US Begins Manufacturing F-47 Sixth-Generation Fighter Jet, First Flight Planned for 2028 Amid Intensifying Rivalry with China

The United States has formally started manufacturing its next-generation F-47 fighter jet, with the first flight targeted for 2028, a senior US Air Force official announced on Monday—just three weeks after China unveiled new combat aircraft during its Victory Day military parade.

Speaking at the 2025 Air, Space and Cyber Conference, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin confirmed that Boeing has begun production of the F-47 under the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme.

"In the few short months since we made the announcement, they [Boeing] are already beginning to manufacture the first article. We’re ready to go fast. We have to go fast,” Allvin said, according to US defence news outlet The War Zone.

This comes after US President Donald Trump’s March announced that Boeing would build the F-47 to replace the F-22 Raptor.

Trump had then disclosed that experimental “X-planes” had been tested secretly for five years, with the first reported flight in 2019.

Allvin described the F-47 as central to US air superiority, saying that the aircraft will ensure dominance into the future.

"The team is committed to get the first one flying in 2028,” he said.

While detailed specifications remain classified, Air Force graphics reportedly suggest the F-47 has a tailless design, a combat radius exceeding 1,000 nautical miles (1,850 km), and speeds surpassing Mach 2.

The fighters are expected to feature advanced stealth, hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence integration, quantum computing, and manned-unmanned teaming with drones known as collaborative combat aircraft (CCA).

Two drone designs—Anduril’s YFQ-44A “Fury” and General Atomics’ YFQ-42A—have already been selected for the CCA programme. The Fury is expected to make its maiden flight soon, according to The War Zone.

The broader NGAD programme includes the development of new CCA drones, as well as advanced jet engines, weapons, electronic warfare suites, sensors, networking ecosystems, battle management capabilities, and more.

The announcement comes amid intensifying competition between Washington and Beijing. On 3 September, during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II, China unveiled its new J-15T carrier-based fighters equipped for electromagnetic catapult launches, alongside upgraded J-15DH and J-15DT variants.

The parade also featured the J-35 stealth fighter, designed for deployment on China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV later reported successful catapult launch and landing tests of the J-15T, J-35, and the KJ-600 early warning aircraft aboard the Fujian.

Unverified images circulating online also suggest China is developing its own sixth-generation designs, dubbed the J-36 and J-50, with tailless profiles and three engines.

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Also Read: Pentagon Awards Boeing Contract For Sixth-Generation Air Dominance Fighter F-47, Successor To F-22 Raptor