In a pivotal testimony before the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on June 10, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the long-anticipated update: the Pentagon is moving forward with the full-scale development of the F-47 fighter jet—a sixth-generation combat platform at the heart of America’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative. The $3.5 billion investment underscores the urgency with which Washington views the shifting dynamics of global airpower, particularly in response to China’s rapid advances in military aviation.
Developed by Boeing under a highly classified program, the F-47 is designed as a replacement for the aging F-22 Raptor, aiming to exceed its predecessor across all performance metrics. It will serve as the centerpiece of a digitally integrated air combat ecosystem, combining manned and unmanned systems in a cohesive operational network.
At its core, the F-47 incorporates a suite of revolutionary technologies: adaptive cycle propulsion engines for extended range and thrust efficiency; digital twin engineering for predictive maintenance and rapid upgrade cycles; stealth-enhancing, tailless geometries for ultra-low radar cross-sections; and most crucially, seamless integration with autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), or “loyal wingmen.”
These AI-driven CCAs will support the F-47 in a range of missions—from reconnaissance and electronic warfare to decoy deployment and offensive kinetic strikes—significantly multiplying its lethality without exposing pilots to heightened risk. This concept reflects a shift from single-platform superiority to network-centric warfare, positioning the F-47 not just as a jet but as a combat node.
The timing of the announcement is no coincidence. Over the past year, Chinese military aviation has made massive strides with the public emergence of two new sixth-generation platforms: the Chengdu J-36 and the Shenyang J-50.
The J-36, featuring a rare trijet configuration and diamond-shaped tailless wings, is engineered for deep-penetration and stealth operations. Early imagery and leaked specifications suggest extensive emphasis on distributed battlefield communications and electronic warfare, including potential microwave or laser-based self-defense technologies.
Meanwhile, the J-50 appears tailored for naval operations, with a compact, twin-engine thrust-vectoring design compatible with electromagnetic catapult-equipped carriers. Its highly agile lambda wing structure and digital flight control systems mirror those of the U.S. F-35C, albeit optimized for China’s vision of sea-based force projection.
These developments pose a strategic dilemma for the United States. For decades, American aircraft enjoyed qualitative superiority, especially in the Indo-Pacific. The entrance of Chinese sixth-gen fighters into the strategic equation risks narrowing that gap, particularly if Beijing successfully networks them with surface-to-air missile batteries, hypersonic munitions, and unmanned systems in an anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) framework.
Secretary Hegseth’s testimony highlighted that the F-47 is being engineered specifically to confront this challenge. Designed from the outset for operations in GPS-jammed, radar-contested, and sensor-saturated environments, the aircraft will employ AI-augmented pilot assistance for real-time decision-making and threat prioritization.
Its fusion engine—a novel propulsion system combining adaptive-cycle airflow control and thermoelectric heat dissipation—will enable high-speed ingress and egress from defended airspace without compromising its radar stealth. This translates into the ability to strike high-value targets deep within enemy territory and exfiltrate undetected—a capability critical to disrupting Chinese command-and-control infrastructure in the early hours of a conflict.
More than just a dogfighter, the F-47 functions as a command platform. It will direct autonomous CCAs in multi-axis attack formations, deploy electronic decoys to mislead adversary radars, and provide targeting solutions across a secure mesh cloud. By coordinating simultaneous airborne, naval, and space assets, it effectively nullifies China’s centralized approach to aerial warfare.
Perhaps most vital is the F-47’s native interoperability with allied forces. Built to seamlessly interface with NATO systems, Japanese and Australian aircraft, and even legacy American platforms like the F-35, the F-47 anchors a coalition-centric approach to future conflict.
In contrast, China’s ability to integrate its J-36 and J-50 with third-party systems remains speculative at best. While PLA Air Force and Navy units continue to develop joint protocols, the lack of real-world interoperability exercises with other nations highlights a gap in China’s operational readiness. In this respect, the F-47 presents a force multiplier not just for U.S. forces, but for a growing Indo-Pacific security coalition wary of Beijing’s ambitions.
The strategic relevance of the F-47 becomes even clearer when viewed through the lens of two critical flashpoints: Taiwan and the South China Sea.
If China were to initiate military action against Taiwan, the PLA would likely attempt to quickly establish air superiority over the strait, thereby denying U.S. and allied forces access to Taiwan’s defense perimeter. The F-47’s long-range capabilities and its ability to disrupt enemy air networks would be instrumental in piercing such a blockade and reestablishing air corridors for reinforcement and evacuation.
Similarly, in the South China Sea, China’s militarized islands—equipped with anti-air batteries and surveillance radars—pose a formidable challenge to legacy aircraft. The F-47’s reduced radar signature, paired with its AI-coordinated swarm tactics via CCAs, would allow it to disable these installations without risking human pilots in the initial assault wave.
The 2026 defense budget sets aside a combined $3.5 billion for the F-47 program, comprising $2.6 billion in already authorized discretionary funding and an additional $900 million contingent on a reconciliation bill. The investment comes amid growing bipartisan concern about preserving American military advantage in a rapidly shifting technological environment.
The program taps into a robust defense industrial base already seasoned by years of F-35 and B-21 development. Lessons learned from those platforms—particularly in digital engineering, modular avionics, and maintenance lifecycle modeling—are being applied to minimize cost overruns and accelerate deployment timelines.
Boeing leads the design and integration, while a host of subcontractors are involved in AI systems, propulsion technology, and composite material fabrication. The program also embraces open-architecture standards, allowing for rapid plug-and-play upgrades in response to evolving threats—an essential attribute in the age of software-defined warfare.
While many technical details remain classified, Pentagon officials have outlined a tentative roadmap for the F-47’s development. Initial low-rate production could begin as early as 2027, with operational testing and squadron integration slated for the early 2030s.
Parallel development of CCAs is also underway, with DARPA and the Air Force Research Laboratory jointly working on multiple autonomous platforms. These are expected to reach initial operating capability alongside or shortly after the F-47, ensuring the networked vision of air combat becomes a battlefield reality from day one.
Already, select Air Force squadrons are reportedly training in simulated environments that replicate the F-47-CCA integration model. These exercises aim to familiarize pilots and commanders with the new doctrine of machine-assisted command and control—essential to unlocking the aircraft’s full potential.
In strategic terms, the F-47 is more than an aircraft; it is a statement. It signals that the United States does not intend to cede its long-held dominance of the skies, even as peer adversaries close the technological gap. More broadly, it reflects a shift in the nature of air combat itself—from isolated dogfights to real-time, network-driven multidomain engagements.
It also reaffirms the United States’ commitment to deterring aggression through overwhelming capability. In the face of China’s expanding military presence across Asia, the F-47 presents a credible counterforce—one that makes any attempt at regional hegemony prohibitively costly.
As the Chinese J-36 and J-50 begin to redefine regional airpower, the F-47 arrives as America’s answer to the question of deterrence. It is not simply about matching China tit-for-tat; it’s about rewriting the rules of engagement. With its AI-driven architecture, extended-range capability, and swarm-enabled autonomy, the F-47 is engineered to seize and hold the initiative.
