform.

The new F-47 incorporates a modular design intended to accommodate future technologies.

It will also support longer-range strike capabilities as operational requirements continue to evolve.

President Donald Trump described the aircraft as unmatched across several performance measures compared with existing fighter platforms.

“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 said.

“And this has been in the works for a long period of time…America’s enemies will never see it coming.”

The US Air Force and the US government remain confident the program will meet its planned development milestones.

However, advanced combat aircraft programs have historically encountered technical, financial, and production challenges before successfully entering operational military service.

Via Defense News