The Trump administration has requested more than $5 billion in the fiscal year 2027 budget to advance development of the Boeing F-47, the U.S. Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.
The funding request reinforces the government’s priority on the Air Force effort, with the White House calling for accelerated development and eventual production of the aircraft. Combined with previous allocations, total funding for the program approaches $8.5 billion.
The F-47 remains on track for a first flight in 2028, according to budget documents, as the Pentagon pushes to field the new platform within the next few years. Boeing secured the NGAD contract in 2025, beating Lockheed Martin.
The aircraft is designed to operate as a crewed command platform capable of controlling autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), which will carry out missions such as intelligence gathering, electronic warfare and strike operations. This concept allows the fighter to remain at a safer distance from contested areas while coordinating forward assets.
Performance targets include speeds around Mach 2 and a combat radius exceeding 1,200 nautical miles, roughly double that of current F-35 variants. The aircraft is also expected to incorporate adaptive engine technology, advanced stealth features and onboard artificial intelligence to manage sensor data and prioritize threats.
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While the Air Force program moves forward with strong financial backing, the U.S. Navy’s equivalent sixth-generation effort, known as F/A-XX, continues to face uncertainty.
The 2027 budget proposal allocates just US$140 million to the Navy program, a sharp drop from the roughly US$1.7 billion secured in 2026 after congressional intervention. The White House has argued that pursuing two parallel sixth-generation fighters could strain the industrial base and delay the higher-priority F-47.
Boeing and Northrop Grumman are considered the main contenders for the F/A-XX contract, but the program has yet to advance at the same pace as the Air Force initiative.
The F-47 is expected to eventually replace the F-22, although both aircraft are likely to operate together for some time. Earlier NGAD demonstrators developed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin have reportedly been flying since 2020, accumulating significant test data ahead of the formal program.
Current plans indicate the Air Force may acquire at least 185 F-47 aircraft. Unit cost estimates remain high, with projections around US$300 million per jet.
