Development by Boeing for the United States Air Force (USAF) under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program the F-47, that will have a combat radius of more than 1,000 nautical miles and a top speed above Mach 2, is designed to be the first U.S. sixth-generation fighter and the successor to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
The number "47" was chosen because it honours the legacy of the P-47, whose contributions to air superiority during World War II remain the stuff legends are made from. Additionally, the number also pays tribute to the founding year of the USAF.
The USA's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) launched the Aerospace Innovation Initiative to build X-plane prototypes for developing and maturing next-generation fighter aircraft technologies with Boeing first flying its demonstrator in 2019. Experimental tests began in 2020 and the first flight of the F-47 is expected in 2028 with operational readiness by 2029 and launch into service in the 2030's.
As is expected most details regarding the F-47 remain highly classified. What is known is that it will have a significantly longer range, more advanced stealth, be more sustainable, supportable, more adaptable to future threats and have higher availability than the F-22 and F-35, the USAF's current range of 5th generation fighters. Furthermore, it would, in relative terms, cost less than the F-22 and thus can be acquired in lager numbers.
Rapid developments in unmanned aircraft technologies will without a doubt influence the way that the next generation air dominance 6th generation fighters will operate. It is anticipated that these assets will operate with accompanying drones. Most obvious of which is the loyal wingman drones that are being developed to serve alongside current and future aircraft.
Other countries that are currently developing 6th generation fighters are China with is J-36, the joint European FCAS program as well as Russia if sources are to be believed. Who will be the first to take the next generation of fighters into service remains to be seen. The USA currently are the leaders with the Chinese breathing down their necks.
