US President Donald Trump has announced that Boeing has been selected as the winner of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) 6th generation fighter development program. The aircraft, which received the F-47 index, is to become the central Penetrating Counter-Air (PCA) platform, which will consist of manned and unmanned systems and is to replace the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighters in the 2030s. The War Zone website reports this.
The Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract alone, i.e. the development of the NGAD program aircraft, will bring Boeing approximately $20 billion. The production and maintenance contract will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, with the cost of each aircraft estimated at $300 million.
Donald Trump called the Boeing F-47 the first 6th generation aircraft, which has no analogues in the world, but, as we recently wrote, China is already testing its own 6th generation aircraft. Supposedly, technology demonstrators of American 6th generation fighters from three manufacturers passed flight tests back in 2023, but there are no images or information about these tests. Just as there are no accurate images of the Boeing F-47 itself.
The Next Generation Air Dominance program was launched in 2014, during the Obama administration. But as of 2024, the Pentagon apparently intended to postpone the development of the manned component of the program and move towards unmanned systems. It seems that Trump has decided to overturn this decision, especially since some military experts believe that unmanned fighters alone will not be able to effectively escort the B-21 Raider bomber.
In addition to Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), the United States has another 6th generation fighter development program, the Navy F/A-XX, which aims to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet multi-role carrier-based fighters in the 2030s.
Interestingly, the F-47 index seems to be a reference to the 47th US president, that is, Donald Trump himself, because theoretically the new fighter should have received the F-24 or F-45 index.