On March 21, US President Donald Trump formally announced the decision to enter into a contract with Boeing to create the next-generation American fighter under the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program. The US Air Force displayed two computer-generated renderings of the future fighter, and he announced the new aircraft’s name – F-47- for the first time. These pictures give a broad concept of how the airplane would seem from the front, but they also hide several crucial design elements.
Nomenclature
Let’s talk about the name first. General David Allvin, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, said several variables played a role in the designation of the F-47. First, he said it is a “tribute” to the P-47 Thunderbolt, a fighter that helped achieve air superiority during World War II in a “historic contribution.” Furthermore, it serves as a reminder that the US Air Force emerged in September 1947, having transitioned from the US Army Air Forces. General Allvin added that the aircraft’s name honours the 47th president of the United States “decisive support” for the creation of the first sixth-generation fighter in history. This final aspect seems to have been the decisive one.
Program Overview
The public has received very little official material, leaving the NGAD program largely unknown. It is expected that the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor will eventually be replaced by the new fighter, which will work closely with teams of unmanned aerial vehicles known as CCAs (Collaborative Combat Aircraft). The total purchase will include at least 200 of these aircraft. The F-47 is anticipated to achieve “much longer range,” “enhanced stealth,” and “more flexibility against future threats” at a lower cost than the F-22, as General Allvin said on Friday, March 21.
Development and Testing
For about a decade, the United States has been researching the NGAD program. Boeing, which continues to manufacture modernised versions of the F-15 and F-18 fighters; Northrop Grumman, which is conducting flight tests and preparing for serial production of the B-21 strategic bomber; and Lockheed Martin, which produced the F-22 until 2011 and currently manufactures the fifth-generation F-35 and has recently resumed production of the F-16, were the three largest American companies specialising in the development and production of combat aircraft, and they all submitted their proposals for the sixth-generation fighter. Later on, though, Northrop Grumman decided to withdraw from the multibillion-dollar contract.
In a dramatic announcement in September 2020, Assistant Secretary William Roper of the US Air Force said that a full-scale NGAD flying demonstration had already been built and was being tested. Claims surfaced in the summer of 2023, suggesting that the US Air Force was testing several NGAD technology demonstrations in extreme secrecy. Trump referred to an “experimental variant of the F-47” that has been undergoing secret testing for almost five years in his statement on Friday. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) released a press release, stating that Boeing and Lockheed Martin produced two experimental aircraft under DARPA contracts to evaluate technical solutions and lower risks for the NGAD program. Since their initial flights in 2019 and 2022, these aircraft have amassed hundreds of flight hours apiece.
Concerns About Program Viability
There was also speculation that the program may face closure. NGAD program was put on hold in 2024 by US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall because of worries about its exorbitant price and changing threats. Kendall underlined the necessity of reevaluating if the program’s design approach was still suitable and economical. Some speculated that the Air Force may forsake its air superiority role or move toward uncrewed options as a result of the decision, which raised concerns about the program’s future. Kendall, however, reiterated that the Air Force would not abandon its primary mission of delivering air superiority, pointing out that an extensive assessment was required due to outmoded design standards and growing costs, which are anticipated to be $300 million per aircraft.
Design Features
The photos released Friday may show a Boeing design or an idea based on the demonstrator’s technical solutions. What initial assumptions can be made regarding the F-47’s potential appearance? The lifting body of the airplane, with its characteristic ribbing on the nose section, is the first thing that catches the eye. Although the wings (including the forward stabilisers) are positioned at a considerable dihedral angle and may have downward-bent wingtips, it looks to be planned in a canard configuration with forward horizontal stabilisers. There are no vertical stabilisers visible in the pictures.
Boeing (and before that, McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997) tried such design solutions on several experimental aircraft developed and built by its Phantom Works branch in St. Louis. These include two prototypes of the experimental X-45A unmanned combat aircraft, which flew 64 times between 2002 and 2005; the Bird of Prey (also called the YF-118G), which had a gull-wing design and no stabilisers at all, which completed 38 flights between 1996 and 1999; and the small, tailless X-36 UAV, which conducted 33 test flights in 1997–1998.
Engine Technology
The F-47 will likely install next-generation engines developed under the NGAP (Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion) program. The experimental XA102 and XA103 engines, which are competing designs from GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, have an adaptive three-stream layout that increases cruise fuel efficiency by at least 20%.
Competition
As the first crewed sixth-generation fighter in history, the Boeing F-47 is up against fierce competition from other programs around the world. The F-47’s earlier operational timetable may deter potential customers from the sixth-generation fighters that the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) hope to deliver to Europe by 2035. China’s J-36 project, which challenges American dominance in the Pacific with its sophisticated stealth and unmanned teaming capabilities, is developing quickly. Both the UK’s Tempest initiative and Japan’s F-X program offer cutting-edge technologies, but their development timelines are behind schedule. The F-47 is positioned to change the dynamics of air battle worldwide thanks to its increased range, stealth, and ability to integrate with drone wingmen.
Future Outlook
It is anticipated that the F-47’s development timeframe will be greatly shortened through the use of the most recent digital design technology and virtual testing in conjunction with the expertise gathered from actual testing of experimental prototypes and flight demonstrators. According to reports, prototype fighter planes ought to go through testing during Trump’s present term, which is the next four years.
The writer is the Publisher of Frontier India and the author of the book Foxtrot to Arihant: The Story of Indian Navy’s Submarine Arm.
