Arthur McMiler
Boeing has secured the engineering and manufacturing development contract for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation fighter aircraft. The Next-Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, platform, also known as the F-47, is expected to feature superior range and better survivability, lethality and adaptability, Boeing said in an announcement Friday.
Steve Parker, Boeing Defense, Space & Security interim president and CEO, stressed the company’s awareness of the USAF’s vital need for a sixth-generation fighter capability.
“In preparation for this mission, we made the most significant investment in the history of our defense business, and we are ready to provide the most advanced and innovative NGAD aircraft needed to support the mission,” the company executive noted.
The contract’s value and terms were not disclosed, as the NGAD platform’s technical and programming details are classified information.
F-47 NGAD Aircraft Family Cornerstone
In a separate announcement also released Friday, the Department of the Air Force disclosed that Boeing’s contract will develop the F-47 designed to incorporate next-generation stealth and sensor fusion. The platform, which will serve as the NGAD system family’s cornerstone, will feature a modular design to enable seamless inclusion of emerging technologies.
Pete Hegseth, the U.S. secretary of defense, said that the F-47 will usher in a significant advance from the F-22, the USAF’S current primary air superiority fighter.
“Now we have the F-47, which sends a very direct, clear message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere … and to our enemies that we can, and we will be able to project power around the globe, unimpeded, for generations to come,” Hegseth remarked.
