On March 21, US President Donald Trump officially announced the development of a sixth-generation fighter F-47, which should significantly strengthen the US Air Force and become a key element of containing China.
According to The War Zone, a new aircraft is the result of many years of research and tests under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD). During the closed competition program, a aircraft from Boeing and Lockheed Martin flew for hundreds of hours, testing advanced technologies to create a future combat platform. Working on a promising fighter began in 2014 as limited to Air Dominance Initiative initiative, which was later transformed into Aerospace Innovation Initiative. The main goal is to develop an aircraft capable of replacing the F-22 Raptor and complying with the Penetrating Counter-Air (PCA) concept, which allows you to break the enemy's air defense. It is known that the first Boeing and Lockheed Martin demonstrators rose to the sky in 2019 and 2022, and the total coating exceeded several hundred hours. Darpa notes that it is the results of these tests that have become a decisive factor when choosing a Boeing as the main contractor for the F-47 serial production.
The official technical characteristics of the F-47 are not disclosed, but experts suggest that the aircraft will receive the following opportunities: a new level stealth technology to minimize radar visibility. High -speed networking systems for real -time data exchange with other combat platforms. Artificial intelligence that will help pilots in combat and decision making. Hypersonic missiles and unmanned partners who will work with the fighter.
The Pentagon will be expected to reveal more details about the F-47 capabilities and plans to deploy it at the US Air Force in the coming months.
