On March 21st, the United States Air Force and President Trump teased several potential technological advancements when they announced a $20 billion contract for Boeing Aerospace to build America’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform, the F-47, which is intended to ultimately replace the F-22.
Described in a statement from Air Force Gen. David Allvin as a “monumental leap forward” toward securing America’s air dominance well into the future, the F-47 is said to possess the capability to “outpace, outmaneuver, and outmatch any adversary.”
“With the F-47, we are not just building another fighter – we are shaping the future of warfare and putting our enemies on notice,” the General said.
“The F-47 will be the most advanced, most capable, most lethal aircraft ever built,” President Trump told reporters during an Oval Office press conference announcing the contract award. “Nothing in the world comes even close to it.”
The Development of the F-47 Focused on Technological Advancements
While the exact details of the technological advancements featured in the F-47 remain classified, The Debrief has reported on several technology tests and systems many expect to be included in the new NGAD fighter.
For example, when the Air Force sent out a highly classified solicitation to its industry partners for the NGAD program in 2023, then Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said the NGAD fighter would be a “leap in technology” over the F-22, featuring such attributes as “enhanced lethality and the ability to survive, persist, interoperate, and adapt in the air domain.” Kendall later described the DoD’s X-plane program designed to test individual advanced technologies for the NGAD program as a “family of systems” approach where advanced hypersonic drones and possibly even directed energy weapons are integrated into the fighter’s overall operation.
In 2023, speculation grew about the body design of the NGAS fighter when military contractor Lockheed-Martin’s advanced technology division, Skunk Works, featured an unidentified, sleek, delta-winged, manned aircraft at the end of a video highlighting the company’s advanced fighter legacy. The video included images of the infamous SR-71, the U2 spy plane, the F-177 Nighthawk, and in-development projects like Project Carrera’s “Speed Racer.”
In 2024, contractor Pratt & Whitney announced testing of the XA-103 prototype to evaluate its Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion System (NGAP) designed to “improve speed, power, fuel efficiency, thermal management, and overall survivability” of any airframe equipped with the propulsion system. At the time, Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt & Whitney’s Military Engines business, explained that “continued government funding for sixth-generation propulsion development must remain a high priority to support critical platform milestones and warfighter readiness.”
Along with improved speed and stealth, the F-47 will likely feature cutting-edge weaponry. For example, The Debrief previously revealed that the Air Force was testing fighter-mounted lasers capable of blasting drones and missiles out of the sky. The Air Force has also conducted war games where lasers and kinetic weapons went head-to-head, increasing the chances these advanced systems could find their way onto the NGAD platform.
“For the past five years, the X-planes for this aircraft have been quietly laying the foundation for the F-47 — flying hundreds of hours, testing cutting-edge concepts, and proving that we can push the envelope of technology with confidence,” Allvin said. “These experimental aircraft have demonstrated the innovations necessary to mature the F-47’s capabilities, ensuring that when we committed to building this fighter, we knew we were making the right investment for America.”
Some unconfirmed reports also indicate the new F-47 may have an advanced material coating called a “thermal cloak.” If correct, the aircraft’s futuristic stealth skin would counter attempts to track it with radar similar to the advanced coating of the most advanced stealth fighter. However, unlike conventional stealth coatings, the thermal cloak would also protect against thermal scanning and even reduce noise and vibrations to thwart detection methods using sound.
The World’s First True Sixth-Generation Crewed Fighter
When the F-22 Raptor was first announced, it was described as a “fifth-generation fighter” due to its range of technological, material, and propulsion advancements. In recent years, rumors of the world’s first “sixth-generation fighter” began to bring attention to the NGAD program. According to the Air Force, the new F-47 aircraft will be the first crewed fighter to officially hold the sixth-generation mantle, despite claims by China and Russia of similarly advanced sixth-generation fighter programs.
“Despite what our adversaries claim, the F-47 is truly the world’s first crewed sixth-generation fighter, built to dominate the most capable peer adversary and operate in the most perilous threat environments imaginable,” Allvin said.
During the Oval Office press conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the development of the F-47 “sends a very direct, clear message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere and to our enemies that we will be able to project power around the globe” for generations to come.
“With the F-47, we will strengthen our global position, keeping our enemies off-balance and at bay,” Allvin concluded. “And when they look up, they will see nothing but the certain defeat that awaits those who dare to challenge us – ‘Airpower Anytime, Anywhere’ is not just an aspiration, it’s a promise.”
Initial program timelines projected a complete NGAD fighter by 2030. Following this announcement, the Air Force now says that the F-47 “will fly during President Trump’s administration.”
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.