ST. LOUIS — Brigadier General Timothy Helfrich, the U.S. Air Force’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft, has confirmed that the service is moving closer to establishing a full-rate production line for the Boeing F-47 sixth-generation air superiority fighter. The F-47, selected as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform, is progressing on an accelerated schedule with Boeing currently constructing the initial flight prototype at its St. Louis, Missouri facility ahead of a planned first flight in 2028.
To support the F-47 alongside ongoing F-15EX Eagle II manufacturing, Boeing is executing a $2 billion infrastructure expansion adding over one million square feet of advanced, digital manufacturing space in St. Louis. Highlighting industrial capacity as a critical strategic imperative, Brig. Gen. Helfrich emphasized the necessity of expanding existing fighter lines while integrating the F-47 as a fourth active U.S. fighter production facility—joining Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth (F-35) and Greenville (F-16) plants, alongside Boeing’s St. Louis (F-15EX) line. The USAF currently plans to procure a minimum of 185 F-47 airframes, designed as open-architecture stealth platforms optimized to command Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) uncrewed wingmen across deep-strike operational envelopes.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: BOEING F-47 NEXT GENERATION AIR DOMINANCE (NGAD) PLATFORM
* System Classification: 6th-Generation Stealth Air Superiority Fighter / NGAD Operational Core
* Prime Contractor: Boeing Defense, Space & Security (St. Louis, Missouri)
* Primary Customer: United States Air Force (PEO Fighters and Advanced Aircraft)
* Program Status: Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase; prototype construction underway
* Procurement Objective: At least 185 planned aircraft
* Target Program Schedule: First flight target: 2028 | Initial Operational Capability (IOC): Late 2020s / early 2030s
* Industrial Footprint & Production Capacity:
* Facility Investment: ~$2 Billion infrastructure expansion in St. Louis, MO (>1,000,000 sq ft addition)
* U.S. Industrial Base Integration: Establishes 4th active U.S. fighter assembly line (joining F-35, F-16, F-15EX)
* Flight & Operational Performance Envelope:
* Maximum Speed: Mach 2.0+
* Combat Radius: >1,000 nautical miles (~1,850+ km; ~70% range increase over F-22 Raptor)
* Service Ceiling: High-altitude standoff envelope (>60,000 feet class)
* System Architecture & Multi-Domain Integration:
* Open System Architecture: Fully modular software and hardware architecture for continuous sensor/software refresh
* Uncrewed Teaming Hub: Specialized battle-management suite designed to command autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) wingmen (e.g., YFQ-42A / YFQ-44A)
* Stealth & Avionics: Broad-band low observability (VLO), advanced sensor fusion, next-gen spectral electronic warfare (EW) suite, and adaptive-cycle propulsion integration
