On March 21, 2025, President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met at the White House to announce Boeing as the winner of the Next Generation Air Dominance program. Designated the F-47, the Air Force calls the contract “a monumental leap forward in securing America’s air superiority for decades to come.” Boeing beat out Lockheed Martin for the contract.
Not to be confused with the Navy program of the same name, the Air Force NGAD originates from the Air Dominance Initiative study conducted by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency in 2014. Based on DARPA’s findings, the DOD started NGAD development as a joint Air Force-Navy program before separating the efforts.
Designed to replace the F-22 Raptor, the F-47 is billed as the world’s first true sixth-generation fighter. “With the F-47, we are not just building another fighter — we are shaping the future of warfare and putting our enemies on notice,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said in a statement. “This platform will be the most advanced, lethal, and adaptable fighter ever developed — designed to outpace, outmaneuver, and outmatch any adversary that dares to challenge our brave Airmen.”
Over the past five years, experimental planes have flown hundreds of hours to lay the foundation of the F-47. Thanks to the research and development of these capabilities, the Air Force announced that “the F-47 will fly during President Trump’s administration.” Moreover, the service notes that the F-47 will cost less and be more adaptable than the F-22 it will replace. A dollar amount has not yet been announced for the NGAD contract.
Along with the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the F-47 represents a significant step in the modernization of the Air Force for future conflicts. The Navy NGAD program to develop the F/A-XX sixth-generation air superiority fighter is still undecided between Boeing and Northrop Grumman submissions.