Boeing Wins Air Force Contract for NGAD Next-Gen Fighter

Boeing has won a pivotal U.S. Air Force contract to develop the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, a sixth-generation aircraft that officials emphasize will be crucial to maintaining American air superiority against China. The contract, confirmed by both the Air Force and the White House Friday, represents a major victory for Boeing’s defense business.

The newly designated F-47, unveiled during an Oval Office announcement by President Trump, is set to anchor the NGAD family of systems. “It will be known as the F-47, the generals picked a title,” Trump said. “It’s something the likes that no one has seen before.” A first glimpse of the aircraft’s design was displayed on a poster, revealing a forward fuselage and sharply swept-back wings, though further details remain classified.

Boeing’s victory in the NGAD competition marks a significant shift in the fighter jet landscape. The aerospace giant bested Lockheed Martin, who had long controlled stealth fighter production in the West, which has included the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Northrop Grumman had initially been a competitor but dropped out in 2023.

Unlike the Joint Strike Fighter program, which played out publicly, the NGAD competition has taken place largely behind closed doors. The Air Force first disclosed in 2020 that an NGAD demonstrator had flown, but since then, details have been scarce. The aircraft is expected to enter service in the 2030s and replace the F-22, featuring advanced stealth, communications, and weapons capabilities. It will also operate alongside the Air Force’s forthcoming fleet of drone wingmen, known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), with General Atomics and Anduril competing for that separate contract. 

Strategic and Financial Implications 

Boeing has invested heavily in securing the NGAD contract, including starting construction nearly two years ago on a new factory in St. Louis to produce the aircraft.

The Air Force plans to invest billions of dollars between fiscal years 2025 and 2029 to develop the NGAD fighter, with additional funding expected beyond that to complete development and begin production. While the exact per-unit cost remains undisclosed, former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall had previously suggested it would cost “multiples” of the F-35, which currently has a per-unit price exceeding $100 million. The service originally aimed to procure at least 200 NGAD fighters, though that number could change.

The Air Force is also developing a next-generation engine for the F-47, utilizing adaptive turbofan technology that can adjust airflow in flight to enhance thrust and fuel efficiency. Pratt & Whitney and GE Aerospace are competing under the separate Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program, which recently received increased funding.

Meanwhile, the Navy is pursuing its own next-generation fighter to replace the F/A-18 and E/A-18, with Boeing and Northrop Grumman now competing after Lockheed was eliminated from consideration. 

A New Era of Air Superiority 

The need for NGAD has been underscored by recent Chinese advancements in stealth fighter technology. Air Force officials have become increasingly vocal about its necessity for maintaining air superiority. “Bluntly, what this study told us is, we tried a whole bunch of different options, and there was no more viable option than NGAD to achieve air superiority in this highly contested environment,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel, the Air Force’s director of force design, integration, and wargaming, during a March 4 panel discussion at the AFA Warfare Symposium.

With the Air Force securing a greater degree of government control over the NGAD program compared to the F-35, officials hope to avoid past procurement missteps. Kendall previously criticized the F-35 program’s acquisition strategy, which gave Lockheed too much control over intellectual property and sustainment, leading to ongoing issues with readiness rates. The NGAD program is expected to correct these mistakes by securing full data rights and implementing a modular open-systems architecture.

As Boeing prepares to move forward with the F-47, the success of the NGAD program will not only shape the future of U.S. air combat but also redefine the balance of power in the defense industry for decades to come.

To hear more from Boeing leaders on the F-47, register for this year’s Air Dominance Summit taking place May 13-14 in Henderson, Nevada. The two-day event brings together personnel from across the defense and aerospace communities, including the US Air Force, the US Navy, allied nations, industry, and academia, to discuss these key programs and other pressing air superiority topics.

Learn more about the Air Dominance Summit today!

The third annual Air Dominance Summit will build upon last year's successful event and bring together over 200 senior U.S. and international leaders from the fighter aircraft community – all tirelessly dedicated to securing air supremacy in an evolving and contested threat landscape.

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